Digital Preservation Specialist

JOB TITLE: Digital Preservation Specialist

LOCATION: History Center - 345 W Kellogg Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55102

COMPENSATION: Typical starting range $59,092.80 - $63,648.00 annually

STATUS & HOURS: Full-time, regular (approximately 2,080 annual hours) position.

BENEFITS:  Eligible to participate in State Employee Group Insurance Program and a retirement program with employer contribution. Generous vacation and sick time accruals with additional paid holidays.

DESIGNATION: Bargaining Unit AFSCME Local 3173

POSTING DATE: August 20, 2025

DEADLINE DATE: Open Until Filled

TO APPLY: Interested applicants must apply online at the Minnesota Historical Society’s career center at www.mnhs.org/jobs and include a resume and cover letter by the application deadline date.  

DESCRIPTION:  This position supports the MNHS digital collections across the LRC Division by leading work to manage and maintain the materials for long-term access and use in alignment with the institution’s vision and strategic framework for sustainable digital preservation.

SUMMARY OF WORK:  1) Carry out activities as lead for the digital preservation program in collaboration with the department director; 2) Participate as a member of the DPSA team; 3) Maintain professional knowledge and skills in digital curation and preservation; 4) Carry out activities related to larger department and divisional work; and 5) Perform other duties as assigned to support the unit and department operations. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in library/information science or related plus three years program experience related to digital collections and preservation.

• Firsthand experience working with digital collections, including external media, for long-term preservation and access.

• Attention to detail and ability to track and manage multiple project streams at once.

• Strong organizational, analytical, problem solving, and time management skills.

DEMONSTRATED SKILLS IN OR KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Handling archival collections, digital files, and digital media.

• Training and advising others, including creating and delivering online and in-person presentations.

• Creating and maintaining process and technical guidelines and documentation.

• Multitasking, working effectively under pressure to meet deadlines, prioritizing and adapting to changing priorities.  

• Working independently and taking individual initiative while also being able to collaborate effectively and contribute positively in a team environment.

• Productivity software, specifically with Word, Access, Excel, and Google applications.

• Current digital archives curation, metadata, management, and preservation standards and best practices.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Coursework or certification in digital archives.

• Knowledge of records management principles.

• Experience with Preservica digital repository or a similar preservation system.

• Experience with digital archives tools such as BitCurator and PRONOM.

• Experience with obsolete digital technologies and file formats.

• Knowledge of project management fundamentals.

Should you have questions with the application process, email humanresources@mnhs.org or call MNHS Job Line at 651-259-3181.   

At MNHS, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on diversity for the benefit of our employees, our products and services, and our community. The Minnesota Historical Society believes that an inclusive culture among our team members is critical to our success as a historical society and museum, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The Minnesota Historical Society is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer.