Director of the Arolsen Archives (m/f/x)

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The International Tracing Service (ITS, currently operating under the name Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution) is the international center on Nazi persecution with the world’s most comprehensive archive on the victims and survivors of National Socialism. The collection has information on about 17.5 million people and belongs to UNESCO’s Memory of the World. It contains documents on the various victim groups targeted by the Nazi regime and is an important source of knowledge for society today.

Since May 2019, the ITS has been operating under the new name Arolsen Archives – International Center on Nazi Persecution. The institution itself has not changed and it continues to do the same work, as it did in the past. International Tracing Service is preserved as a legal name because the international agreements with the member states use this name.

The International Tracing Service (ITS) was established by the Allies at Bad Arolsen in Germany following the end of the Second World War for the purpose of tracing missing persons who had suffered persecution by the Nazis. The ITS was also given the task of collecting, classifying, preserving and rendering accessible to governments and interested individuals, including survivors and/or the families of Nazi victims, the documents relating to persons persecuted by the National Socialists in concentration camps and other sites of internment and persecution or as forced labourers who were displaced as a result of the war. The Archives today hold over 30 million documents pertaining to 17.5 million persons.

The Arolsen Archives come under the authority of the International Commission for the International Tracing Service (IC-ITS) which is comprised of eleven states: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and United States of America. Between 1955 and 2012 the International Commission managed the ITS through the good offices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Geneva, which then also provided the Director. The government of the Federal Republic of Germany has funded the work of the ITS since 1955.

In 2007 the International Commission decided to open up the archives for public research. While continuing the preservation and tracing work of the ITS, the intention was to facilitate an expansion of its activities to include the development of the Archives into a center for documentation, information and research, which will ensure that the fates of those who fell victim to National Socialism and of the survivors continue to be studied for the enlightenment of future generations.

The new mission of the Arolsen Archives is expressed in the following terms:

To preserve, conserve and open up the ITS archives to public access; to modernise and make more effective its services to Nazi victims and Holocaust survivors and those who seek to trace the fate of family members persecuted by the Nazis and their allies; and to integrate the ITS into the European and international network of research and educational institutions focused on Nazi persecution, the Holocaust, forced labour and displaced persons.

The Director is recruited and appointed directly by the International Commission.

The Director, who also serves as the Secretary of the International Commission, is responsible for directing and administering the ITS and for implementing the policy decisions taken by the International Commission. Moreover:

The Director shall act as the Secretary to the International Commission, according to the provisions of the IC Rules of Procedure.
The Director is responsible for human resources management of the Arolsen Archives.
The Director shall act under the directives of the International Commission, and shall be accountable to it. The Director shall inform the International Commission immediately should a situation arise which is not covered by the 2011 Berlin Agreement nor by the Partnership Agreement and to which an existing decision taken or directive adopted by the International Commission in accordance with the Berlin Agreement does not apply.
Under the guidance of the International Commission, the Director shall elaborate proposed priorities for the Arolsen Archives and set out their financial implications for consideration by the International Commission.
The Director shall draw up a draft annual work plan and budget estimate to be transmitted in a timely manner to and approved by the International Commission.
The Director shall submit to the International Commission an annual financial account of the preceding financial year.
The Director shall, unless more frequently required, submit semi-annual reports on the activities of the Arolsen Archives to the International Commission.
The Director will represent the Arolsen Archives in legal transactions necessary for the fulfillment of their tasks, particularly contracts of employment and rental and sales agreements, under the law of the Federal Republic of Germany, and may appear in court.
The Director will seek advice and work together with the Institutional Partner in the implementation of policy in fields such as human resource management; conservation and preservation; cataloguing and indexing; and budgeting and auditing.
The Director shall prepare a draft agenda for meetings of the International Commission in consultation with the Chair.

General Profile

The successful candidate must be an experienced manager in cultural and cultural heritage institutions, with a proven track record in overseeing change management within large teams, both domestically and internationally, and possessing strong financial acumen and a good knowledge of contemporary history. He/she needs to have the ability to continue and strengthen Arolsen’s strategic modernization path of full digitization of the archive and public outreach

Skills and competences
The eligible candidate should have:

At least 10 years of management experience, managing large teams, including hybrid/remote management.
Solid skills in personnel, administrative, and financial/budgetary matters.
Demonstrated success in handling institutional change management.
Strong communication and conflict resolution skills.
Strategic thinking and planning.
International experience and cultural sensitivity.
Good knowledge of contemporary history, in particular with a focus on Holocaust and World War II history.
Familiarity with contemporary methods of public programming and outreach, especially to youth. Familiarity with selectively applying AI technology and contemporary technology for the treatment of big data.
Experience in managing funding schemes for cultural heritage and specific research programs, in collaboration with national as well as international institutes or universities.
Knowledge of current trends in archive management. Familiarity with technology, data, user experience, and the importance of open (accessible) data.
Experience with working closely with a senior leadership team.
Familiarity with the academic world.
Fluency in German and in English.
Knowledge of French optional.

Education
The suitable candidate for the position should hold a Master's degree or a PhD preferably in social sciences, history, international relations, archival science, communication, management, or a related field.

Other attributes

Team player
Adaptable
Empowering leader
Patient and persistent
Persuasive and decisive

Terms of Appointment

The article 20 of the 2011 Berlin Agreement on International Tracing Service and German Labour Law specifies the conditions of the contract of the Director of the International Tracing Service (Arolsen Archives).
More specifically:

The Director shall receive for their services an annual salary of comparable to a B3 position subject to additional allowances to be negotiated with the competent authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany. It is understood that the ITS/Arolsen Archives will deduct and withhold the relevant taxes and social security contributions from such payments.
The Director of the ITS/Arolsen Archives shall enjoy mutatis mutandis the same privileges and immunities as career consular officers according to Articles 40 to 47 and 52 of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in the Federal Republic of Germany, unless the Director is a national of or permanently resident in the Federal Republic of Germany. In the latter case, the Director shall enjoy immunity from jurisdiction and personal inviolability only in respect to official acts performed in the exercise of the Director’s functions.
The Director of the ITS/Arolsen Archives shall be appointed for a period of five years, subject to a probationary period of six months, satisfactory performance and the approval of the International Commission. The Director may be reappointed once. The successful candidate should expect to take up the post on 1 January 2026.
As a rule, the Director shall carry out their duties at the business seat of the ITS/Arolsen Archives in Bad Arolsen. Insofar as it is in the interest of the ITS/Arolsen Archives, the Director shall fulfill their duties also at other locations. The Director is obliged to go on business trips brought about by his/her activities within Germany and abroad.
In the event of the revocation of the appointment of the Director or the resignation of the Director, from this office the ITS/Arolsen Archives is entitled to release the Director from their obligation to work for the ITS/Arolsen Archives at any time with the release counting towards any vacation entitlements. Section 615 sente ...

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Director of the Arolsen Archives (m/f/x)