Digital Preservation Project Officer

Newcastle UniversityNewcastle, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

8 hours ago

Job description

Salary : 31236 to 32080 with progression to 34610 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date : 02 December 2025

The Role

This is an exciting time to join our high-performing Digital Library Services Team as we embark on a project to develop the Universitys digital preservation infrastructure. You will have opportunities to develop both your technical and team working skills working on this key strategic project involving our Special Collections and Archives team as well as other stakeholders in the Library and the wider University.

You will be highly organised and an excellent communicator with demonstrable experience of making high quality contributions to projects. Awareness of IT infrastructures and familiarity with long-term data storage and digital preservation would be an advantage.

To find out more about us please see : an informal discussion about the role please contact John Williams Head of Collections Research and Digital Futures ( )

This post is fixed-term for three years and is suitable for blended working.

To apply please upload your CV along with a cover letter evidencing how your skills and experience align to the person specification as outlined within job description.

Key Accountabilities

Collaborate with colleagues within Digital Library Services (DLS) and Special Collections and Archives to deliver coordinated improvements to the Librarys combined digital service offering and to support the implementation of digital preservation workflows and system integrations
Work in consultation with a wide range of Library staff including Special Collections and Archives and Library Research Services to establish priorities for digital preservation across the University and to collaborate with content owners about how their content fits in with an agreed preservation approach
Provide efficient and effective project support to the Digital Preservation project team
Produce documentation specific to development processes procedures and activities for example well-documented code or clearly expressed guides for relevant system(s)
Collaborate with colleagues on the development testing and implementation of new workflows for processing digital content
Develop and deliver training packages around the digital preservation workflows and systems
Liaise on behalf of the Digital Library Services (DLS) team with other sections of the Library and stakeholders within other units of the University for example IT Services Research and Innovation and the Newcastle University Centres of Research Excellence (NUCoREs).
Share responsibility for answering support tickets directed to the DLS team by Library colleagues
Demonstrate commitment to continuous professional development and self-directed learning including the development of technical skills including coding knowledge of descriptive standards and other understanding required for the role
Other duties as may be required commensurate with the grade of the post

The Person

Knowledge Skills and Experience

Excellent communication skills and the ability to convey complex technical information clearly in a variety of formats (both written and verbal) suited to the needs of the intended audience(s)

Demonstrable experience of providing high quality contributions as a member of project teams and awareness of approaches to project management

Well-developed team working skills and the ability to collaborate effectively to achieve specific goals and objectives

Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills

Well-developed time-management skills and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to apply own initiative

Proficiency with common software tools and systems including the use of database queries content management systems and helpdesk software

Awareness of the basic information management principles that underpin the curation of data assets including data integrity reliability authenticity discoverability and usability

Proven track record of developing and reviewing processes policies and procedures

Attributes and Behaviour

Planning and Organising

Excellent organisational skills and the ability to handle effectively a range of task simultaneously work well under pressure and to tight deadlines

Finding Solutions

Ability to use initiative and judgement within the parameters of responsibility of the role

Generates a range of viable options and decides on an appropriate course of action that best fits organisational and area goals

Agility and flexibility within the role

Delivering Services

Knows and understands customer / stakeholder needs

Team Working

Operates effectively in a number of different teams and groups

Works collaboratively with others plays a positive role in teams and establishes and grows relationships across the organisation where different skills expertise and opinions are valued

Communicating

uses clear concise and accurate communication tailoring the approach accordingly and encourages a two-way communication process

Qualifications

Minimum of 3 A levels or equivalent qualifications / experience

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a GoldAthena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID : 28842

Required Experience :

Unclear Seniority

Key Skills

Project Management Methodology,Digital Marketing,Content Management Systems,Trello,Basecamp,Smartsheet,Drupal,Jira,Project Management,Project Management Software,Microsoft Project,Wordpress

Employment Type : Full-Time

Experience : years

Vacancy : 1

Monthly Salary Salary : 31236 - 32080

Create a job alert for this search

Project Officer • Newcastle, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa