Social Media Assistant for the Quill Project (up to 4-5 hrs/week in term-time until end June 2026)

Background 

Quill is a digital humanities research project based in Pembroke College, University of Oxford. Its online platform is designed to model the negotiation of texts within formal processes such as parliamentary-style debates. The work of the project includes the digitization and transcription of archival material, editing, analysing, and modelling the process of negotiation, and communicating the results of that research to a wide variety of audiences. More details about the project and its methodology can be found at www.quillproject.net.

To date, Quill has published models of the negotiations that produced the 1787 Federal Constitution, the 1789 Federal Bill of Rights, the 1895 Utah State Constitution, and other key pieces of US legislation, including the Reconstruction Amendments, and in 2020 it assumed ownership of the Constitutional Sources, further adding to its US collections. With these publications, the wider usefulness and applicability of the methodology adopted by Quill has become increasingly clear, and it has recently been awarded funds for three major new projects on the Indian Constitution, the Australian Constitution, and the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland. 

To further the dissemination of our research, we would like to appoint a social media assistant on a casual basis to work 4-5 hours per week during term time with the project’s Communications Officer. Some hours may also be worked remotely outside of term. The position is available until end June 2026.

Responsibilities

The role of the social media assistant will be to work alongside the wider project team to:

• Create social media posts for a range of platforms

• Write and proofread copy for the Quill website and blog

• Assist with video production and editing

• Design brochures, programmes, and other print materials

• Provide other reasonable support and assistance to the Quill team, as required

Selection Criteria

Candidates will be judged on the basis of the following requirements and should ensure that their letter of application gives examples of relevant experience which could be drawn from study or voluntary activities:

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal 

• Prior experience of posting on social media platforms such as Instagram and Tiktok

• Experience of video editing

• Competence in Squarespace or similar web design packages

• Experience of Adobe InDesign or Canva for producing print materials

• Familiarity with copyright and referencing requirements for online publication

• Able to work independently and use own initiative, but also to recognize when it is important to involve other members of a team
• Attention to detail and ability to process information from multiple sources and tasks 

The following would be desirable but are not essential:

• A research interest in history and politics
• Experience of planning an academic event or conference
• Experience in a customer-facing or similar support role
• Current Oxford student or staff member with an SSO

Further details

This is a casual position with a basic salary of £13.45 per hour. Most work can be completed remotely and some weeks will be busier than others. The successful candidate should be available for up to 4-5 hours per week. You must have a right to work in the UK and be available to attend regular meetings in Oxford.

Application Procedure 

Please send a CV and covering letter, outlining your suitability for the role and links to previous content you have designed to ruth.murray@pmb.ox.ac.uk. The deadlines for applications is noon on Thursday 13 November.