Background to the position

CMS Australia is currently seeking a professional Honorary Archivist based in the Sydney CBD. The successful candidate will work as part of the CMS-Australia Business Administration Team. It is envisaged that the successful applicant will work one day per week.

CMS-A has engaged an Honorary Archivist since 1990. Many of the archives are held in the State Library of New South Wales and those generated in the Northern Territory with the Northern Territory Archives Service in Darwin. CMS-A continues to have control of these distributed records. The collection is highly valued by these institutions because of its importance to Australia’s role in the Northern Territory and abroad.

Purpose of the position

The overall purpose of the role is to ensure that full and accurate records of all business transactions are created, managed and retained for as long as is required for legal, administrative and research purposes.  

Main responsibilities

• Developing policies and procedures for current records management and archives
• Managing the archival records including appraisal, development of disposal authorities, and arrangement and description of archives,
• Providing researchers with access to archives
• Supervision of a small reference library

Administrative setting

The position reports to the Finance Director but also works in conjunction with the International Director and Regional Mission Directors regarding access to records; the Business Analyst regarding the management of electronic records for permanent retention. The position gives advice to all staff regarding the management of current records.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Applicants should be qualified as an Australian Society of Archivists Inc. accredited professional.

Experience in some of the following areas is desirable;

• Designing and implementing a records management system especially in a small business environment,
• Policy and procedure preparation,
• Setting disposal periods for records of various kinds,
• Making access directions,
• Arrangement and description of archives especially the Australian Series System
• Working with personal records including knowledge of the Privacy Act, 1988 (Cw’lth),
• Familiarity with protocols for dealing with Aboriginal records,
• Meeting information needs of the staff
• Providing access to records
• Working in a distributed management environment
• Working in an increasingly electronic records management environment

Applicants are required to be experienced in using Microsoft Office programs including Word, Excel, and Access.