Would you like to join the BAVS Committee?
Upcoming vacancies will advertised each summer, with roles starting in September of the same year.
Please note that all roles are unpaid and that applicants are expected to be members of the British Association for Victorian Studies.
2026 Vacancies
- The BAVS Committee has nine positions open.
- To be considered for one of the roles, please send the Secretary, Dr Claire Wood, an email with a Statement of Interest (indicating your suitability for and interest in the position and how you propose to contribute) of 300 words maximum and a short CV (max 2 pages) by 5 pm (BST) 3 August 2026.
- Contact: claire.wood@leicester.ac.uk
Please note that the roles of Secretary, Treasurer, Postgraduate Representative, Early Career Representative, and Ordinary Elected Member are subject to election.
The Digital and Social Media Officer, Professionalisation and Careers Officer, and GLAM Liaisons are appointed by the Committee, in line with the Association’s Constitution.
Officers and representatives will be appointed officially at the Annual General Meeting in September 2026.
Information for applicants
BAVS Committee positions are usually held for a 3-year term (except the Postgraduate Representative roles which are a 2-year term).
The BAVS Committee usually meets for c. 2 hours, 3 times per year (one meeting usually takes place in conjunction with the annual Conference) and hosts an online AGM each September. The majority of Committee meetings take place online.
Responsibilities
All members of the BAVS Committee (with the exception of the President, Treasurer and Secretary) will review funding applications (usually 1 x round per year) as part of their responsibilities, and participate in other ways in the standard business of the organisation.
This might include the review of applications beyond the typical Funding streams, participation in mentoring events, involvement in the annual Conference organisation, participation in working group(s) or panel(s) (e.g. the Rosemary Mitchell BAVS Book Prize panel), and other types of support.
All named officers should submit a report to the Secretary before each Committee meeting for circulation (reports can be shared when there is more than one person active in a role, e.g. PG Representatives submit a single report, as do ECR Representatives), and reports will also be due for circulation to the BAVS membership prior to the AGM.
In the appointment of officers and representatives, the Committee will take due account of ensuring that the Committee as a whole is representative of the diversity of the Society’s membership. No member of the Committee shall be under the age of eighteen years.
Specific responsibilities related to vacant roles:
1 x Secretary (3-year term)
Duties include scheduling and preparing papers for the 3 x BAVS committee meetings per year, writing the Association’s Annual Report (with input from reporting officers and representatives), ensuring an accurate record is kept of the Association’s activities (e.g. through Minute taking), participating in regular meetings of the Executive and other meetings related to organisation of BAVS activities, working closely with the President to ensure the delivery of their strategic priorities, and liaising with members of the committee to provide support and advice where needed. The Secretary also responds to ad hoc enquiries from the membership and individuals and organisations interested in the aims of the Association. The Secretary is required to attend the annual conference.
1 x Treasurer (3-year term)
Duties include oversight of the organisation’s finances; arranging payment of bursaries, prizes, funding, and reimbursements; liaising with the organisation’s accountants; contributing to the annual report; advising on the financial feasibility of new proposals; and other duties related to the organisation’s financial management. The Treasurer is part of the Executive, which meets approximately every six weeks. The Treasurer needs to be resident in the UK.
1 x BAVS Digital and Social Media Officer (3-year term)
Ensure the regular maintenance and accuracy of the BAVS website, circulation of information to members, co-ordination of online materials (such as the videos of live/recorded BAVS events, i.e. Conference Keynotes or the BAVS Talks). Co-ordinate the BAVS Bluesky, X, and Instagram accounts (with PG Representatives). Ensure BAVS remains up to date in its use of technologies and its digital/virtual initiatives. Develop BAVS’ capacity in these areas. Oversight of Zoom and other technologies and virtual systems to promote networking and research in a digital age.
1 x Professionalisation and Careers Officer and C19 Matters Co-ordinator (3-year term)
The responsibilities of the role are two-fold. Firstly, to organise events and initiatives that support the career development of BAVS members at all career stages (early, mid- and late/senior career). To this end, the Professionalisation and Careers Officer should work in collaboration with the PGR, ECR and GLAM reps to ensure that the needs of early career scholars and those in roles beyond academia (e.g. in alt-ac and academic-adjacent careers) are well-represented. In this respect, the Careers Officer usually has some input into the careers events at the annual BAVS conference, as well as organising ad-hoc workshops and events in response to members’ needs.
Secondly, the Careers Officer is responsible for organising the annual Nineteenth-Century Matters Fellowship, in collaboration with an equivalent representative from BARS (British Association for Romantic Studies). This aspect of the role involves identifying host institutions/mentors, advertising the scheme via BAVS’ communication channels, short-listing applications and appointing fellows (in collaboration with the host institution).
2 x GLAM Liaisons (3-year term)
To represent BAVS’ interests in the wider community of those working specifically in archives, museums and galleries – and vice versa. To promote work and research in these areas, facilitate engagement with these resources, or develop strategies for support in these areas. To promote BAVS engagement in discussions about/within the humanities in public cultural institutions.
1 x Postgraduate Representative (2-year term)
BAVS Postgraduate Representatives are responsible for: running ‘The Victorianist’ WordPress site, which includes promoting and editing posts for the PGR blog and posting CFPs and other notices; running the BAVS Bluesky account; helping to organise the PGR/ECR professionalisation part of the annual conference; and attending and contributing to committee meetings. The PG Representatives may share some of these duties with the ECR Representatives (e.g. the PG/ECR workshops).
Those standing for the role of PG Representative are encouraged to discuss the demands of the role with their supervisor before applying.
1 x Early Career Researcher (ECR) Rep (3-year term)
Develop ECR initiatives and find ways to provide support for the ECR community with both an academic and alt-ac focus, working with the PG Representatives, the Careers Officer and the Digital and Social Media Officer on BAVS social media presence and various initiatives relevant to ECR Members, including BAVS Tea Time meetings and ECR/PGR Professionalisation events, such as at the BAVS Annual Conference, among others.
1 x Ordinary Elected Member (3-year term)
Committee members are drawn from across disciplinary backgrounds, career types (from within academia and beyond), and career stages, to represent BAVS’ members interests more widely. Duties include reviewing funding applications and participating in working groups and panels (e.g. the BAVS-Rosemary Mitchell Book Prize for a Second Monograph).