Assistant Archivist/Archivist, Digital Preservation and Records Management

About the Role

The National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore supports lifelong readers, learning communities, and a knowledgeable society by promoting reading, education, and history via a network of 28 libraries, the National Library, and the National Archives of Singapore (NAS). NLB provides a flexible hybrid workplace fostering professional growth, innovation, and meaningful community impact, while maintaining a supportive, collaborative environment focused on employee wellbeing.

Within the NAS’s Digital Preservation Team, your work will center on managing the preservation, transfer, and availability of government records with archival value. The team oversees systems, workflows, and procedures that ensure digital records remain authentic, accessible, and usable over time. Collaborating closely with IT staff, vendors, and various government agencies, the role blends technical tasks with stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the business user liaison for development, upkeep, and improvement of several digital platforms by gathering requirements, performing user acceptance tests, resolving issues, and supporting project timelines and budgets.
• Produce and update documentation such as requirements specifications, user manuals, and test procedures.
• Oversee system monitoring and troubleshooting to help facilitate digital records transfer, ingestion, and preservation.
• Design and implement Python or other scripting language scripts to automate manual tasks and optimize workflows.
• Collaborate with IT teams to refine workflows across the records management lifecycle from appraisal to access, identifying automation opportunities.
• Process and ingest legacy digitized records, ensuring data quality standards for successful integration.
• Partner with government agencies to smooth records transfer to NAS, providing clear guidance and resolving challenges during transitions.
• Maintain and enhance documentation related to digital recordkeeping policies, guidelines, and technical specifications.
• Research and test digital preservation tools—including established solutions like SIARD and Bagger as well as cutting-edge technologies such as Generative AI—and scale effective pilots into routine operations.
• Stay informed on emerging digital record types and collaboration platforms (e.g., emails, databases, MS Teams), recommending appropriate preservation approaches and tools.
• Conduct regular outreach with government bodies to support records transfer logistics, training, and compliance with NAS policies.
• Engage internal and external partners in collaborative digital preservation and archival initiatives.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum 2 years’ experience as a business or systems analyst or similar role focused on system development or enhancement.
• Comfortable handling data, technical documentation, and file format specifications, and able to author requirements specifications.
• Proficient in scripting languages like Python to automate workflows and handle data tasks.
• Proven experience managing or contributing to system projects, coordinating schedules, deliverables, and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills, adept at liaising with diverse stakeholders including government agencies, IT personnel, and business users.
• Able to work autonomously with a strong sense of ownership while collaborating effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
• Curious about and willing to experiment with new technologies and artificial intelligence applications.
• Positive mindset toward learning and navigating ambiguity or unfamiliar situations.
• Basic knowledge or interest in archival, records management, or digital preservation is a plus; formal archival training is not mandatory.

Additional Information

The successful hire will be offered an initial contract of two years. This position is based at the National Archives of Singapore, located at 1 Canning Rise, Singapore 179868.