Project Cataloguer (Transatlantic Slavery)

Contract type: Fixed Term Appointment until 1st October 2026

Closing date: Sunday 30th March 2025 at midnight 

The National Archives has been awarded £1 million grant by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation for a new research programme on the history of transatlantic slavery. PASSAGE (Partnership for Transatlantic Slavery Scholarship, Archiving and Global Exchange) seeks to connect scholars and archival collections at The National Archives, Lloyd’s Register Foundation and other archives in the UK and globally to create new knowledge of the maritime trade of enslaved Africans. The partnership combines a collections-based project on the history of slave ships (1760-1807), which will deliver a range of academic and public engagement outputs, with an international research mobility programme that will centre and support the research of scholars from West Africa and the Caribbean on the history of transatlantic slavery.

We are looking for a Project Cataloguer (Transatlantic Slavery) to serve as a core member of the project team. The Project Cataloguer will be responsible for creating and improving the catalogue descriptions of key record series related to the history of transatlantic slavery. This will involve reading the historical material, extracting key information and creating descriptions of individual documents contained within volumes. Your focus will be effectively summarising the historical content of records and to make the catalogue descriptions for these records fit for publication on our online catalogue, Discovery.

Based in the Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department, the Project Cataloguer will work closely with project lead, Dr Philippa Hellawell, and a Collections Researcher (Transatlantic Slavery), who will be conducting research into the collection. They will also receive support from staff in the Cataloguing, Taxonomy and Data Department, which is responsible for data standards, editorial development and daily maintenance of The National Archives catalogue. The work of the Project Cataloguer will contribute to the project’s aims to increase access to records related to the transatlantic trade in enslaved people and The National Archives’ mission to provide high quality information for publication in our online catalogue.

About us:

The National Archives (TNA) is the official archive of the UK government and for England and Wales, making available to the public a vast collection of historical records dating back over 1,000 years. TNA is also an Independent Research Organisation (IRO): multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research into all aspects of our collections and activities is at the heart of what we do. Our Research, Grants and Academic Engagement department is charged with conducting, enabling, and promoting world-class research, often delivered in collaboration with external partners including experts from academic, other heritage organisations, government departments and the industry. The department also works with colleagues across TNA, visiting scholars, and doctoral students.

Within the beautiful surroundings of Kew, a 10-minute walk from the Underground and Overground stations, TNA boasts a collegial working environment and an excellent Civil Service benefits package. This includes flexible working, an on-site gym, wellbeing resources and an opportunity to join the Civil Service Alpha Pension Scheme. Putting you at the forefront of our organisation, we are committed to supporting professional development and training for all our colleagues.

About you:

This is an excellent opportunity to become an integral part of an important and innovative global research project that seeks to make a historic intervention into the field of transatlantic slavery scholarship and archiving. With great attention-to-detail and experience reading eighteenth and nineteenth century manuscripts, you will possess a good historical knowledge and have the ability to identify, extract and summarize high volumes of information to create itemized descriptions of individual documents related to the trade. As a member of the project team, you will respond efficiently and effectively to cataloguing challenges and contribute towards the delivery of project outputs. 

To apply, please click the ‘Apply’ button on this page. You will be asked to provide details of your work history and write a personal statement of maximum 1200 words addressing the essential criteria in the person specification. Please note that existing employees of The National Archives should apply via the Jobs Hub in their Workday account.