Hong Kong Legislative Council Secretariat seeks an Archivist

Here's an interesting job for a person with the right mix of language skills, professional experience, and desire to live in a world city:  Archivist of the Secretariat of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Region of the People's Republic of China. 

Archivist - The Legislative Council Secretariat provides support services to the Legislative Council ("LegCo") in scrutinizing legislative and public expenditure proposals and in monitoring government policies and measures. The LegCo Archives is responsible for developing and implementing an integrated archives and records management programme for LegCo and providing archival services for LegCo Members, staff and the public. We are now looking for a high calibre individual to work as an Archivist to assist in the operation of the LegCo Archives and setting out the best operational procedures and practices in managing the archives and records of the LegCo and the LegCo Secretariat.

Duties: An Archivist will be responsible for: (a) assisting in operating the LegCo Archives; (b) researching and implementing policies, standards, and the best practices for a comprehensive and sustainable archives and records management programme of the LegCo and the LegCo Secretariat; (c) developing procedures, guidelines and manuals for the creation, maintenance, protection and disposal of records in different formats and content; (d) compiling records disposal authorities and disposal schedules; (e) appraising records for preservation as archives; (f) arranging and describing archival records according to international standards and preparing suitable finding aids; (g) providing records access and reference services and conducting outreach public programme; and (h) offering advice, guidance, training and conducting inspections on archives and records management.

Length of Employment: A fixed term for three years.

Remuneration: A newly appointed Archivist will be offered a starting salary at $41,070 per month (increasing by 5 annual increments to $51,670), plus a monthly cash allowance applicable to the rank of Archivist on the date of appointment currently at a rate of $1,105 per month. Candidates not meeting the 6-year professional experience requirement may also apply. If selected, they may be appointed at a lower entry salary. The exact salary offered will be commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. Upon satisfactory completion of the agreement, the appointee will be eligible for an end-of-agreement gratuity which, when added together with the employer's contribution to a Mandatory Provident Fund scheme, equals to 15% of the total basic salary drawn during the agreement period. Fringe benefits include paid leave as well as medical and dental benefits.

Application: Applications can be made through letters or the application form which can be downloaded from our website. Please send the application to the Human Resources Office, Legislative Council Secretariat, Legislative Council Complex, 1 Legislative Council Road, Central, Hong Kong on or before 23 July 2012. Please indicate the post applied for on the envelope. Applicants who do not hear from us within 8 weeks after the closing date may assume their applications to be unsuccessful. All personal data provided will be treated in strict confidence. If interested applicants would like to send their applications by email, they can send to the following address: hro-at-legco.gov.hk and send a copy to lyychan-at-legco.gov.hk for information.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer, The LegCo Commission is committed to eliminating discrimination in employment with the LegCo Secretariat. The vacancy advertised is open to all applicants meeting the basic entry requirements irrespective of their disability, sex, marital status, pregnancy, age, family status, sexual orientation and race. For more information on our policy on employment of persons with disabilities, please visit our website.

Requirements: Candidates should: (a) be a qualified Archivist or Records Manager with a recognized degree in history, political science, public administration, or a related field and have a graduate or postgraduate qualification in Archives or Records Management; (b) have at least six years' professional experience in archives and records management, preferably three years of which in supervisory capacity; (c) have sound knowledge and experience in records appraisal theory and practices; arrangement, description and accessioning of archival records; and records access and reference services; should be conversant with conducting historical research and using General International Standard Archival Description ("ISAD(G)") issued by the International Council on Archives; (d) have the ability to analyze, organize and interpret records and records systems including records captured and stored in electronic environment, and to solve practical archival or records management problems; (e) have excellent command of written and spoken Chinese and English languages; and (f) possess very good interpersonal, supervisory and time management skills. Preference will be given to candidates who are familiar with microcomputer applications and have hands-on experience in electronic records management, archival digitization and preservation. Working experience in archives or records management in public organizations will be a bonus. 

N.B.:  Even though this position was posted on the website of the Society of American Archivists, the salary figures quoted above are in Hong Kong dollars, not U.S. dollars.  At the time of this writing, one Hong Kong dollar equals 0.1290 U.S. dollars.