Director, Digital Media Commons

Description

The University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Digital Media Commons (DMC). The Director is responsible for leading an innovative sandbox focused on discovery, learning, invention, innovation, demonstration, and deployment. Through studying and experimenting with new paradigms for teaching, learning, and research, the Director and the DMC staff offer campus leadership in identifying media and educational technologies that are likely candidates to move from experimentation to enterprise services. The outcomes include resources and services enabling faculty and student to know, to do, to become, to create, and to spin-off.

The University of Michigan Library is one of the largest university library systems in the United States, holding more than 8.5 million print volumes. Each year the University Library, with locations across the Ann Arbor campus, adds the equivalent of 2 miles of new material to one of the finest and most comprehensive collections of any academic library in the world. Our library, a natural and collaborative hub for scholarship, is a platform for innovative teaching and connected, creative learning. Woven throughout our services, partnerships, spaces, and programs is a common commitment to discovery. Our librarians, technologists, and subject experts are important campus partners enabling existing approaches to learning and discovery as well as incubating new ones. Our ability to move ideas - from concept to prototype to production to launch - is a hallmark of our success; the DMC is integral to our accomplishment.

The DMC is a set of state-of-the-art multimedia programs, services, and spaces dedicated to continuously transforming and innovating learning and knowledge environments. Services include labs and studios equipped with the latest systems, software and infrastructure for exploring technology-enabled connected learning spaces, 3D virtual data visualization, and advanced creative tools for audio and video production. We enable the exploration and integration of time based media with teaching, learning, research, collaboration and creative expression. We seek a director who is a collaborative leader, with vision and character inspiring continued excellence for our learning ecosystems; a professional able to incubate ideas, balancing technological innovation with learning, teaching, and research needs. It is critical to be able to guide strategic innovation with intent to leverage new discoveries for campus.

The Library is committed to the support and encouragement of a multicultural environment and seeks candidates who can make a positive contribution in a context of ethnic and cultural diversity.

As a member of the Library's Learning and Teaching team, the Director reports to Associate University Librarian for Learning and Teaching (L&T).

Responsibilities*
- Lead programmatic initiatives for Digital Media Commons including multimedia, visualization and virtual reality, and development for new collaboration technologies.
- Partner with and contribute to the Learning and Teaching leadership team as well as other Library divisions and units.
- Serve as an intellectual leader and collaborator who inspires others to create, partner, experiment, and share. Lead and develop the DMC team of more than 20 staff.
- Apply understanding of creative and media arts and educational technologies to the strategic directions of the Library and its integration with the broader University.
- Assess and prioritize solutions in support of existing and emerging teaching and learning opportunities, enabling experimentation aligned with changing faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate student needs.
- Connect learning technology trends with evolving user behaviors and pedagogies, leveraging expertise and campus partnerships.
- Engage in active communications and collaboration with colleges and schools in the University of Michigan, other campus IT organizations and administration to develop partnerships, shared resources and common projects.
- Represent the Library in selected campus-wide activities and committees.

Required Qualifications*
- Bachelor's degree and 8 years of successful experience innovating learning and knowledge environments or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Demonstrated successful managerial experience in a creative, academic, or research setting, with an emphasis on the development of emerging digital media technologies.
- Proven programmatic leadership with ability to both articulate vision while creating infrastructure for that vision to be realized.
- Demonstrated success building and leading diverse teams in emergent learning environments.
- Demonstrated capacity for developing and sustaining relationships with faculty, staff, students, administrators, and campus partners; ability to work effectively with diverse users and staff while developing and nurturing innovation.
- Demonstrated success in budgeting, project management, and mentoring of technical and creative staff.
- Excellent oral and written communications and presentation skills.
- Thorough understanding of the changing nature of the higher education and technology environment.