What are the responsibilities and job description for the Archivist position at Neighborhood Association?
Title: Archivist
Location: Upper Manhattan, NY
Reports to: Managing Director of Arts and Culture
Status: Full-time
FLSA Status: Exempt
Salary Range: $66,300
About Taller Boricua
Founded in 1969 in East Harlem, Taller Boricua/Puerto Rican Workshop is a multidisciplinary cultural arts institution dedicated to supporting artists of Puerto Rican, Latinx, and diverse backgrounds. Taller Boricua promotes visual arts, exhibitions, performances, and educational programming, and preserves the cultural and historical narratives of Puerto Rican and Latinx communities in New York City.
Position Summary
The Archivist will lead the preservation, organization, and promotion of Taller Boricua’s archival holdings, including institutional records, artist files, exhibition materials, photographs, audio-visual assets, and born-digital collections. This role ensures that the organization’s rich history and cultural legacy are preserved for future generations and made accessible to scholars, community members, and the public.
Key Responsibilities
- Appraise, arrange, and describe archival collections according to professional standards (DACS, EAD).
- Manage physical and digital collections, including artworks, ephemera, oral histories, and organizational records.
- Implement digital preservation strategies and oversee digitization projects, ensuring long-term access to multimedia materials.
- Create and maintain finding aids, metadata, and catalog records in archival management systems (e.g., ArchivesSpace, CollectiveAccess).
- Collaborate with curators, artists, and educators to integrate archival materials into exhibitions, publications, and community programs.
- Facilitate access for researchers, artists, students, and community members.
- Train staff and interns on archival best practices and records transfer procedures.
- Develop and enforce records retention and preservation policies in collaboration with leadership.
- Promote the archives through outreach, workshops, public programming, and partnerships with cultural and academic institutions.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Library & Information Science, Archival Studies, Public History, or related field preferred; or equivalent professional experience.
- At least 2–3 years of professional archival experience, preferably in an arts, museum, or cultural heritage setting.
- Experience with archival metadata standards and archival management systems.
- Knowledge of digital preservation practices and digitization workflows.
- Strong understanding of Puerto Rican, Latinx, and/or diasporic cultural history preferred.
- Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
- Bilingual proficiency in English/Spanish is a plus.
- Must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English for administrative purposes.
- This position may require pre- and post-employment background checks.
- Must pass drug screening to be appointed.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
- Ability to sit for extended periods and perform repetitive tasks.
- Must be able to lift boxes up to 35 lbs and handle extended periods of collections handling.
Salary : $66,300