Archive Assistant

This is a part time opportunity working 32.3 hours per week with a pro rata salary of up to £24,105 per annum.

Essex County Council (ECC) is one of the largest and most dynamic local authorities in the UK and we look after a large and diverse geographical region of the country. 

Essex covers over 1,420 square miles and has over 1.8 million residents in a range of coastal, rural, and urban communities. ECC has a very successful track record of delivering transformational change in the public sector and has worked hard to deliver better quality at lower cost. We have an ambitious transformation agenda – one with the scope to reach every part of the council. We are changing the way we think, the way we work, and the ways in which we deliver our services to support our residents. 

The Opportunity 

With excellent customer service skills and experience in either researching family/local history or civil registration, this role will deliver advice and guidance to visitors to the Essex Record Office (ERO) and carry out administrative and technical tasks to deliver services relating to historical and genealogical information. The role is essential in delivering the Duplicate Certificate Service, providing copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates. This requires attention to detail as well as an ability to work to strict timescales. 

The Archive Assistant will engage with the public, as the first point of contact when accessing ERO services, ensuring a high performing search room, document production service, duplicate certificate service, reprographics, and historical/genealogical research service. 

What will you be doing? 

• Contribute to the operation of the ERO Search room, meeting customer requirements to achieve high levels of satisfaction.
• Contribute to the operation of the ERO Duplicate Certificate Service, meeting strict time timescales, providing advice, and dealing with customer enquiries via phone and email.
• Advising the public on the safe handling of documents and ensuring the security of unique archival material.
• Respond to enquiries in respect of all aspects of genealogical and historical research, relating to the historic county of Essex, utilising EROs electronic catalogue, Ancestry, and other genealogical and historical databases.
• Maintain secure storage and retrieval of documents, actively promote long-term storage through the use of preservation techniques.
• Provide specialist information, advice and guidance to customers and colleagues and assist with the promotion and safe storage of the Essex Art Collection.
• Work with colleagues to share expert knowledge that increases awareness of the ERO including the preparation and delivery of ERO Outreach events and updating and maintaining content on social media outlets.
• Responsible for actively promoting, processing, and securing local sales to maximise income generation opportunities.
• Provide support and assistance to remote users, including the undertaking of customer research projects in a cost-effective way to increase revenue via the paid Search Service.
• Responsible for administering reprographics services and assisting with the operational delivery of the duplicate certificate service, processing payments for these.
• Contributes to the administration of the repository office and repository rooms, including efficient and accurate document retrievals and returns.
• Specific individual and shared targets and objectives are defined annually within the performance management framework.

This role will involve working Monday to Friday including occasional Saturdays and evening work on a rota. This can be discussed further at interview. 

The Experience You Will Bring: 

• Significant experience of working in a customer facing environment, with excellent communication skills.
• Ability to develop and use technical and specialist skills and knowledge to deliver customer service.
• Evidence of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Competent in MS Office Suite of programmes.
• Educated to (RQF) Level 3 (A Level) or equivalent by experience.
• Evidence of continuing professional development.
• Experience in family/local history research or civil registration.
• Experience of working with research databases 

To read more about our business area, please visit: Place and Customer

Why Essex?

As one of the largest and most dynamic UK local authorities, Essex offers a stimulating public service environment. Covering over 1,420 square miles and serving 1.8 million residents, we’re committed to transformational change and delivering better quality at lower cost. Recognised in the top three of the latest IMPOWER index for productivity, we ensure everyone matters in Everyone's Essex. With flexible working options and a focus on innovation, whether you are looking to develop your career or contribute to the local community, Essex is the ideal place for you.

In March 2026, the Government announced that councils in Greater Essex will be reorganised into five new unitary authorities from April 2028. In addition to this, Greater Essex has been accepted on to the devolution priority programme, where we will work towards establishing a Mayoral Combined County Authority. You can read more about these changes, and what this may mean for this role, on our careers site.

Essex County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. We’re committed to interview all disabled applicants who choose to apply under our Job Interview Scheme if they meet the minimum requirements of the job. Please speak to our Recruiters if you require any reasonable adjustments during the process. We’re also committed to interview all veterans and care leavers, who meet the minimum requirements of the role for which they are applying.

Once you’ve secured your role within Essex County Council you will receive many great employee benefits, including support for unpaid carers and flexible working arrangements to accommodate their needs.

At Essex County Council, we value integrity and ethical behaviour. We kindly ask that you embrace our code of conduct and the Nolan principles, including throughout the recruitment process. Your commitment to these standards helps us maintain a positive and respectful workplace for everyone.

As part of employment with Essex County Council (ECC) should your role require a DBS check you will be required to register with the DBS update service. The DBS update service ensures all registered DBS certificates are kept up to date and allows authorised parties to view the status of your certificate. This is an annual subscription, and you will be responsible for ensuring this is maintained. For further information on the DBS update service please go to https://www.gov.uk/dbs-update-service

Essex County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

If you would like to be kept up to date on other relevant opportunities, blogs, news, events and industry related news at Essex County Council, please join The Essex Talent Community

If you have queries on this role or require anything further, please email ami.fosker@essex.gov.uk

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