Assistant Director for Access, Rockefeller Archive Center

Position Summary 

The Rockefeller Archive Center seeks an experienced, highly collaborative supervisor and team builder to join its Archives Program as Assistant Director for Access.  

In this role, you will further the RAC’s efforts to connect users to collections by providing leadership of and support to the Access team; recommending and implementing ways to expand the organization’s virtual/online access programs; managing the RAC’s onsite researcher services and support for external inquiries from researchers and RAC’s records donor organizations; managing the RAC’s imaging services, including on-demand digitization and organizational digitization projects; and helping to shape our strategy for future initiatives in these areas.  

We are looking for someone committed to broad and equitable access to archives and connected to established and emerging archival principles and practices. Candidates with experience supporting a diverse user community and range of research methodologies are strongly encouraged to apply. 

You will report to the Director of Archives and work closely with the other members of the Archives Strategy Group, including the Associate Director of Archives & Chief Digital Strategies Officer, Assistant Director for Collections Management, and Assistant Director for Processing.  

We recognize that this is a lengthy list of responsibilities and qualifications. If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.  

Responsibilities 

• Manages all aspects of the RAC’s Access program encompassing the people, processes, and systems that connect the RAC’s user communities to the collections, both onsite and virtually.  
• Builds, leads, and supports the members of the Access team through the establishment of Access goals and priorities; manages the strategic assignment of work to balance ongoing demands with other priorities; provides clear and effective performance management; supports and encourages professional development; and delegates work and empowers individuals to show initiative. 
• Proposes, develops, and implements policies, procedures, and other documentation in support of Access related activities, including but not limited to reading room operations, use of discovery and request management systems, virtual user support services, copyright and usage permissions, and digitization processes for in-house on-demand digitization and large-scale RAC-funded digitization projects.  
• Collaborates effectively with RAC leadership and with other teams and program areas, including the Research and Engagement program and Operations, to support the goals and objectives of the organization. 

Qualifications 

Required 

• Master’s Degree in a relevant field and a minimum of 5 years of archival experience; or 
• B.A. degree in a relevant field and a minimum of 10 years of archival experience. 
• Supervisory experience and project management experience in a team environment. 

 Preferred 

• Demonstrated experience with current archival systems, particularly discovery and request management systems. 
• Demonstrated ability and willingness to work in a team-oriented approach to achieve organizational goals. 
• Demonstrated knowledge of archival standards and procedures. 
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on multiple projects and priorities. 
• Demonstrated ability to share knowledge and to collaborate across different program areas.  

Compensation 

The salary range for this position is $105,026-$157,539K per year and is commensurate with experience. 

The Rockefeller Archive Center supports a flexible work environment.  All flexible work arrangements are determined and approved in advance by the employee’s supervisor and will necessarily vary among different positions.  

About the Rockefeller Archive Center 

Located in Sleepy Hollow, NY, The Rockefeller Archive Center (RAC) was established in 1974 as the result of efforts by the children of John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to gather in one institution the records of their family’s philanthropic work and to stimulate research into the ways in which these philanthropic efforts had impacted the nation and the world. Since that time, the Archive Center has grown substantially, so that it now holds the archives of a large and growing number of philanthropic institutions, including the Ford Foundation, the Knight Foundation, the Hewlett Foundation, and many other foundations and civil society organizations, as well as the papers of individuals associated with these organizations. 

In the RAC’s collections, researchers from all over the world can explore topics ranging from the history of medicine, science, and public health to such fields as the arts, agriculture, social sciences, urban affairs, and public policy. The RAC’s stipend program provides support for those who need to travel to the Archive Center for their research, while its rich online resources engage even larger global communities. In addition, the RAC regularly convenes conferences, workshops and other gatherings to bring diverse communities together to discuss significant issues related to its collections. 

The Rockefeller Archive Center is led by a President, Director of Human Resources and Operations, Director of Archives, and Director of Research & Engagement. The Access team is positioned within the Archives program, is led by the Director of Archives, and includes the Digitization Program Manager, three Archivists, three Archival Assistants, and two Reading Room Assistants. The mission of the Access team is to connect the RAC’s user communities to the collections, both onsite and virtually. The RAC’s user communities include researchers, records donor and depositor organizations, and RAC staff, teams, and program areas.  

EEO Statement 

The Rockefeller Archive Center is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce and is firmly committed to complying with all federal, state, and local equal employment opportunity laws. The Archive Center invites applications from candidates regardless of race, creed, color, age, disability, religion, national origin gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by law. The Archive Center is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. As part of this commitment, the Archive Center will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact [email protected]. For additional information, including the Archive Center’s Accessibility Statement, please visit our website at www.rockarch.org.  

How to Apply

The RAC is committed to a fair and thorough review process. Each resume is reviewed by the hiring team without the use of automated AI screening tools and/or algorithms. 

To apply, please complete the application here: https://rockarch.smapply.us/prog/assistant_director_for_access/

Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 3, 2025. 

The RAC is committed to a fair and thorough review process. Each resume is reviewed by the hiring team without the use of automated AI screening tools and/or algorithms. 

To apply, please complete the application here: https://rockarch.smapply.us/prog/assistant_director_for_access/

Applications will be accepted until Friday, October 3, 2025.  

10/03/2025