Job Posting: Assistant Director – The Islamic Manuscript Association (Cambridge, UK)

Assistant Director, The Islamic Manuscript Association
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 Association is currently seeking an assistant director. The position is full-time and is based at the Association’s office in Cambridge, UK. The contract is a one-year fixed term contract. Employment in Cambridge will be through the Foundation’s representative company, Tradigital, which is based in Cairo, Egypt. The salary will be £30,000-£35,000 gross per annum, and all UK statutory benefits and entitlements apply. The employee will receive 30 days’ paid holiday in addition to all UK bank holidays.
The successful candidate will be responsible for assisting the executive director with the overall operational and financial management of the Association as it enters its second decade. He or she will be detail-oriented with excellent organisational and interpersonal communication skills, and will have the ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks effectively, whether working as part of a small team or individually. An enthusiasm for the Association’s aims is essential. The role will require regular travel to locations within the UK and abroad. The assistant director will report to the executive director of the Association and, as needed, to the board of directors of the Islamic Manuscript Association and the chairman of the Thesaurus Islamicus Foundation.
Main duties of the job
• Assisting the executive director;
• Manage the Association’s daily operations, including supervising full-time and part-time staff and volunteers.
• Plan, create, and deliver events including conferences, board meetings, and short courses.
• Overhaul the Association’s website and implement and maintain an effective membership management system.
• Generate content for the Association’s website.
• Coordinate and supervise the Association’s annual grant scheme.
• Supervise and support projects undertaken by the Association and/or its members.
• Maintain and develop relations with libraries, museums, other heritage-related institutions and organisations, academics and museum and library professionals working with manuscripts, Association members, and potential Association members.
• Promote the Association at conferences, symposia, and professional
meetings. Possibly promote the Association in the media.
• Develop a fundraising and grant writing strategy.
• Maintain all records required for the good governance of the Association with the relevant legal authorities.
• Manage the Association’s finances in consultation with the accountant and treasurer.
• Supervising maintenance of the office’s general filing and records, both electronic and physical.
• Supervising maintenance of the office’s physical premises, including utilities, insurance, fire and intruder alarms, and cleaning.
• Supporting other Foundation projects, if needed.
Essential skills, experience, and qualifications
• Master’s degree in art history, conservation, history, Islamic studies, library science, museum studies,
or a related field; or five years’ experience in a heritage-related job.
• Familiarity with the academic study of manuscripts, especially Islamic manuscripts, and/or the care
and management of manuscript collections, including cataloguing, conservation, digitisation, exhibitions, and ethics.
• Record of leadership experience and working with boards.
• Record of event organising experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to conduct formal presentations and speaking engagements, and to represent an organisation publicly.
• Excellent computer literacy: professional-level competency with word processors, spreadsheets, databases, email clients, and web-based social media.
• Must be willing to work occasional nights and weekends.
• Must be willing to undertake regular international travel.
• Capable of handling multiple demanding priorities in a busy environment
Desirable skills, experience, and qualifications

• Doctoral degree.
• Knowledge of Arabic.
• Knowledge of other foreign languages, especially Persian and/or Turkish.
• First aid qualification.
To apply please send a cover letter, CV, and the contact information for two references to the address below. Please include the title of the position for which you are applying in the subject line of your email.
The Islamic Manuscript Association Ltd
c/o 33 Trumpington Street
Cambridge CB2 1QY
United Kingdom
Email: vacancies@islamicmanuscript.org
Please note that the Association will only consider applicants who already possess permission to work in the United Kingdom. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Application Deadline: Open until filled