Job Detail
Job Description
Archive Photographer Trainee, Historic Environment Scotland
Closing Date: 12 noon, 25th June 2025
Job Description:
Hours: Full time (35 hours per week) Monday – Friday
Contract: 1 year Fixed Term, beginning October 2025
Location: HES Archives, John Sinclair, 16 Bernard Terrace, EH8 9NX
Starting salary: £25,770 – £26,209
This is a training and development role for someone starting their career in the digital heritage sector which will build on basic knowledge and give opportunities to learn. All appropriate training and equipment will be provided.
You will be a part of a team of three staff focussed on delivering a quality photographic and digitisation service of material in the archive, for external users, as well as internal business needs. You will receive training in archival photography techniques, scanning, studio photography, workflows, application of software programmes, archive handling and historic photography methods. You will gain considerable insight into the role photography and digitisation plays in preservation and access, and how to apply sector standards and good practice to achieve this.
Key Responsibilities of this role
This is a training and development role for someone starting their career in the digital heritage sector which will build on basic knowledge and give opportunities to learn. All appropriate training and equipment will be provided.
Your day-to-day duties will include:
- Preparing high quality images from the HES Archive for online access, preservation, publication, exhibition and public orders
- Supporting the delivery of the digitisation of HES’s archive material and archiving resultant files to agreed and documented standards to ensure preservation.
- Liaising with the Conservation team to ensure safe handling of material.
- Understanding and following good practice and standards in digitisation, including workflows, image capture, metadata, storage and retrieval.
- Assist with the maintenance of equipment.
- Assist with project planning, assembling performance indicators, monitoring and purchasing materials when required.
For this role, you will be based at John Sinclair House, Edinburgh. During your traineeship, you will have the opportunity to work across different teams within HES, attend site visits and assist on outreach projects.
All travel expenses will be covered for additional travel from your base location (John Sinclair House), and all necessary training and equipment will be provided. Please note your standard commute will be at your own expense.
To apply for the role:
Please apply through the HES recruitment portal: https://ekov.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_2001/job/76/?utm_medium=jobshare&utm_source=External+Job+Share
In order for you to be successful in this post, we will be looking for you to complete a cover letter which addresses:
- Why you are interested in the post with Historic Environment Scotland
- How you can meet each of the essential and desirable criteria (in up to 800 words), using examples of where you have used these skills in the past.
Please ensure that you provide real life examples for each of the criteria to be considered for this post. You can use examples of how you have met this criteria from your work life, home life, education or volunteer experience. Please read our CV and Cover Letter Guidance first before completing.
Essential Criteria:
- A strong interest in photography and digitisation.
- Experience of digitisation, image manipulation and colour management software
- Knowledge of types of digital file formats and relevant photographic/ digitisation equipment.
- Drive, initiative and a methodical working approach with an attention to detail
- The ability to be a good team worker and to work with minimal supervision
- Open to learning new skills, practices, procedures and gaining experience working with archives.
- A keen interest in Scottish architecture, history and/or archaeology
A full job description is available on the HES recruitment portal.
We are dedicated to building a workforce which is reflective of diversity within Scotland. We warmly welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, regardless of age, race, gender or gender identity, religious beliefs, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, or neurodiversity. In support of our Gaelic Language Plan, we welcome applications from Gaelic speakers.
We want every candidate to have the best chance to succeed during the recruitment process. If you require your application in an alternative format, please reach out to us via email at recruit@hes.scot or call our Head Office at 0131 668 8600 and speak to a member of our People Team.
Please note that, at this time, we are unfortunately unable to provide sponsorship as part of the recruitment process, therefore you must have current right to work in the UK to be considered for a post.
Contact for any questions relating to the role:
Fran Baseby, Deputy Head of Archives
Fran.baseby@hes.scot 07557 169 069