Research and Reference Specialist

Information about the organization

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is a federally chartered, nonpartisan institution that was created by the US Congress to serve as America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust and an educational institution dedicated to the history and lessons of the Holocaust. The Museum seeks to educate Americans from all 50 states and all walks of life as well as international audiences. The Museum has three areas of expertise: Holocaust remembrance, Holocaust scholarship and education, and genocide prevention.

In carrying out its important memorial and educational mission, the Museum is guided by its institutional values for our workplace: Honor the memory of the victims; carry out our work with dignity, humility, integrity and respect for others; and strive for excellence through teamwork, rigor, and a culture of continuous learning. Consistent respect for others is the foundation for trust, collegiality and inclusion.

Information about the role

The David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation’s major responsibility is to collect, preserve, and make available the historical record of the Holocaust and to support with its stewardship of the Collection of Record the Museum's wide-ranging efforts in the areas of research, exhibition, publication, education, and memorialization.

The position is located in the Branch of the Holocaust Survivors and Victims Resource Center (HSVRC) of the David M. Rubenstein National Institute for Holocaust Documentation (Rubenstein Institute) at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The HSVRC supports the mission of the Museum by ensuring that the individual experiences of survivors and victims of the Holocaust and Nazi-era persecution are recorded, preserved, and disseminated for future generations. The HSVRC aims to accomplish this mission by collecting information about Jewish and non-Jewish survivors and victims of the Holocaust and creating research tools and resources that provide access to this information.

The HSVRC serves as the main access point to the Museum's extensive holdings of name-related data and databases that can help trace the fates of millions of people persecuted by Nazi Germany and its collaborators. The work of the HSVRC allows the Museum to keep its pledge to make this information available to Holocaust survivors and others. Detailed reference services and basic research are provided to scholars and the general public. Extensive research is provided to survivors, their families, and the families of victims. In addition, staff conducts research to support a broad range of Museum programming and priorities.

This position is located in Washington, DC and is a limited hybrid telework eligible, within the local commuting area of the Museum worksite. This is a full-time donated position (non-Federal) paid with the Museum’s private funds. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Major Duties, and Responsibilities

• Completes research cases to include: analysis, evaluation, synthesis and verification of accuracy of documentation and explanation of documents.
• Maintains records and correspondence for research cases in online tools including reference tracking systems.
• Conducts advanced research in the Museum's archival holdings and library holdings for survivors, their families, and the families of victims.
• Provides reference and research services to Museum audiences and staff including but not limited to distribution of registry forms, instruction on use and optimization of available databases and reference material.
• Recommends improvements to various electronic resources based on end-user experience.
• Trains and works with Museum volunteers and interns in support of the work of the HSVRC.
• Participates in discussions, planning, and implementation of procedures and practices to improve discoverability of and access to the collections, including creating descriptive information about the contents of the International Tracing Service Digital Archive and other archival sources that include finding aids, catalog entries, thesauri, and other materials.
• Serves on cross-office teams, projects, and initiatives to advance the Rubenstein Institute’s priorities and goals, as needed.
• Coordinates and communicates with colleagues and key stakeholders to share resources and integrate efforts across the Rubenstein Institute.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications for the role

• At least one year of established methods and techniques in the retrieval, analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and presentation of a broad range of name-related documentation.
• Knowledge of personal computers, databases, and software sufficient to establish and access files, maintain project schedules, prepare reports and texts, and work with the various technical systems of the Rubenstein Institute, e.g. HSV Database, OuSArchiv, Illumin reference and research request management system, and Collections Search.
• At least one year of archival, published, and electronic resources in historical name-related research.
• Familiarity with standard practices in citing sources used in research.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Historical knowledge of the Holocaust, World War II, and the 1933-45 period of Nazi domination, in particular knowledge of the camp system and of Holocaust-related documents and records and awareness of and sensitivity to the role of the Museum and its stakeholders as well as to contemporary issues relating to the Holocaust.
• Ability to provide onsite research and reference services to Museum audiences and staff.
• Reading knowledge of German as well as either Romanian or Polish in order to understand and interpret documents.

Preferred Qualifications for the role

• Knowledge of the Museum's archival collections, their content, and organization as well as related source materials in the holdings of other organizations.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field such as history, archival science, library science, or digital humanities.

The application deadline for this position is February 14, 2025.

Interested applicants must send their resume and cover letter; applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

The Museum is committed to cultivating and maintaining a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI).Please click here to view the Museum Statement on Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion (PDF).

Benefits Highlights:

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum values employee wellness, work-life balance and the diversity of what this means for individual employees in life and work. We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package for benefits-eligible employees that includes generous paid leave benefits, health, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, a health savings account with an employer contribution, 403(b) retirement plan with a generous employer match and contribution, group term and supplemental life insurance, short and long-term disability, commuter subsidy, access to two employee assistance programs, as well as voluntary critical illness and accident insurance coverage, long-term care and pet insurance options. Our policies also support telework and other flexible schedule options based on the job, work and team collaboration requirements.