Archivist

Foundation Summary

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation envisions a Chicagoland comprised of thriving communities where all individuals have the resources and opportunities to succeed, without regard to income, race, ethnicity, gender, or ZIP code. We invest in people and organizations across the region to develop educated, informed, and engaged communities.

The Foundation was established in 1955, upon the death of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, the longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The Foundation’s philanthropic investments of more than $1.8 billion to date, are currently focused on Chicago's South and West Sides and the following issues: early childhood education, public safety, community development, veterans, and journalism.

The Foundation’s Board also oversees Cantigny, Col. McCormick's 500-acre estate in Wheaton, Illinois, which encompasses a park, formal gardens, a museum dedicated to the 1st Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, and a 27-hole public golf facility. Learn more at mccormickfoundation.org, cantigny.org, fdmuseum.org, and cantignygolf.com.

Position Summary

Responsible for stewarding the Colonel Robert R. McCormick Research Center’s archival holdings, including documents, manuscripts, maps, photographs, manuals, audio and video recordings, born-digital and digitized material. Works cross-departmentally to manage efforts to preserve, describe, and make accessible archival material. Provides access to and publicizes research potential of archival collections to the public.

Essential Functions

• Assesses, acquires, arranges, and describes physical and digital archival materials in alignment with the collection development policy.
• Provides access to archival collections by creating collection-level records, writing DACS-compliant finding aids, conducting historical research for the preparation of metadata descriptions, and maintaining a database on collections and storage space allocation.
• Implements archival collection development plan, including inventory and gap analysis of collection and performing selective acquisitions.
• Ensures preservation of materials by developing guidelines and practices for handling and storage; monitors environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, and light levels in storage areas.
• Supervises volunteers and interns conducting basic archival support tasks.
• Assists patrons by providing reference services, including answering inquiries, guiding access to archival materials, and offering support for research and information needs.
• Ensures the accessibility of digital resources and other special collections by determining the appropriate intellectual organization and digital storage structure. Creates policies and procedures for managing born-digital materials for ingest, storage, preservation, organization, description, and access.
• Collaborates with the rest of the staff on museum-wide projects and operations

Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

Education: ALA-accredited graduate degree in librarianship or SAA-accredited graduate degree in archives administration or records management, or a relevant, accredited graduate degree as deemed appropriate.

Experience: 3 years working in a museum, with familiarity in U.S. military history preferred.

Skills:

• Master's degree in archives management from an ALA-accredited graduate program or a relevant, accredited graduate degree as deemed appropriate.
• In-depth knowledge of archival principles, practices, and ethical standards, with an emphasis on managing digital archives
• Demonstrated knowledge of preservation methods and theory
• Knowledge of digital imaging and metadata standards and processes
• Background knowledge and appreciation of military history
• Skilled in using Adobe Creative Suite
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; strong interpersonal skills and ability to succeed in a team environment
• Ability to manage projects independently: establishing priorities, organizing resources, analyzing project requirements, and preparing work estimates

Working Conditions:

This is a Full-time position. The Archivist will spend considerable time at the First Division Museum and periodically travel to the community is required. Requires some weekend and evening work.

Benefits

The McCormick Foundation offers industry-leading benefits that reflect the Foundation's mission and support a healthy and productive culture.

Healthcare and Paid Time Off:

In addition to our high-caliber and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision care, we provide:

• Paid time off and paid sick leave
• 11 employer-paid holidays
• Disability insurance and life insurance at no cost to employees.
• Other benefits to support our employees include health club reimbursement, a hybrid work schedule, and an employee and dependent educational assistance program.

Retirement:

To assist employees in saving towards their retirement, we offer:

• A generous pension plan with a Foundation-paid contribution of 8% of an employee's salary.
• We also offer a 403(b) Salary Deferral Plan with a $1 for $1 Foundation-paid matching contribution of 6% of an employee’s salary.

Giving Back to Community: The Foundation supports our employees' personal philanthropy by:

• Matching two-for-one every dollar of qualified charitable contributions an employee makes, up to $75,000.
• Offering four Foundation-paid service days and a contribution of $500 per service day donated by the Foundation to the 501(c)(3) organization with which the employee volunteered on the service day.
• Donating $500 for every 5 years of employment to a 501(c)(3) organization of the employee’s choosing.

Vaccination Requirement

The Robert R. McCormick Foundation requires as a condition of employment that all employees are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) or have been approved for an accommodation based on a medical condition or conflicting religious belief.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cantigny and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, individuals with disabilities, race, religion, creed, gender, sex,