ADHO, the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations, is seeking a new Deputy Secretary for its Executive Board (EB), starting July 2026. As with all ADHO Offices, it is an unremunerated position appointed by ADHO’s governing body, the Constituent Organization Board (COB). Appointment as Deputy Secretary is for one year, after which the appointed officer becomes the Secretary.
The ADHO Executive Board Secretary works closely with the EB, the Constituent Organization Board (COB) of Digital Humanities organisations, and occasionally with various officers of the Constituent Organizations. The Secretary organizes, records, and communicates ADHO governance meetings, documents, decisions, and action items. They also serve as record keepers, holders of institutional memory, and reference sources for ADHO policy, decisions, and custom. The Secretary is appointed by the COB and reports to the Executive Board (EB).
The Deputy Secretary advises and assists the Secretary as needed and may act on behalf of the Secretary when they are unavailable. The Secretary and Deputy Secretary manage and maintain ADHO’s records. The Deputy Secretary is a member of the ADHO Executive Board (EB).
Executive Board Secretary is a three-year position. The incoming Secretary spends the first year (July 2026 – July 2027) in the role of Deputy Secretary, beginning immediately after the DH2026 conference. The term is then followed by a further two-year term as Secretary (June 2027 – July 2029), beginning at the end of the DH2027 conference and concluding at the end of the DH2029 conference.
The Executive Board works remotely, communicating via email, online chat, video calls, etc. ADHO is a global organization and officers and committee chairs may be based in any country. The EB meets regularly. Time required for the role varies from a few hours a month to up to a day a month in the lead-up to the annual ADHO conference.
Secretary Responsibilities
- In consultation with the EB Chair, to provide notices of meeting times and places, and request contributions for agenda items and distribute agendas and any relevant papers.
- To record and distribute the minutes of all meetings.
- To maintain and monitor a calendar of important dates, which includes times and terms of service, and action-item reminders.
- To maintain ADHO’s records and ensure documentation is maintained.
- Coordinate COB-EB meetings at the annual AHDO conference with the COB President and Secretary and EB Chair.
- The EB Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer also act as Trustees and Officers of Stichting ADHO, a charity registered in The Netherlands which is ADHO’s legal body.
Deputy Secretary Responsibilities
- In consultation with the Chair and Secretary of the EB, to support the Secretary with the responsibilities above.
- To become familiar with the documentation, meeting, chat and other systems used by the EB.
- To document information gained during their onboarding process and suggest improvements to EB processes and systems.
Background
ADHO is governed by two complementary bodies:
- The Constituent Organizations Board (COB) is composed of one representative from each of the Constituent Organizations (COs) and a liaison to the Special Interest Groups (SIGs). Its role is to establish and develop vision, strategy, and policy for ADHO.
- The Executive Board (EB) is appointed by the COB, and its role is to enact the decisions made by the COB, to administer the day-to-day running of the organization, and to ensure that ADHO abides by all applicable laws.
- ADHO is a global organization and the Secretary may be based in any country. The EB meets regularly (twice monthly) online. All ADHO Officers (including the Secretary) are required to make reasonable allowances to meet with colleagues in other time zones.
For further information, please see a full description of ADHO’s governance structure.
Eligibility
- Any active member of the ADHO community is eligible to apply for this role, and some familiarity with this community is highly desirable.
- The post holder must be a member of an ADHO Constituent Organization.
Deadline for submission:
Please consider the position and apply before 1 May 2026.
To express your interest, please fill out the Application form and upload a CV (2 pages long).
Please contact the ADHO Secretary at secretary@adho.org with any questions.