Reporting to the Executive Director of the BMRC, the Program Manager/Archivist will support the BMRC’s seasonal research and internship programs while also using their archives management skills to help maintain the Archives Portal, an online freely accessible database where materials held by BMRC members can be located. As a part of this maintenance, they will foster good relations with BMRC member institutions and offer archival advice as needed.

• The Program Manager/Archivist for the BMRC will work closely with the Executive Director in planning and managing daily operations of the consortium including budget monitoring, events coordination, the Archie Motley Internship Program, the Summer Short Term Fellows Program, and member relations especially related to the maintenance of the Archives Portal online database.
• Arrange and manage the organizational records of the BMRC in analog and electronic formats.
• Provide archival assistance to member institutions, particularly community-based archives members. May include appraisal, collection advisement, or training of member institution staff.
• Represent the BMRC at meetings and conferences, and in discussions with peer institutions at the regional and national level.
• Assist with BMRC communications: prepare project reports, presentations and documentation as necessary, with particular attention to grant management and reporting. Also drafting and editing other written materials such as post-event write-ups and newsletters with moderate guidance.
• Update BMRC website content, manage social media platforms and receive, route and respond to incoming communications, verbal and written.
• Has moderate/high levels of interactions with faculty, researchers and staff for committee work or information.
• Uses moderate/solid understanding and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Preferred Competencies

• Knowledge of core archival concepts and functions (provenance, appraisal, processing, etc.).
• Ability to effectively manage multiple competing priorities, manage time efficiently, and achieve unit goals.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and the ability to interface positively with fellow staff, board members, members, fellows, interns and the wider community.
• Proven capacity to acquire new skills and to synthesize and act upon complex information and developments.
• Ability to work independently, with supervision and as part of a team.
• Prior experience facilitating workshops, trainings and orientations.
• Knowledge of project management, program planning, implementation and evaluation.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Ability to learn a range of position-related software applications.
• Familiarity with archival description standards such as EAD.
• Knowledge of social media platforms.

About Black Metropolis Research Consortium

The Black Metropolis Research Consortium (BMRC) is an expanding consortium of Chicago-based archives, libraries, and museums. Its mission is to connect all who seek to document, share, understand and preserve Black experiences. Through archival processing initiatives, research fellowships for scholars and artists, archival internships for students, and diverse public programming, the BMRC facilitates increased awareness of the experiences of African American and other African diaspora communities by expanding access to its members’ holdings of materials that document African American and African diaspora culture, history, and politics, with a specific focus on materials relating to Chicago.

Connections working at Black Metropolis Research Consortium