Archive Assistant

Essex is a diverse county with some of the highest levels of deprivation in the country through to highly affluent communities, which gives us a wide variance in life expectancy and quality. Culture and Green Spaces will deliver exceptional customer experiences, demonstrating the benefit of Essex's strategic location, with the objective of developing a financially sustainable operation. With excellent customer service skills and experience in either researching family/local history or civil registration, this role will deliver advice and guidance to visitors to the Essex Record Office (ERO) and carry out administrative and technical tasks to deliver services relating to historical and genealogical information. The role is essential in delivering the Duplicate Certificate Service, providing copies of birth, marriage and death certificates. This requires attention to detail as well as an ability to work to strict timescales. The Archive Assistant will engage with the public, as the first point of contact when accessing ERO services, ensuring a high performing search room, document production service, duplicate certificate service, reprographics, and historical/genealogical research service.,

• Contribute to the operation of the ERO Searchroom, meeting customer requirements to achieve high levels of satisfaction.
• Contribute to the operation of the ERO Duplicate Certificate Service, meeting strict time timescales, providing advice and dealing with customer enquiries via phone and email.
• Advising the public on the safe handling of documents and ensuring the security of unique archival material.
• Respond to enquiries in respect of all aspects of genealogical and historical research, relating to the historic county of Essex, utilising EROs electronic catalogue, Ancestry, and other genealogical and historical databases.
• Maintain secure storage and retrieval of documents, actively promote long-term storage through the use of preservation techniques.
• Provide specialist information, advice and guidance to customers and colleagues and assist with the promotion and safe storage of the Essex Art Collection.
• Work with colleagues to share expert knowledge that increases awareness of the ERO including the preparation and delivery of ERO Outreach events and updating and maintaining content on social media outlets.
• Responsible for actively promoting, processing, and securing local sales to maximise income generation opportunities.
• Provide support and assistance to remote users, including the undertaking of customer research projects in a cost-effective way to increase revenue via the paid Search Service.
• Responsible for administering reprographics services and assisting with the operational delivery of the duplicate certificate service, processing payments for these.
• Contributes to the administration of the repository office and repository rooms, including efficient and accurate document retrievals and returns.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.
  
  Significant experience of working in a customer facing environment, with excellent communication skills.
• Ability to develop and use technical and specialist skills and knowledge to deliver customer service.
• Evidence of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Competent in MS Office Suite of programmes.
Desirable:
• Educated to (RQF) Level 3 (A Level) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience in family/local history research or civil registration.
• Experience of working with research databases
  
  As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service
  
  This is a part time position working 28.6 per week, the pro rata salary will be £18,044 to £19,849 per annum. This role will involve working Tuesday to Friday including occasional Saturdays and evening work on a rota. This can be discussed further at interview., 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + choice to buy extra.
• Generous Local Government Salary related pension scheme.
• Access to hundreds of discounts and benefits through Essex Rewards.
• Access to our health and wellbeing support platform with Vita Health Group.
• Up to 4 days per annum volunteering leave.