Archives Assistant

Job description

Temporary maternity cover until 15th May hours, to be worked Tuesday - Friday 8.45am - 5.15pm and with occasional duty until 9.00pm on Thursday evenings

This is a great opportunity to get involved with the archives of the Royal County. We're looking for someone to help look after our visitors, respond to enquiries and support collections management.

The Royal Berkshire Archives is run as a joint service by six councils: Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, and Wokingham. Our collections reflect these places as well as historical North Berkshire, which included towns like Abingdon, Wallingford and Wantage. Notable holdings include the archives of Broadmoor Hospital, the Thames Conservancy and Reading Prison.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

About the role:

Based at the Royal Berkshire Archives, 9 Coley Avenue, Reading, RG1 6AF

We can offer you a warm welcome into a small but dedicated team. Staff share an enthusiasm for Berkshire's history and helping others discover it. We are based in a modern building just outside Reading town centre and open to the public Tuesdays-Fridays.

The postholder will spend around half their time on duty in our reading room, answering enquiries remotely and face-to-face, providing copies and undertaking research. They will also create information about our collections, and package and store them. There is plenty of support available from colleagues to help you understand how to use and look after historical material.

About you:

You need to be good at working out what people want and how we can help them, good at communicating complex information and have an eye for detail, detective work and discovery.

You don't need any formal qualifications, but the post is suitable for those with a degree and who want to apply for a postgraduate qualification in archives. If you have experience of working or volunteering in a similar field then please do let us know.

You'll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you'll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.

Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:

Work Together as one team - work collaboratively, with each other and with our partners, and demonstrate the Team Reading values in everything we do

Drive Efficiency - show initiative, be adaptable to change and put forward ideas to help improve delivery and efficiency. Take responsibility for our own learning and development and for reaching our potential

Be Ambitious - be demanding of our own performance – striving to be even better – and be prepared to engage with and challenge leaders in a constructive and positive way

Make a Difference to Reading - maintain the highest levels of customer service and be flexible and willing to provide the services needed at the time they are needed

Our offer:

We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition is strongly encouraged, and you'll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted, and a salary sacrifice scheme to help lower the cost of your nursery fees
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

If you would like an informal discussion about the post please contact Senior Archivist - Ellie Thorne, on email ).

Closing Date: Thursday 4th December 2025

Interview Date: to be arranged

Interview format: two-person panel interview, based on job description, with a short test for literacy and numeracy. And, although it does not form part of the interview, we are very happy to offer you a tour of the Archives.