Archivist

Job Description: We have an exciting opportunity for an Archivist at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement, based in our Northbrook, Illinois, office. The Archivist is essential to the preservation and activation of the 132-year history of UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards and Engagement (ULSE) – two organizations which evolved from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) founded in 1894. This individual will execute archival processing, collection management, reference, research, and outreach services drawing upon the breadth of the UL Archives’ physical and digital holdings. The Archivist will possess a deep working knowledge of standards and best practices in archival appraisal and selection, accessioning, arrangement and description, collection management, and preservation of various physical and digital records and other historical materials. UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement At UL Research Institutes (ULRI) and UL Standards & Engagement (ULSE), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk, created new safety standards and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge. What You’ll Learn And Achieve As the Archivist, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you: Appraise, select, accession, arrange and describe archival collections and materials in all analog and digital formats according to best practices and national/international standards. Support the continued development and maintenance of the digital archival repository by adding digitized and born-digital records for long-term preservation and access. Collaborate with colleagues on communications, public relations, social media, community engagement, brand, and other teams on projects and initiatives that involve the organizations’ history. Collaboratively assess and prioritize the physical and digital archival processing backlog. Collaboratively assess archival collection storage space, recommend improvements, and reorganize materials to best utilize available space. Respond to reference questions from internal and external stakeholders covering a variety of complex subjects in a timely and organized manner. Conduct oral histories with long-standing employees and retirees regarding their work experience and promote donation of their papers and materials to the archives. Speak to small groups and lead tours of the archives for employee and external audiences. Perform other duties as assigned. What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do. People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require. Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good. Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs. Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.