Archivist & Collections Manager - Protecting music’s most iconic moments

Location: London / Hybrid with on-site archive facility

Contract: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £40,000 - £50,000 | Based on experience

Imagine opening a crate to find a jacket worn at Glastonbury, a guitar that shaped an era, or handwritten lyrics that defined a generation. At Once Held, that’s your everyday reality.

At Once Held, we partner with music artists and their estates to protect and activate their legacies. By uniting physical and digital archives, we preserve the icons of music history and create new ways for fans and future generations to experience them.

Now, we’re looking for an Archivist & Collections Manager to lead our physical archive - caring for priceless collections while building the systems and team that will carry them into the future.

What you’ll do:

• Catalogue and care for wardrobe, instruments, equipment, and memorabilia.
• Implement best practice in handling, packaging, and storage.
• Develop and maintain a digital archive of each item’s provenance, condition, and story.
• Organise and label a growing collection within our storage facility.
• Support exhibitions and storytelling projects that bring archives to life.
• Help shape the foundations of a new archive team and function.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Proven experience in archives, collections management, registrar work, or conservation.
• Knowledge of caring for textiles, musical instruments, and mixed media.
• Excellent documentation skills and attention to detail.
• Familiarity with collections management systems.
• A self-starting, practical approach to building systems from scratch.
• Above all: a passion for music, culture, and storytelling through objects.



Why this role is rare:

• Shape a new archive function from the ground up.
• Work hands-on with culturally and financially significant objects.
• Collaborate with artists, estates, and industry leaders.
• Grow into a leadership role as the business scales.
• Be part of a creative, mission-driven team at the intersection of music, culture, and history.

Upon application, please attach a short cover letter summarising your relevant experience to the role and detailing more about your interest in the sectors of archiving, preservation, and the music industry.