Archivist - Speaking for Ourselves @ Coram

Job Title: Archivist

Contract – Fixed-Term (Until end of August 2029)

Hours – 17.5 hours per week year 1 (Monday to Friday) increasing to 21 hours years 2-3

Salary - £19,000 pro rata at 17.5 hour (£38,000 FTE)

Location – Coram Campus, 41 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ. (with national travel as required)

Speaking For Ourselves is an exciting new programme funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund that will collect and share the history of the care-experienced campaigning movement since the 1970s. It was conceived within the care-experienced community, emerging from long-standing discussions about how poorly the history of the care-experienced campaigning movement has been recorded—and how easily its achievements risk being forgotten.

This important programme puts the voice of people with lived experience of care at the centre. The Speaking for Ourselves programme, delivered by Coram, is guided by a majority care-experienced Programme Board and aims to work with the wider care experienced community. The Programme Board has an advisory and representative role, to guide the successful delivery of the programme and make key decisions that shape its impact.

Speaking For Ourselves will:

• Collect, record, and digitise documents, photographs, letters, publications, and objects
• Conduct personal history interviews with people involved in campaigns and efforts for change
• Commission written pieces to fill gaps in the historical record
• Create a permanent digital archive
• Produce podcasts, a moveable display, a school’s module, and a toolkit for Children in Care Councils
• Deliver three national events (one per year)
• Engage care-experienced communities through workshops, open submissions, commissions, partnerships, and outreach
• Build a lasting resource for policymakers, educators, researchers, and future campaigners

About the role

This exciting role will be responsible for the creation of the physical and digital Archive of the Care-Experienced Campaigning Movement and work closely with the team to support the extensive use of archive materials and stories to support the creative audio elements of the programme. We are looking for an experienced and creative archivist with a keen interest in social history and experience of working on physical and digital archive projects, preferably including digitalisation/oral history to lead on this unique area of work.

The post holder will report to the Programme Manager, and will work with the programme team, Programme Board and Coram. The role will liaise closely with Coram’s Executive Office and external partners including the London Archives.

For more information about the main duties and responsibilities of this role please refer to the job description and person specification.

Coram understands that people with lived experience of the care system may face barriers to and in employment. Recognising that such experience could be an asset to this programme (and may bring valuable skills, knowledge, insights and approaches directly relevant to the programme’s success), we particularly welcome and encourage applications from care-experienced individuals.

We guarantee an interview for care experienced applicants who meet the person specification.

To apply for this role, please click on the 'apply now' button below to complete the application.

Closing date: 8th September 2026

Proposed interview date: 16th September 2026 on the Coram Campus, London WC1

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278.