| Job Title | Field Researcher – Kilinochchi Regional Documentation |
| Reports to | Program Manager |
| Profile of Institution | Noolaham Foundation, Sri Lanka |
| Base Location | Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka |
| Type | Full Time / Salaried (Based on Job Grid of NF) |
| Period of Assignment | One year (Probationary period of three months, and possibility of extension based on performance and organisational needs) |
| Date of Duty Assignment | Immediate |
About Noolaham Foundation
Noolaham Foundation (NF) is a legally registered (GA 2390), non-profit, non-partisan, secular entity, founded to provide enhanced access to information sources and foster knowledge-based development in Sri Lanka. Noolaham Digital Library (noolaham.org) and Noolaham Multimedia Archive (aavanaham.org) maintained by the Noolaham Foundation serve as Learning Centres incorporating local knowledge. The digital library and archive function as a repository for various community institutions and fulfil the information needs of students, researchers, historians, activists and the public.
Job Summary
Noolaham Foundation aims to strengthen scholarly research in the Sri Lankan Tamil speaking communities and seeks to build a conscious archival practice that is informed by research. As part of our vision to build Regional documentation, we are recruiting five Field Researchers who will be instrumental in building these archives. The Field Researchers will undertake an initial survey, identify archival collections, digitise these, and create metadata for the collections.
The field Researcher will work in close collaboration with the Collections & Metadata team and Digital Preservation team. They will be primarily responsible for the following: 1) identifying archival records (including social and political ephemera, commemorative publications, historical photographs, and other rare or diverse documents), 2) obtaining open access permission for archiving, and 3) digitising the materials for preservation, in accordance with Noolaham’s Digital Preservation policy and the standards of Noolaham Foundation.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan, coordinate and implement fieldwork
- Undertake a survey and identify potential new archival collections
- Communicate with document guardians
- Create audio recordings of oral histories
- Obtain permissions (to collect documents) for digitization and sharing under open access protocols; complete digitization of materials for preservation
- Prepare, write, and present project/program reports in accordance with international library/archival standards
- Conduct background research for the creation of metadata for the collection
Essential Qualifications:
- MA in the fields of social sciences or humanities, or BA and equivalent research experience
- 3-5 years experience in independent/ academic/ other institutional-based research
- Demonstrated strong qualitative and quantitative research experience
- Demonstrated leadership in professional outreach and network building
- Proficiency with MS Office products, Google Workspace, and media technologies
- Professional-level fluency in both written and spoken English and Tamil languages
- Candidates must be based in Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, or Kandy districts
Additional Qualifications:
- Research interest and focus on the Kilinochchi communities and in documenting, archiving and digitizing knowledge resources and heritage assets
- Ability to travel across the Upcountry, including to remote regions
- Experience with using photographic/audio equipment is highly desirable, including experience in compiling and editing videos and audio files
- Experience in collection development and multimedia documentation
- Familiarity with fields/subjects such as a library, archival, museum, and/or cultural heritage
- Project management knowledge and experience
- Experience with media and social media
How to Apply
The application should be submitted or sent with a CV, details of two non-related referees, and a covering letter by email to noolahamfoundation@gmail.com on or before 30.12.2021, with the subject line Attention CEO – Application for relevant positions.