The Islamic Manuscript Association is one of the principal projects of the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation. The Association is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting Islamic manuscript collections and supporting those who work with them. It was formed in response to the urgent need to address the poor preservation and inaccessibility of many Islamic manuscript collections around the world. The position is full-time and is based at the Association’s office in Cambridge, UK. The contract is for one year. Employment in Cambridge will be through the Foundation’s representative company Tradigital, which is based in Cairo, Egypt. The salary will be £25,000 gross per annum.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day running of the Association, including the organisation of the Association's annual conference as well as meetings and workshops, the development of online resources for professionals working with Islamic manuscripts, and the coordination of the Association’s grant scheme. He or she will report to the executive director. Excellent interpersonal skills and an enthusiasm for the Association’s aims are essential.

The successful candidate will be able to work well as part of a small team and also under their own direction when necessary.

Main duties of the job

• Administrate the Association’s office on a day-to-day basis
• Work with the executive director and other Association staff to organise Association events including conferences, meetings and workshops
• Monitor and support projects undertaken by the Association and/or its members
• Monitor the progress and development of projects funded by the Association’s grant scheme
• Manage the Association’s finances in consultation with the executive director, treasurer and accountant
• Maintain all records required for the good governance of the Association (e.g. membership lists) with the relevant legal authorities
• Revise and update the content of the news, resources, grants and events pages of the Association’s website in cooperation with the executive director and webmaster

Essential skills, experience and qualifications

• Good level of general education to a bachelor's level
• Excellent spoken and written English
• Fluency in spoken and written Arabic
• Excellent interpersonal skills and phone manner
• Proven experience in events coordination and administration
• Excellent IT skills: competency with word processors, spreadsheets, databases, email clients and wikis
• Willing to travel internationally
• Capable of juggling multiple demanding priorities in a high-pressure environment

Desirable skills, experience and qualifications

• Knowledge of a discipline relating to the care and management of manuscript collections (e.g. cataloguing, conservation or digitisation), Middle Eastern and Islamic studies, and/or codicology an advantage
• Knowledge of other foreign languages, especially Persian and/or Turkish

Application procedure

To apply please send a CV and covering letter explaining your suitability for the position to:

The closing date for applications is 30 September 2010.