Film Collections and Acquisitions Manager

Film Collections and Acquisitions Manager

Contract: 2-year fixed term contract

Salary scale: The salary range for this position is €43,000 - €54,000 - depending on experience.

Other benefits: Hybrid and flexible working options, 24 days annual leave, bike to work scheme, enhanced sick pay, IFI Film Shop & Cafe Bar discounts, local business discounts, free cinema tickets, pension scheme.

Overview of IFI

The Irish Film Institute is Ireland’s national cultural institution for film. At the IFI’s historic home in Eustace Street, Temple Bar, our diverse audiences and loyal members enjoy our 3 cinemas, IFI Irish Film Archive’s research and access facilities, IFI Film Shop and IFI Café Bar, and our four digital streaming platforms: IFI@Home; IFI Archive Player; IFI@Schools; IFI International.

The IFI has developed strategic objectives around five core activities:

• EXHIBIT- Providing audiences throughout Ireland with access to the finest independent, Irish and international cinema

• PRESERVE - Preserving and promoting Ireland’s moving image heritage through the IFI Irish Film Archive

• EDUCATE - Providing opportunities for audiences of all ages and backgrounds to learn and critically engage with film through IFI Education

• INNOVATE - Using new and emerging technologies to enhance audience engagement, operations and processes, while exploring opportunities for expansion
• PEOPLE - Always considering audiences, artists and IFI staff as the triad at the heart of all decision-making regarding what we do and how we do it.

Overview of Role

The Film Collections and Acquisitions Manager (FCAM) is responsible for the day-to-day stewardship of the IFI Irish Film Archive’s physical film and tape collections. This includes the assessment, acquisition, registration, cataloguing, care, conservation, storage, and movement of materials. The FCAM oversees the use and maintenance of vaults and off-site storage, manages documentation and database records, and ensures the physical and technical integrity of the collections. They also act as a key liaison with donors, depositors, service providers, and institutional partners.

The FCAM line-manages the Film Collections Officers (FCO) and is responsible for overseeing the supervision of FCOs and volunteers working in this area, delegating day-to-day training responsibilities as appropriate.

Purpose of Job

The FCAM plays a central role in ensuring the long-term preservation, accessibility, and documentation of Ireland’s national moving image heritage. They lead and coordinate the physical and intellectual management of the film collections, implementing appropriate cataloguing, conservation, and storage standards in line with international best practices (e.g., SPECTRUM).

Working closely with the Head of Archive and other archive managers, the FCAM contributes to institutional planning, preservation strategy, and grant-supported projects. They are responsible for managing the Archive’s vault infrastructure and environmental controls, responding to operational issues, and supporting cross-departmental projects involving the film collections.

The FCAM also plays a vital public- and sector-facing role, maintaining professional relationships with depositors, filmmakers, labs, and other archives, and representing the IFI in sectoral initiatives and collaborations.

In addition, the FCAM provides expert input to ensure that the analogue-to-digital transfer of archival material maintains high technical standards and aligns with the Archive’s long-term preservation goals.

Key Responsibilities

Collections Management

• Oversee the acquisition, assessment, cataloguing, care, and conservation of film materials.

• Manage documentation and registration processes, including object-entry forms, postponed deposits, and accession tracking.

• Ensure accurate and consistent use of the Archive’s collections database, including retrospective correction of legacy records.

• Develop and implement collections-management workflows and guidelines, including inventory control and object tracking.

Vaults, Storage and Environmental Monitoring

• Manage all film vaults and off-site storage facilities, including environmental control, pest management, alarm systems, and shelving.

• Supervise the movement and physical location of materials across sites, ensuring safe handling and storage.

• Liaise with service providers and IFI Operations to maintain vault infrastructure and respond to alarms and H&S concerns.

• Coordinate logistics for shipping, incoming/outgoing transport, and temporary workspace setups off-site as needed.

Preservation, Digitisation and Quality Control

• Plan and carry out film audits and condition assessments to support film digitisation and restoration projects.

• Lead preservation-related research and coordinate lab work for film scanning, duplication, and restoration.

• Design and maintain quality control documentation (e.g., damage reports, workflows, checklists).

• Liaise with external labs and service providers to identify appropriate conservation treatments and workflows.

Stakeholder and Donor Relations

• Act as first point of contact for film donors and depositors; respond to queries and guide new acquisitions.

• Maintain clear and professional communication with depositors, filmmakers, partner organisations, and members of the public.

• Represent the Archive in sectoral discussions, inter-institutional collaborations, and public-facing events and tours.

Project Management and Organisational Support

• Lead and deliver collection-related projects, including audits, vault reorganisations, and preservation initiatives.

• Contribute to grant applications, budget planning, and reporting, providing technical input and project documentation.

• Work collaboratively with other archive managers and staff to support shared initiatives and archive-wide priorities.

Staff Management and Training

• Line-manage the Film Collections Officers (FCO).

• Supervise and train project staff, archive assistants, and interns in film handling, documentation, and preservation procedures.

Policy and Standards Implementation

• Contribute to the development of collections management procedures and documentation tools in line with SPECTRUM and institutional standards.

• Collaborate with the Head of Archive to support MSPI compliance through accurate documentation and operational oversight.

• Ensure best practice in object care, conservation handling, and physical collections workflows.

Candidate Competencies and Skills

The successful candidate will have extensive hands-on experience in the care, handling, documentation, and preservation of film materials, along with a strong understanding of archival standards and procedures. They will bring excellent organisational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to the role and demonstrate a pragmatic and meticulous approach to managing physical collections across multiple locations. This role requires both technical expertise and people management skills, as well as the ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external stakeholders.

• A recognised qualification in film archiving, moving image preservation, information management, museum studies, or a related field.

• Prior senior experience working in a film archive, with demonstrated responsibility for managing film collections and associated workflows.

• Proven experience supervising staff, interns, or volunteers in a collections, archive, or cultural heritage environment.

• In-depth knowledge of film formats, handling procedures, and deterioration issues (e.g., vinegar syndrome, nitrate), with a strong understanding of conservation and storage best practice.

• Demonstrable experience managing vault infrastructure and coordinating environmental monitoring, transport, and logistics.

• Experience developing and implementing cataloguing workflows and registration systems; familiarity with archival databases and metadata standards.

• Working knowledge of the SPECTRUM standard and its application to moving image materials.

• Knowledge of FIAF cataloguing and preservation standards and familiarity with current international practices in film archiving.

• Experience leading preservation or digitisation projects, including working with labs, service providers, and technical partners.

• Experience acting as technical lead or supervisor on in-house digitisation or restoration workflows is highly desirable.

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, particularly in engaging with depositors, donors, and external partners.

• Strong planning and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and respond to operational challenges.

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively across departments.

• A proactive, adaptable, and detail-oriented approach to problem-solving and collections care.

• A commitment to high standards of documentation, object care, and health and safety procedures in archival environments.

All applications will be treated as strictly confidential. The IFI is an Equal Opportunities Employer and we welcome applications from all communities. Should you require assistance in any part of your application process, please do not hesitate to get in touch, and all reasonable efforts will be made to facilitate your application journey.

IFI is principally funded by the Arts Council.