Due to the departure of the current Director, the International Institute of Social History (IISH) is looking for a new Director of Data and Collections.

Together with the Institute Director and the Director of Research, the Director of Data and Collections forms the IISH’s management team. The Data and Collections division has a staff of some 50 persons in the departments of collection development, registration, enrichment, and public services.

Who are we looking for?
As Director, you will have a clear vision regarding the IISH’s collections policy and will express that vision as a comprehensible strategy and policy. You are an experienced manager who can coach content experts and offer them the opportunity to develop further. You will ensure reciprocal connectivity, both within your own division and with the Institute’s research division. You will bear ultimate responsibility for the division’s financial and personnel policy, coordinating it within the IISH’s management team.

We expect you as Director of Data and Collections to position the Institute within a number of important national and international networks. Such as the HuC, the Dutch Digital Heritage Network (NDE), and the International Association of Labour History Institutions (IALHI). Within the academic environment of the Academy, where the focus is on large-scale research projects, you will ensure ongoing attention, investment, and resources for a sustainable infrastructure for structural data and collections.

You are aware of the developments in society that influence the role and function of the IISH as a collection-based research Institute, and you have a clear vision regarding inclusiveness, valorisation, and participation. You will contribute actively to determine how these concepts can be transformed into practical policy.This position represents an exceptional opportunity for someone with a passion for collections and data on work and labour relations within a scholarly environment. You will co-manage one of the world’s largest collections of private archives, and work at a leading research institute in the field of social and economic history. The position is based in the Netherlands and we expect the candidate to have, or quickly acquire, good oral and written communication skills in Dutch and English.

What do we offer?
The appointment at the IISH is for a period of one year with the prospect of permanent employment. Depending on relevant work experience, the minimum salary is € 5,542 and the maximum salary is € 7,054 (scale 14 of the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities) for a 38-hour work week.

The IISH offers attractive secondary conditions of employment, such as 8.3% year-end bonus, 8% vacation allowance, a good pension scheme, 6 weeks annual vacation and the possibility to buy/sell holidays.

International Institute of Social History (IISG-KNAW)

Who are we?
The IISH International Institute of Social History (IISG-KNAW) is a renowned research and collection institute with an international orientation and a unique position in the Netherlands and the world. We combine advanced research – on a global scale – on the history of work, workers, and labour relations with acquiring, managing and providing access to collections (archives, publications, structured data, and other historical source material) on these topics. We ensure a proper balance between continuity and renewal, tracking social and technological developments and transforming them into policy. Data enrichment plays an important role in making collections and research data accessible in an integrated manner.

Where will the new Director be working?
The IISH is an Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW, “the Academy”) and – together with Huygens ING and the Meertens Institute – forms part of the Humanities Cluster (HuC) which conducts innovative humanities research by applying advanced digital methods. Within the HuC, the Director of Collections has an important task in monitoring and further improving a sound and future-proof digital infrastructure for collections and data.