General Information

Position Title

Project Management Support – Specialist / Digital Collections Archivist – Online Repository

Job Category

Project

Duty Station(s)

Home based

Seniority Level

Mid Level

ICS Level

ICS 10

Contract Type

ICA – IICA – Regular

Contract Level

IICA 2

Posting Start Date

11-Dec-2025

Posting End Date

25-Dec-2025

Duration

Ongoing (The contract for this position is set for a duration until December 31st, 2026, with the possibility of extension subject to good performance, availability of funds, organizational requirements and project duration.)

Job Highlight

This job offers a unique opportunity to support the preservation of the cultural heritage of Tuvalu, which is threatened by the rise in sea level due to the effects of climate change. The incumbent will support the implementation of the Tuvalu Online Repository Project and will work in close contact with the Tuvaluan community members and local stakeholders.

The implementation of the Tuvalu Digital Repository is expected to generate a transformative impact by preserving and strengthening Tuvalu’s cultural heritage while ensuring community ownership and global visibility.

About the Region

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) unites the New York Portfolios, including the Peace and Security team (PSC); the Geneva Office; and the Vienna-based Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) teams, to maximize global impact, foster efficiencies and streamline global programmes. Leveraging our collective expertise and networks, GPO supports UNOPS” strategic priorities and the SDGs across over 130 countries. We deliver project management, fund management, advisory services, project implementation, and HR services, working closely with major global partners. Our thematic focus includes sustainable development, climate action, health, peace & security, and humanitarian action.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

UNOPS Development and Special Initiatives team works with UN partners and Member States. This portfolio offers support for various initiatives and priorities of the UN Secretary-General in pursuit of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. Additionally, it helps the UN Secretariat in implementing global programs in areas such as political affairs, climate, counterterrorism and peacebuilding, among others.

About the Project Office

The Rising Nations Initiative (RNI) is a Member States-led initiative supported by DSI, guided by a core group of champions, including the Pacific atoll countries. Officially launched on 28 September 2022, its objective is to press forward efforts towards protecting the statehood of Pacific atoll countries, preserving their sovereignty, and safeguarding the rights and heritage of affected populations. In this regard, the RNI aims to mobilize the needed political momentum for prompt action at all levels to highlight the climate emergency facing the Pacific atoll countries and inspire global and local action, including through intergovernmental processes of the United Nations.

Job Specific Context

The Rising Nations Initiative (RNI) is a Member States-led initiative supported by DSI, guided by a core group of champions, including the Pacific atoll countries. Officially launched on 28 September 2022, its objective is to press forward efforts towards protecting the statehood of Pacific atoll countries, preserving their sovereignty, and safeguarding the rights and heritage of affected populations. In this regard, the RNI aims to mobilize the needed political momentum for prompt action at all levels to highlight the climate emergency facing the Pacific atoll countries and inspire global and local action, including through intergovernmental processes of the United Nations.

In collaboration with the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), the RNI is supporting the Government of Tuvalu in developing an online repository of Tuvaluan culture and heritage. Through systematic collection management, integration of dispersed Tuvaluan archives worldwide, and the respectful inclusion of oral traditions and intangible knowledge, the project safeguards invaluable cultural resources for future generations. The initiative will enable Tuvaluan communities to become custodians of their own narratives, while fostering partnerships with global institutions, expanding access for scholars and the public, and positioning Tuvalu as a leader in digital heritage preservation. Ultimately, the Repository strengthens cultural resilience, promotes knowledge-sharing, and ensures that Tuvaluan identity and memory remain visible, accessible, and vibrant in the digital era.

Role Purpose

Under the umbrella of the secretariat and board of the Rising Nations Initiative, whose secretariat is hosted at UNOPS, the Project Management Support Specialist / Digital Collections Archivist will be responsible for supporting the Project Lead on the implementation of the Tuvalu Online Repository Project. The incumbent will develop the collections-management guide; map museums and libraries holding Tuvaluan artifacts; contribute to building and maintaining partnerships with these institutions; and support the development of the repository database, including through the transfer of existing photographs and videos, as well as the production of new visual documentation of Tuvaluan artifacts housed in these collections.

S/he will report to the Head of the Rising Nations Initiative Secretariat. The incumbent is expected to contribute directly to the timely, high-quality, and on-budget delivery of activities in accordance with established project timelines.

Functions / Key Results Expected

Planning & Coordination

• Contribute to the development and execute comprehensive strategies, policies, procedures, and best practices that support access, records management, interactive engagement, and the long-term preservation of digital and physical collections; in particular, through the timely, high-quality, and on-budget delivery of the collections management guide.

• Plan and coordinate with DAI and other stakeholders, including a dedicated Technical Advisory Group, key activities such as collections management, the oral history initiative, community engagement, and the application of UI/UX design principles.

• Define metadata rules, standards, and workflows for sustainable digital curation.

• Develop policies and standards that address digital sovereignty, privacy, and data governance issues as they pertain to digital collections.

• Support the definition of a sustainable, locally-owned process for the acceptance, evaluation, and accessioning of new materials in accordance with the Repository’s policies and priorities.

Project Implementation

• Ensure timely, high-quality, and on-budget finalization of the repository database as a core deliverable for 2026, in consultation with the IT/Data Management Specialist and web/UX provider.

• Support the project lead to ensure the effective transfer of existing photographs/video or contracts of new photographs/video/scans/digital models of Tuvaluan artifacts from institutions holding Tuvaluan artifacts.

• Ensure proper documentation, metadata creation, and official recording of materials to integrate them into the permanent collection.

• Create original, collection-level catalog records for archival materials in accordance with professional standards (e.g., RDA, MARC21).

• Prepare materials for digitization, including scanning, photographing, indexing, and describing digital images or audio files.

• Develop technical and structural metadata.

• Ensure quality control of all data entered into networked databases, maintaining local agency on content and metadata, and compliance with ethical and legal standards.

Knowledge management & Innovation

• Build (through an initial mapping exercise) and maintain in-depth knowledge of Tuvaluan collections – including artifacts, photographs, audio-visual materials, archival records, and research reports – held in museums, archives, and institutions worldwide.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of copyright, donor agreements, and permissions issues relevant to the processing, digitization, and access of digital and born-digital materials.

• Contribute to the development and management of new collection initiatives, including acquisitions, research, and the curation of online exhibitions, public programs, and events that highlight Tuvaluan culture and heritage.

Stakeholders Engagement

• Actively prioritize the involvement of Tuvaluan community members as knowledge holders and research authorities,; ensuring that community values and cultural protocols are reflected in the stewardship and interpretation of the collections.

• Ensure culturally appropriate handling of sensitive content in consultation with community representatives and cultural protocols.

• Lead the inclusion and respectful representation of traditional knowledge, oral traditions, and other intangible aspects of Tuvaluan culture within the Repository.

• Actively build and maintain relationships with institutions holding Tuvaluan artifacts to support research, access, and collaboration.

• Strengthen the Repository’s and visibility,; supporting collaboration with lending institutions, donors, and service providers to expand the Repository’s reach and impact.

• Support patrons, researchers, educators, and community members in accessing and using the Repository’s collections; offering guidance and research assistance, helping facilitate scholarly and community-led inquiries.

• Provide support to partnerships and fundraising efforts for the Repository project, including with lending institutions, donors, and service providers.

Communication

• Prepare content and materials for communications and marketing activities aimed at engaging stakeholders, raising awareness about the Repository’s mission, and promoting its collections and initiatives.

• Contribute to the interpretation and contextualization of materials for both research and public engagement.

• Develop and explore repository-related activities such as exhibits, public events, marketing, and fundraising.

Skills

Digital Archiving, Digital Preservation, Intercultural Communication, Internal & External Communications, Knowledge Management, Project Coordination, Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organisation. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organisation.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education Requirements

Required:

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Museum/Culture Heritage Studies or a related subject area, with a focus on managing or preserving culture heritage, in combination with seven (7) years of relevant experience, is required.

Desired:

• A Master’s Degree (or equivalent) in the above area, in combination with five (5) years of relevant experience, is highly desirable.

Experience Requirements

Required:

• Relevant experience is defined as progressively responsible experience in archival or museum collections management and/or digital curation, including contributions across project design and implementation support.

• Demonstrated practice applying archival and metadata standards for analog and born-digital materials, such as Dublin Core, MARC21, EAD3, RDA, PREMIS, and controlled vocabularies/authority files; ability to design workflow and quality-control for ingest, description, and long-term access/preservation is required.

• Hands-on experience working with digital asset/collections systems (e.g., CollectiveAccess, ArchivesSpace, TMS, Omeka S, ResourceSpace or comparable), and collaborating with IT to stand-up repositories aligned to sustainability and data-sovereignty principles (e.g., OAIS-aligned approaches, role-based access, audit, and backups) is required.

• Experience contributing to public-facing portals/UX and multi-lingual presentations that enable community contributions (uploads, tagging/commenting), working with web designers and product teams is required.

• Demonstrated ability to work within community-led initiatives and respectful handling of traditional knowledge/intangible heritage is required.

Desired:

• Experience liaising with museums/archives to obtain existing images/video, commissioning new photography/videography, and negotiating rights/permissions (copyright, donor agreements, use and reproduction, culturally sensitive content) is desirable.

• Experience designing or supporting oral-history programs (collection protocols, consent, transcription, metadata, and ethical access), ideally in collaboration with communities, is desirable.

• Work experience in Tuvalu or Polynesia is desirable.

• Working-level proficiency in Tuvaluan or another Polynesian language (e.g., Samoan, Tongan) is desirable.

Language Requirements

LanguageProficiency LevelRequirementEnglishFluentRequired

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.