Postdoctoral Research Associate (Archives)

This full-time post is available for a fixed-term of 3 years from 1^st April 2025 – 31^st March 2028.

The post

You will support the work of Professor Helen M Hanson (Project Lead), and the project team on the Arts and Humanities Research Council-funded project: Women’s Screen Work in the Archives Made Visible (2024-2028).

The Project researches the work of British women filmmakers in the British Film Institute National Archive at the Conservation Centre, Berkhamsted & the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum at the University of Exeter. It aims to make their work more discoverable in film-related archives through innovative archival practice, and to translate their work to public audiences through curation of exhibitions in film museum contexts

You will work primarily with the Project Lead (Helen M Hanson) and BFI Project Co-Lead (Wendy Russell) in the BFI National Archive (Conservation Centre, Berkhamsted), spending approximately 3 days per week at the archive during the project. You will become familiar with archival practice at the BFI and will have the opportunity to apply this to agreed collections. You will innovate and test feminist approaches to archiving and will contribute to cataloguing collections of selected women filmmakers (such as Tina Gharavi, & Gurinder Chadha). You will also disseminate the research findings of your work by engaging a range of audiences: the archival community, academics and wider publics.

About you

You will:

• be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and work collaboratively and responsively as part of the project team
• possess a relevant PhD (or nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study (such as: (film history; archival studies; archival theory)
• be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within the established research programme of the project

Please ensure you read the Job Description for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career
• Multitude of sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave 

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

Further information

Please contact Helen M Hanson, Associate Professor in Film History, h.m.hanson@exeter.ac.uk or (01392) 724262.

Interviews are expected to take place in w/c 10^th February.

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