89552 | APS6 - Team Leader, Audiovisual Conservation (9/8/2025)

Posted: 31/07/2025

Closing Date: 17/08/2025

Job Type: Ongoing / Non-ongoing; Full time

Job Category: Arts, Culture

About the National Film and Sound Archive

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia's audiovisual archive, telling the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural experience platforms of our time. The collection itself dates back to 1935, making it one of the world's oldest audiovisual collections. It is also one of the country's most used cultural collections, with around 125 million views of collection content each year. The NFSA is in a period of significant change. Following increased Government investment, the institution is in a process of digital transformation, establishing the NFSA as Australia's most dynamic and valued cultural organisation. We are rebuilding our curatorial workforce and developing the NFSA's capacity to digitise our collection at scale – to preserve it for the future, to make sure it can be discovered, and to share it with all Australians.

We continue to work on developing a stable, secure and future-proof workforce across our four physical sites based in Canberra and Mitchell in the ACT as well as in Sydney and Melbourne.

We are also undergoing a program of business improvement for many of our corporate systems to improve efficiency and reduce manual handling.

We are an ambitious organisation, and we aim to be an employer of choice within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector, providing exciting and challenging work, as well as favourable employment conditions and unique development opportunities for our staff.

Cultural Values

We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as veterans, and people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions, as well as thosefrom varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At the NFSA we prioritise the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals.

The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is committed to ensuring a child-safe and child-friendly environment. All employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and support for these principles in theory and practice.

About the Team

The Conservation team is part of Conservation and Collection Management section, Collection Preservation Branch. The team conducts an extensive work program providing a range of activities for the preservation and ongoing care of the audiovisual, documents and artefacts collection. The team has two streams: AV Conservation who prepare and preserve audiovisual material for digitisation, curatorial and access programs; and the Collection Conservation team who look after the documents and artefacts collection, as well as undertaking a range of collection care programs such as collection assessments, exhibition preparation and condition reporting.

The team provides technical advice regarding access and digitisation requests, undertakes straightforward and complex conservation works and ensures the national audiovisual collection is preserved by maintaining current policies and procedures.

The Opportunity

The Team Leader Audiovisual Conservation plays a key role in the Audiovisual Conservation team and has a significant depth of audiovisual format knowledge partnered with leadership, supervision and administrative skills to strategically contribute to the NFSA program.

The focus of this role is working with the physical audiovisual collection, coordinating staff resources and ensuring the program meets the strategic objectives.

Please note: This recruitment process is intended to fill both current and future vacancies. While the position on offer is Ongoing, a merit pool of suitable applicants may be established to fill similar ongoing and non-ongoingpositions within the next 18-months.

Job Description

Under limited direction, this position is responsible for delivering the following functions:

- Coordinate, support and supervise the AV Conservation team to deliver the strategicand operational requirements of the section.
- Develop procedures which support efficient workflows, priorities and quality controls forthe section.
- Gather data and analyse complex technical issues relating to the audiovisual collection.
- Identify any issues early within workflows and work programs, ensuring effectivesolutions are provided.
- Advise staff on preservation practices and procedures and work on complexpreservation activities such as technical selection and research.
- Train staff in routine and complex practices for audiovisual preservation, and therecording of technical information in the NFSA collection management system.
- Contribute to corporate reporting regarding the activities and statistics relating to thedigitisation and conservation programs.
- Assist with procurement practices and manage external service providers to deliver anyoutsourced conservation services and/or equipment, servicing and maintenance.
- Work with other areas across the agency to contribute to the NSFA's strategic directionas it relates to audiovisual conservation.

Selection Criteria

The successful candidate will demonstrate their capacity against the following:

- In-depth technical skills and abilities, particularly related to audiovisual material,including demonstrated experience in conservation practice and procedure.
- Experience with digital systems including collection management systems for thetracking of archival objects and workflows.
- Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to build andmaintain effective stakeholder relationships and present technical information to avariety of audiences.
- Demonstrated experience managing a team, with particular emphasis on the ability toeffectively train and support staff whilst implementing change.
- Strong understanding and practice of Work Health and Safety issues, particularly as theyrelate to audiovisual collection materials.

Desired Skills and Experience

- Tertiary qualifications related to cultural heritage conservation or audiovisual archiving and/or equivalent experience working in a collecting institution, archive or audiovisual industry with audiovisual material.

The following work environment description outlines the inherent requirements of the role andindicates how frequently each of these requirements would need to be performed. Please notethat the National Film and Sound Archive is committed to providing reasonable adjustmentsand ensuring all individuals have equal opportunities in the workplace.

How to Apply

When applying via our online e-recruitment system, please address the details in the 'KeyResponsibilities' and 'Selection Criteria' by outlining in1,000 words or less, how your skills andrelevant experience demonstrate that you would be our ideal candidate. Your current resume isalso to be included in your application.

In addition to an application and your resume, the assessment process for this position may also include an interview and referee reports.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disability, the LGBTIQ+ communities, from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.

To be eligible for this position you must:

- Be an Australian Citizen.
- Satisfactorily complete an Australian Federal Police National Police Check.

What we offer you

We provide a diverse, inclusive, and supportive work environment with access to:

- Great training and development opportunities.
- Generous leave and flexible working arrangements.
- Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP – a free counselling service for you and yourfamily).
- Rewards and recognition initiatives.

RecruitAbility applies to this vacancy. Under the RecruitAbility scheme you will be invited to participate in further assessment activity for the vacancy if you choose to apply under the scheme; declare you have a disability; and meet the minimum requirements for the job. For more information see: RecruitAbility | Australian Public Service Commission (https://apsc.gov.au)

Contact Officer

Prue Castles | Manager, Conservation
E: prue.castles@nfsa.gov.au
Ph: 02 6248 2160

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