Lab Operations Specialist at British Film Institute

• Vacancy for Lab Operations Specialist at British Film Institute

21 November 2022

Fixed Term

We are seeking Lab Operations Specialist to join the Conservation department at the BFI National Archive in Berkhamsted. You will plan and carry out reproduction, restoration and preservation of the BFI National Archive film collections through a range of digital and analogue processes.

Key responsibilities include:

Conserve moving image materials and access requests by operating specialised film laboratory conservation equipment, including Film Printers, Processing machines, Digital Image Scanners, Digital Preservation Infrastructure Workstations and Film Cleaning machines.

Operate and provide first line maintenance of Film Scanning equipment, within the remit of the Lab Operations team.

Keep up-to-date with advances in scanned image formats and specifications.

Work closely with client facing teams and Digital Media Specialist team to coordinating delivery of data to clients using hard drives and web-based file transfer solutions.

Provide regular and disciplined media management of central and local storage, working closely with relevant colleagues and project teams to ensure that digital media is well managed, available and secure.

We are looking for candidates who have:

Experience working with film scanning equipment and a wide range of digital audio-visual file formats and software coupled with a solid understanding of audio-visual compression principles.

Working knowledge of the principles of digitisation and challenges associated with digital preservation, restoration and access.

Substantial knowledge of the health, safety and environmental standards and practices relating to the use of large machinery and the use and disposal of chemicals typically used in a photochemical lab environment.

A demonstrable understanding of the chemical processes involved in the manufacture and subsequent decomposition challenges facing motion picture film.

About the BFI

We are a cultural charity, a National Lottery distributor, and the UK’s lead organisation for film and the moving image. We believe society needs stories. Film, television and the moving image bring them to life, helping us connect and understand each other better. We share the stories of yesterday, search for the stories of today, and shape the stories of tomorrow.