Vacant job

The Swedish Genealogical Society runs several registration projects for the benefit of genealogy in the country. Engaged in this work through crowdsourcing is a large number of genealogists as volunteers. The work on these projects is led by a project manager employed by the society.

The project manager's task is to recruit and guide the volunteers for these projects, continuously instruct and support them in their work, and ultimately approve the results. The project manager compiles the work and ensures that deadlines are met. The final result is delivered for publication according to the guidelines applicable to each project.

The work involves close contact with several hundred volunteers, as well as with the staff at the society's office, and with our partners such as the City Archive in Stockholm and the National Archives in Ramsele. Good collaboration skills are required, as well as the ability to work very independently.

Good competence in all aspects of genealogy is a significant merit, especially a good ability to read older scripts is a requirement. A high level of computer skills is a prerequisite, and good knowledge of the Excel tool is an additional advantage. The project manager administers a Facebook group for exchanging experiences between volunteers and project managers. The work for both volunteers and project managers can easily be performed from any location.

The scope of the position has so far been full-time, but as the current project manager is retiring this summer, the workload is expected to decrease as Names for the Dead (NÅDD) continues into the 1700s without a deadline. We are now looking for a part-time replacement project manager who can start on June 16 to work together during a transition period and then take over from July 1.

See the description of the various projects included in the assignment below.

Welcome with your application!

Applications should be emailed to the head of the office, Johanna Schillerström: johanna@rotter.se.

We are interviewing candidates on an ongoing basis, with the final application date being April 30.

Description of the projects

Sweden's Death Book (Names for the Dead)

The goal of the project is to create a database of deceased individuals in Sweden from the year 1800 to the present, with plans to expand it both forward and backward in time. The database is published periodically on USB and on the web. Volunteers register the deceased parish-wise in Excel (or equivalent tools) according to given instructions and submit the results. The project manager reviews the material and any mistakes are corrected or sent back for action. Finally, before publication, the material is forwarded to our partner at the City Archive for publication.

The project manager also participates in the work of developing and testing the web-based database for subscribers on the Rötter website, in collaboration with the developers at the National Archives and the society's own IT staff. It may also involve showcasing and informing about the product at various events, such as Genealogy Days, as well as writing texts for the society's magazine and website.

Subproject: correction work

There are always entries in Sweden's Death Book that can be supplemented or need to be corrected. Genealogists help with this, and through forms on the web, about 50-100 such correction proposals come in every day. Volunteers are now engaged in reviewing these, together with the project manager. This is done in a web-based system developed by the City Archive. The project manager actively participates in both the review work and the development and testing of this system.

Census 1930

The National Archives in Ramsele is running a project to register the 1930 census and has enlisted the help of the Genealogical Society to recruit volunteers. The project manager supports these as a supervisor and provides reading assistance, and is the contact person with support in Ramsele. The registration takes place in a special program called Persona that is web-based.

Causes of Death 1917-1920

A new project at the National Archives is to register causes of death for the years 1917-1920. This work is done using the material from Sweden's Death Book as a basis, and here too, the National Archives has enlisted the help of the Genealogical Society's volunteers. The final result of this work will be included in Sweden's Death Book. The registration takes place in a shared spreadsheet on Google Drive. The project manager is responsible for the technical environment, supports the volunteers with all aspects of the work, and is the contact person with the staff at the National Archives.