Archivist, Film and Special Media
Join Our Team as an Archivist, Film and Special Media (Full-Time) ️ Embark on a meaningful career preserving history at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. Location & Application Details
- Location: Washington, DC, United States
- Application Deadline: January 23, 2026
- Apply Here: Job Application Link
- Contact: [email protected]
About the Organization The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution established by the US Congress. It serves as America's national memorial to Holocaust victims and as an educational hub committed to sharing the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum specializes in Holocaust remembrance, scholarship, education, and genocide prevention. Our core values guide our work, emphasizing dignity, integrity, respect, teamwork, continuous learning, and inclusivity. We honor the memory of victims and ensure that our efforts uphold these principles.
About the Role
The David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation (RNIHD) is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and making accessible the historical record of the Holocaust. This position focuses on the arrangement, description, and preservation of film and audiovisual materials within the Museum’s collections. The successful candidate will:
- Inspect and assess film and audiovisual carriers
- Recommend remediation or digitization strategies
- Research collection provenance and history
- Create finding aids and catalog records
- Unify dispersed archival collections
- Contribute to developing procedures that enhance future access
This full-time, three-year, non-federal position is paid from the Museum’s private funds. The role is based in Bowie, MD, with hybrid telework options within commuting distance. Key Duties & Responsibilities
- Analyze, develop, and participate in arranging archival film and audiovisual collections
- Describe collections and train staff in archival descriptions
- Create and maintain accurate finding aids and catalog records in systems like EMu
- Conduct research to verify authenticity and provenance
- Evaluate and assess collection condition and responsiveness
- Participate in digital asset appraisal, selection, and ingest processes
- Recommend digitization and preservation strategies for analog media
- Collaborate across teams to implement digital storage solutions
- Communicate and coordinate with colleagues and stakeholders
- Review and improve procedures and workflows
Additional duties as assigned to support the Museum's mission.
Minimum Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience as a film, audiovisual, or media archivist or related profession
- Proficiency in handling audiovisual preservation, storage, and conservation techniques
- Knowledge of media formats such as analog video, nitrate film, and digital files
- Experience with cataloging standards and archival software like EMu or ArchivesSpace
- Familiarity with metadata standards like DACS, EAD, Dublin Core, and PBCore
- Understanding of digital archival principles
- Basic knowledge of German
- Interest in 20th-century European history, WWII, Holocaust, and its legacy
- Skill in using authoritative subject and name vocabularies
Preferred Qualifications ⭐
- Expertise in historical research methods and archival research tools
- Familiarity with USHMM and other institutional collections
- Knowledge of the latest scholarly research on the Holocaust and WWII
- Ability to work with archival materials in multiple European languages, Yiddish, or Hebrew
- Understanding of digital standards such as XML, JSON, CSV, and API protocols
- Proficiency in additional European languages, Yiddish, or Hebrew
Ready to Make a Difference? If you're passionate about preserving history and meet the qualifications, we encourage you to apply with your resume by the application deadline: January 23, 2026 Apply tot his job Apply To this Job