Collection Metadata Analyst

Location: Boston Spa

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time (36 hours)

Grade: B

Salary: £32,619 per annum

This is the starting salary for this role, unless the successful candidate is able to evidence being in receipt of a higher salary, in which case this may be reviewed.

About the role

The Collection Metadata Standards team has a vacancy for a Collection Metadata Analyst. The team is responsible for co-ordinating the development and implementation of the bibliographic standards which the Library uses to describe our collection, enable discovery of collection items, and disseminate catalogue records globally.

This role will focus on international standards development and their implementation, as well as the local transformation and manipulation of metadata, including catalogue records, to meet British Library user needs.

We are looking for someone with proven technical skills and experience of working with metadata for bibliographic or archival resources. The successful candidate will have a demonstrable knowledge of RDA and MARC 21 as well as HTML, XML or XSLT.

The role requires working with colleagues and external partners to deliver standards developments which benefit the British Library, as well as the library community and metadata supply chain as a whole. Attention to detail and working to deadlines are key requirements; good analytical and communications skills are also essential.

For more information, please refer to the Job Profile.

About us

We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone. Our shelves hold over 170 million items - a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.

What we can offer you

• Access to a defined-benefit Civil Service pension scheme.
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexi-time.
• 25 days' holiday plus 2.5 privilege days.
• Full details of employee benefits can be found on our Careers: Benefits

Things you need to know

• We are unable to provide sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa for this role.
• Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check (DBS check).
• Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn.
• We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian, Mixed Race and other ethnically diverse candidates and disabled candidates. Creating an inclusive workplace is the core of our business and a way to engage the diversity of thought that is essential to achieve our aims.

Closing date: 23:59 on 02 November 2026

If you have any questions, please contact: recruitment@bl.uk