• Job title: Director, Blinken OSA Archivum
• Location: Budapest, Hungary
• Duration: The initial appointment is for five years, renewable.
• Salary: According to relevant University policies applicable to senior staff.
• Contract Type: Full-Time
• Application Deadline: 2025-03-31

Central European University (CEU) is seeking a highly committed professional with a deep familiarity of memory institutions, and a broad range of demonstrated interests in the humanities and the social and information sciences to lead the Blinken OSA Archivum.

The Blinken OSA Archivum is a truly unique organisation, affiliated with CEU. The Archivum is not just a repository of important documents, but a complex knowledge producing institution with archival, educational, research and international public activities. The focus of its activities are problems related to the Cold War, Communism, Human Rights, the history of the recent past, and central policy issues of the present.

Duties and responsibilities

The new Director of the Archivum will be joining at an important time for the institution. Reporting to CEU’s Rector, they will be responsible for managing and setting the strategic directions of the Archivum in preserving, researching and making accessible documentary traces of the recent past. They will work in close cooperation with the teaching and research programs of the University, the Open Society Foundations and other network partners. They will represent the Archivum externally in public-facing events, build strategic partnerships and networks, and cultivate donors of collections and funds in order to advance the mission of the institution.

Ideal candidates will bring a strong record of accomplishment from work at a memory, cultural, research or higher education institution, with experience in organizational leadership. The appointee will have a knowledge of and interest in the technical aspects of modern archives, including digitization processes, metadata encoding, digital asset management systems, and library services platforms. They will have extensive professional networks and be able to engage with a range of stakeholders in a nuanced and effective way.

Qualifications

• A strong record of accomplishment from work at a memory, cultural, research or higher education institution. Strong candidates will have significant experience of organizational leadership.
• Demonstrated managerial expertise in leading teams and managing change.
• A working knowledge of the technical aspects of modern archives, including digitization processes, metadata encoding, digital asset management systems, and library services platforms.
• A forward-leaning stance regarding the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence in organizing archival collections and making them accessible to researchers and the public.
• Extensive experience with, and readiness to work with major donors, including familiarity with external funding opportunities.
• Extensive professional networks. Familiarity with the Eastern and Central European region.A doctorate in the social sciences or humanities; qualifications in archival or information studies (e.g., Master’s in Archival Studies; Master’s in Library and Information Science) will be considered a strong advantage.

How to apply

Please visit https://www.minervasearch.com/current-opportunities/director/ for the candidate pack, and more information on CEU, the OSA Archivum, and what we are looking for in the new Director.

Should you be interested in an informal conversation about the post, please contact our executive search partner, Minerva, via ceu@minervasearch.com.

Applications, in the form of a CV and cover letter, should be submitted to ceu@minervasearch.com by Monday 31 March 2025.