About the National Film and Sound Archive The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) is Australia's audiovisual archive, telling the national story by collecting, preserving and sharing audiovisual media, the cultural experience platforms of our time. The collection itself dates back to 1935, making it one of the world's oldest audiovisual collections. It is also one of the country's most used cultural collections, with around 125 million views of collection content each year. The NFSA is in a period of significant change. Following increased Government investment, the institution is in a process of digital transformation, establishing the NFSA as Australia's most dynamic and valued cultural organisation. We are rebuilding our curatorial workforce and developing the NFSA's capacity to digitise our collection at scale - to preserve it for the future, to make sure it can be discovered, and to share it with all Australians. We continue to work on developing a stable, secure and future-proof workforce across our four physical sites based in Canberra and Mitchell in the ACT as well as in Sydney and Melbourne. We are also undergoing a program of business improvement for many of our corporate systems to improve efficiency and reduce manual handling. We are an ambitious organisation, and we aim to be an employer of choice within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums (GLAM) sector, providing exciting and challenging work, as well as favourable employment conditions and unique development opportunities for our staff. Cultural Values We are an equal opportunity employer, embracing a diverse range of applicants such as veterans, and people who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA community members, individuals with disabilities and/or health conditions, as well as those from varied faith and cultural backgrounds. At the NFSA we prioritise the development of a safe, inclusive, and high-performance culture through shared actions and behaviours that align with our strategy and direction. This empowers our employees to effectively contribute to our goals. The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia is committed to ensuring a child-safe and child-friendly environment. All employees are expected to demonstrate a commitment to, and support for these principles in theory and practice. About the Team The Audio Services team is part of the Digitisation section of the Collection Preservation Branch. The team is responsible for the preservation and digitisation of historical analogue audiovisual material. The Opportunity The Senior Filmsound Specialist position requires an in-depth knowledge of historical audio and filmsound formats as well as preservation and digital restoration techniques. The role involves the assessment and handling of fragile historic audio and filmsound items, coordination of internal requests and liaison with clients, preparation of digitised items/files for access and storage, as well as the sharing of knowledge with colleagues across the NFSA and beyond. The successful candidate will possess good communication skills, a client focussed approach, the ability to provide technical assistance, as well as experience working independently and as part of a small technical team "Please note: This recruitment process is intended to fill both current and future vacancies. While the position on offer is ongoing, a merit pool of suitable applicants may be established to fill similar ongoing or non-ongoing positions within the next 18 months." The key duties of the position include Under limited direction, this position is responsible for delivering the following functions: Manage, establish, improve and document workflow processes and standards for the safe copying, restoration, digitisation and accessioning of audio material into the national collection. Oversee the operation of old and new audio playback devices, including filmsound digitisation equipment, to ensure the safe copying, preservation and restoration of audio material is accomplished. Research, develop and deliver updated policies and advice on advancements within audio preservation, restoration techniques and audio technology to stakeholders. Develop programs and supervisor staff in the field of archival audio digitisation and in the field of early sound and filmsound formats. Assist curatorial staff in the identification and advice on appropriate audio material for copying, restoration, remastering process as well as for acquisition purposes. Assist with developing future quality assurance techniques and provide input as requested, as well as support team lead with informed resource and deadline management Undertake required administrative tasks and data management. Selection Criteria The successful candidate will demonstrate their capacity against the following: Demonstrated ability to research, develop and implement new and improved technical workflows, solutions and systems to meet current and future demands for audio and filmsound preservation programs. Demonstrated ability to innovative copying, restoration and preservation techniques to ensure the digitisation, restoration and preservation of a wide variety of fragile and at-risk audio and filmsound components, both analogue and digital. Demonstrated high level of expertise and experience with historical and obsolete audio and film-sound recordings, digital audio editing and digital audio restoration process. Well-developed written and oral communication skills, proven experience in training and supervision of subordinate staff as well as the ability to work individually or within a team environment.
