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Technician in Digital Archaeology and Heritage

Employer
DURHAM UNIVERSITY
Location
Durham, United Kingdom
Salary
£22,417 - £25,941 per annum
Closing date
23 Jan 2021

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Department of Archaeology

Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941 per annum
Open-Ended/Permanent - Full Time
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 23-Jan-2021, 7:59:00 AM

The Department and role purpose

The Department of Archaeology at Durham has a world-class teaching and research reputation. We are regularly ranked one of the top two Archaeology departments in the UK and one of the top six globally. We run fieldwork projects across the world and our staff are passionate about sharing their expertise with students. We run six undergraduate programmes and six taught postgraduate programmes and have an academic community of some 400 staff and students combined. Our research and engagement, as well as our teaching, stretches from excavation and heritage protection work in Nepal and Sri Lanka, to our field training excavations at Auckland Castle, Co. Durham and we use our cutting-edge laboratories and expertise to take forward research and teaching on internationally significant projects and collections. Our portfolio is diverse and dynamic, and we are actively developing our teaching programmes to reach new UK and world audiences. We host a commercial archaeology unit in the Department and a range of lab-based commercial operations centred on our applied and scientific research expertise.

Digital Archaeology and Heritage are fast-growing fields and our research and teaching increasingly make use of digital techniques and digital visual media. Across our social and scientific research strengths, there is new demand for support relating to digital survey and data capture, modelling and visualisation. Our Material and Visual Culture Research Group is driving research projects centred on photogrammetric work connected to monuments and artefact collections, while our Landscape Research Group hosts exceptional expertise in remote sensing techniques and landscape survey through the Archaeology Informatics Laboratory. Our research ever more frequently requires digital techniques to enable world wide access to collections, inscriptions and buildings, to rapidly map structures and even cityscapes, and to enhance heritage protection.

We are seeking to appoint a Technician with established professional expertise in digital and visual media who can support our needs in Digital Archaeology and Heritage. The postholder does not necessarily need to have a background in archaeology and/or heritage but should have knowledge of, and experience in, and be willing to develop, expertise in several of the following areas in relation to archaeological needs:

  • Photogrammetry and 3D scanning
  • Multi-light Imaging
  • Modelling, for example experience in 2.5D (RTI) and 3D digital work involving the production, manipulation, and analysis of models 
  • 3-D printing
  • Virtual Reality
  • Drone Work
  • Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
  • Database management and data storage

They will bring demonstrable experience in at least two of these applications in relation to two or more of the following areas: the built environment, standing buildings, landscapes or collections. They will be responsible for developing digital support for archaeological and heritage-based research and contributing to the development of grant and project proposals that include aspects of digital work. They will advise on, and deliver digital aspects of field survey in the UK and abroad and support post-project work on finds and collections. They will contribute some specialist teaching at undergraduate and graduate levels in skills for digital archaeology and contribute skills training in support of student dissertation and PhD projects. Desirable skills include experience in video editing and photography, digital illustration/light design. The postholder will take on elements of health and safety work and monitoring relating to digital and broader technical facilities, working closely with our existing technical support group to underpin our laboratory and field-based research and teaching and will contribute to supporting our Department website needs and our digital and social media and communications strategy. 

The ideal candidate will be organized, methodical and practical but able to respond to changing deadlines and new challenges in a flexible, informed and considered manner. There is an expectation of travel in the UK and abroad connected to supporting digital work in the field.

Core responsibilities:

  • Respond to stakeholder needs in digital support to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience in digital support for archaeology and heritage.
  • Plan and organise own workload.
  • Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members.
  • Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
  • Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team with service provision to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience in accordance with policy and procedures. 
  • Participate in networks and communities internally and externally and work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service in digital support for archaeology and heritage.
  • Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users.
  • Collaborate with team members to implement service alterations.
  • Organise and schedule resources, activities and events.
  • Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
  • Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.
  • Analyse work activities to ensure the effective and efficient use of capital and consumable equipment and resources.
  • Provide demonstrations and instruction to others outside the team.
  • Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision.
  • Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure excellent delivery of digital support, reflect on provision and make recommendations for future service.

Role responsibilities:

  • Deliver professional technical and experimental services in digital methods and media to support teaching, outreach, research and learning activities in Digital Archaeology and Heritage, meeting sector and professional body standards.
  • Ensure the smooth running of a digital teaching and research facility.
  • Apply knowledge and skills to build, adapt, construct and repair test set-ups, experimental scenarios and laboratory equipment.
  • Utilise new and existing resources to deliver teaching, research and/or learning objectives.
  • Prepare and set-up equipment and facilities for the delivery of teaching, learning and research activities.
  • Liaise with others to identify resource requirements, store and deliver resources and keep accurate records of stock levels.
  • Liaise with academic staff and students and colleagues across the University to ensure a smooth and efficient service.
  • Provide supervision for teaching, learning and research activities, including students and staff.
  • Prepare safety documents and risk assessments for teaching, research and learning activities.
  • Support the Department of Archaeology website development, photographic needs and digital media strategy.
  • Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

Travel within the UK and abroad to provide digital support for research and impact projects

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria:

  1. Good oral and written communication skills.
  2. Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign, ArcGIS, digital photography, video editing software and commonly used 3D digital editing software.
  3. Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience.
  4. Experience of working in a team.
  5. Ability to solve problems and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
  6. Demonstrable ability to provide advice and guidance to a range of customers and colleagues.
  7. Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.  
  8. Knowledge and expertise with the application of skills to create, build and construct resources, tools and equipment to meet teaching and research outputs.
  9. Experience of managing time in order to meet deadlines.  
  10. Project experience in the field of digital technologies and media, linked to project development, grant funded projects, and/or field delivery. 

Desirable Criteria:

  1. Relevant industry and professional recognition and certification of achievement of skills and knowledge in digital methodologies.
  2. Evidence of continuing professional development.
  3. Experience in teaching or supporting teaching in digital techniques within an educational, commercial or industrial environment. 
  4. Demonstrable experience of applying digital methods and technologies in the archaeology and/or heritage sector. 
  5. Experience of monitoring activities of self and others to ensure health and safety regulations are adhered to.

Recruiting to this post 

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above.

In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply 

We prefer to receive applications online.

Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

What you are required to submit

  1. A CV; 
  2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out above;
  3. Examples of how you satisfy the person specification. Please copy and paste the criteria into a separate document, provide evidence for each point, and submit this alongside your other application material. 

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details 

For further information please contact Dr Mark Shaw (Department Manager) at m.r.shaw@durham.ac.uk or Dr Beth Upex (Technical Manager - Archaeological Science) at beth.upex@durham.ac.uk

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work.  We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system.  Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

Further Information

Job Family: Technical, Research and Teaching Services

OUR CHARACTERISTICS: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

OUR VALUESWe are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business , Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives. 

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

  • Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
  • Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
  • Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide creative and analytical input to facilitate the delivery of world-class teaching, learning and research activities.

Overall family purpose

  • Support stakeholders to ensure the delivery of research, teaching and scholarly activities.
  • Align and tailor services to meet strategic and operational research, teaching and learning objectives.
  • Prepare and set-up equipment, apparatus and resources to ensure the successful delivery of scheduled academic activities.
  • Monitor, manage and maintain teaching, learning or research facilities, workshops, laboratories and experimental environments to ensure compliance with internal and external regulations.
  • Contribute guidance, advice and/or professional expertise to increase intellectual and creative capacity for world-class teaching and research outputs.
  • Actively participate with peers and specialists internally and externally to expand knowledge and practice.
  • Design and construct equipment, environments, tools, techniques and methodologies to meet research and learning objectives.
  • Adapt and develop equipment, techniques and methodologies to meet research and learning outputs and timescales.
  • Engage and network with internal and external specialists and experts to facilitate knowledge exchange and enhance research, teaching and learning activities.
  • Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.

Link to key strategic plan

  • An economically sustainable approach to delivering technical and experimental support services across the University;
  • Support and facilitate world-leading research across all academic departments;
  • Support and facilitate research that has a positive impact on global, national and regional challenges and which benefits culture, society, health, the economy and the physical environment;
  • Support and facilitate a rewarding research environment and an exceptional research-led learning experience;
  • Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
  • A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
  • Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.

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