The Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) at Yale University is seeking a full-time Collections Editor for HRAF’s online databases.

Position Summary

HRAF seeks a knowledgeable and experienced Collections Editor to manage document content production for the HRAF’s online academic databases of ethnography and archaeology (eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology). The Collections Editor creates, enhances, and maintains original and complex bibliographic, indexing and authority records for a wide range of collections materials in various formats. They may plan, direct, and review the work of HRAF document analysts and/or production assistants and provide project management for cataloging and metadata projects. This includes playing a role in document selection for new and updated culture/tradition collections, as well as overseeing the production and editing of culture and tradition summaries (academic overviews of ethnographic and archaeological collections within the databases). For this reason, a background in anthropology or a cognate field of social sciences along with an interest and experience in library and information science would be beneficial.

We also invite applications from candidates with equivalent experience in graduate or postgraduate research, and welcome those who have worked in adjacent domains, such as cultural heritage, digital humanities or GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) to apply.

Experience engaging with evolving descriptive metadata models and standards as well as familiarity with controlled vocabularies, subject category indexing, academic books and articles, and relational databases are central to this role. HRAF utilizes two proprietary classification systems to subject-index its document collections. The uniqueness of eHRAF lies in its fine-grained, paragraph-level subject indexing hand applied by trained anthropologists. This system has been in place for over 75 years, from paper files to microfiche, CD-ROM and now digital. While controlled vocabularies are common, HRAF’s method goes beyond simple document-level indexing to provide a detailed subject analysis for each paragraph within the collection. The Collections Editor will be in charge of ensuring that this meticulous work is conducted efficiently and in line with HRAF’s quality standards as a trusted leader in anthropological and cross-cultural data.

The Collections Editor will be involved in quality control throughout the document selection, conversion, indexing and publication process. This includes metadata entry, running reports, creating documents, and tracking workflow through a combination of platforms (MS Excel, Word, Access or similar for forms and tables; GitHub for collaborative work with our software engineering team). Strong organizational skills and comfort handling moderately large datasets are required.

The role may involve normalizing data and streamlining processes to meet new data standards as well as revising or repairing existing metadata to improve the breadth and scope of collections. The successful candidate will be expected to establish, organize and manage systems for tracking production tasks and schedules towards deadlines in coordination with HRAF’s Software Engineering team; Collection Development; Document Imaging Assistant; and HRAF’s Document Analysts. Familiarity with XML markup and/or conversion, MySQL, GitHub andMicrosoft Access are also desirable.

Experience with multimedia (especially photography/graphic management, cataloguing and editing), or willingness to learn, would be a plus. Proficiency in languages other than English, while not required, will prove useful due to additional languages/orthography present in collection documents.

Responsibilities

1. Creates authority records applying standards and best practices. Provides original cataloging/creates metadata for materials in all formats and subject areas. Applies descriptive standards, structural standards, and controlled vocabularies (e.g. LCSH, and HRAF’s own classifications systems: the Outline of Cultural Materials, Outline of Archaeological Traditions and Outline of World Cultures).
2. Digital and physical file and dataset management. This may include authority control, record creation and editing, data normalization and other quality assurance processes. E.g. culture names/ethnonyms, citation data, time and place data.
3. Analyzes bibliographic and metadata problems, recommends policies, develops processes and best practices, and creates documentation.
4. Advises software engineering team on data issues and document structures of paper and digitally scanned documents to facilitate conversion from scanned text/images to XML markup and updating of conversion specifications to handle both common and uncommon page and text layout across documents.
5. Engages with the software engineering team to meet database user needs.
6. Oversees analyst workflow to assign collections, check work for quality control, prepare files for publication, and maintain archives for all collections. Reports on publication status of collections and forecasts future projections as required.
7. Assists in the ethnographic document selection process for new and existing HRAF culture file updates.
8. Edits/updates culture summaries; liaises with external authors (subject area experts) to supply cultural information and summaries as needed.
9. Researches, plans and oversees special projects such as photo collections, geospatial data, archival scanning and file preservation (digital and paper).
10. Supervises Document Imaging Assistant.
11. May perform other duties as assigned.

 Required Skills

1. Familiarity with using relational databases such as MS Access or MySQL
2. Demonstrated knowledge of digital imaging standards.
3. Proficient with Adobe Photoshop, Acrobat, Microsoft Word and Excel.
4. Knowledge of subject analysis and classification systems.
5. Experience researching information about past and present cultures or societies.
6. Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communications; decision-making and analytical ability; accuracy and attention to detail.
7. Able to acquire new knowledge and skills that contribute to individual and organizational growth.
8. Ability to initiate and adapt to change.
9. Experience working collegially and cooperatively within and across departments. 

Preferred Skills

1. Demonstrated knowledge of current cataloging/metadata content and structural standards.
2. Experience managing medium to large scale data projects.
3. Familiarity with XML
4. Proficiency in language(s) other than English

Required Education and Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent years of graduate training such as in library/information science, anthropology, archaeology, museum studies, sociology or area studies.
• Postgraduate studies or PhD desirable.
• 1-3 years experience in managing data or collections (database management).

Position details

• This is an on-site position. Candidates must be located within the New Haven, Connecticut area or within commuting distance.
• Candidates must have the indefinite right to work in the US at the time of application.
• Full-time, 37.5 hours
• Benefits provided by Yale University (Managerial & Professional)
• Salary range: 55,000 – 62,000/year

How to Apply

Please email your application with the subject line “Collections Editor” to Dr. Francine Barone, Director of Academic Development and Operations, at hraf-collection-development@yale.edu. Attach your résumé along with a one-page cover letter including details such as: specific examples of prior metadata projects you have managed or editing positions you have held; and how your skills and experience are relevant to the type of work described above. The deadline for applications is June 20, 2025. Review of applications will begin right away.

About HRAF

The mission of the Human Relations Area Files (HRAF) is to promote understanding of cultural diversity and commonality in the past and present. To accomplish this mission, HRAF produces scholarly resources and infrastructure for research, teaching and learning, and supports and conducts original research on cross-cultural variation. Since its founding as an autonomous research agency at Yale University in 1949, HRAF has pioneered the interdisciplinary pursuit of anthropological knowledge by expanding access to expertly curated ethnographic data as well as promoting scientific methodologies for cross-cultural comparison. Today, HRAF remains a small non-profit membership organization committed to developing dynamic, expertly indexed databases for the academic community. Its flagship online applications, eHRAF World Cultures and eHRAF Archaeology, serve over 500 institutional members worldwide and comprise the world’s largest anthropological and archaeological databases.