Virginia Humanities is seeking a media editor to join our Encyclopedia Virginia (EV) team. The digitally born Encyclopedia Virginia is a free, reliable, multimedia resource that attempts to tells the inclusive story of Virginia for students, teachers, and communities that seek to understand how the past informs the present and the future. We believe that telling the inclusive story of Virginia requires a self-awareness of our own biases, cultural sensitivity, honoring multiple perspectives, seeking out sources that have been overlooked by the mainstream, continually reviewing our editorial methods and practices, and actively working to expand and complicate mainstream historical narratives.

We are seeking a colleague who can identify, locate, and describe relevant media objects. The media editor will coordinate with the project's editor and assistant editor to integrate media into finished entries. Ideal candidates will have experience with a wide range of visual material culture, including photographic media, paintings, engravings, etchings, and other prints; sculpture; historic artifacts and ephemera; manuscript material; audio and video excerpts; virtual tours and other digital formats. Since EV is an ever-evolving site, we are seeking a creative and organized media editor who can anticipate media needs as well as envision new ways to use or improve our site. Because public history is key to our mission, the media editor must be able to write and speak to a variety of audiences at conferences, schools and across social media platforms, to represent who we are and what we do.

The media editor reports to the Encyclopedia Virginia director.

We are seeking a media editor who is...

• A Detail-oriented researcher and writer who can create compelling, concise, and well-written captions.
• Passionate about the potential role of public history in society.
• A creative think with innovative ideas and strategies to help amplify Virginia's stories.
• The ability to recognize that not all voices have been included in the historical narrative.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Reviewing edited entries to find hooks for media additions while keeping close track of the content priorities for the project.
• Acquiring media objects. Developing familiarity with the landscape of image repositories beyond Google. Going to original sources for media objects.
• Establishing and maintaining media partnerships with appropriate cultural organizations with a view to finding material not previously published. Initially visiting institutions or communities in person to establish personal relationships with curators and other community knowledge bearers beyond state and institutional archives.
• Exploring a wide array of archival collections, including the rich repository at the University of Virginia Special Collections Library for relevant images and other media objects.

• Understanding how to critically approach and read media objects.
• Caption research/writing.
• Collecting and uploading metadata and digital files to the content management system including accessibility description text. Attention to detail is especially important.
• Understanding of Copyright law.
• Assisting with social media strategy, including the curation of the project's Instagram feed.

• Promoting Encyclopedia Virginia at conferences, panels, and other public spaces.

Requirements

• Qualified candidates must have a bachelor's degree with one year of experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of visual and material culture is preferred.
• Candidates should have experience with digital publishing software including web content management systems, Adobe Photoshop, and the Microsoft Office suite.

Physical Demands: This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs. The ability to occasionally move boxes up to 30 pounds with conference materials.

Virginia Humanities offers a dynamic work environment and a wide array of statewide programming and collaborative opportunities. We support a flexible work schedule, but fully remote work is not possible. Virginia Humanities is affiliated with the University of Virginia, an equal opportunity employer. At Virginia Humanities, we are invested in cultivating a staff that embodies our commitment to inclusion and equity, which is increasingly reflected in our cultural programming statewide. We deeply value the voices and work of marginalized communities and strongly encourage applicants who represent the diverse and intersecting identities that contribute to the fabric of Virginia.

This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. Anticipated Hiring Range: $52,000 - $56,000 commensurate with education and experience. This is an Exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

We are interested in reviewing candidates with a broad range and combination of experiences, education, and qualifications. The minimum education and experience requirement is a bachelor's degree and one year of experience. Experience can include training, volunteering and experience gained as a student that is relevant to visual and material culture. If you are interested in applying, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you have any questions about this position, the application process, minimum qualifications, or responsibilities, please contact Peter Hedlund, Director,

Encyclopedia Virginia at pmh3g@virginia.edu.

This position will remain open until filled. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

To Apply:

Please apply through Workday, and search for R0039800. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'. Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV/Resume
• Cover letter that includes a personal statement about diversity, equity, and inclusion

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA's standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via Skill Survey during the final phase of the interview process.

For questions about the application process, please contact Ashley Cochran, Senior Recruiter at alc6dk@virginia.edu.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.