Head, Design & Discovery

Description

The University of Michigan Library seeks an experienced professional to manage and lead the newly created Design & Discovery unit within the Library Information Technology Division (LIT). Design & Discovery, composed of twelve talented and experienced designers, librarians, and developers, encompasses three essential IT service areas: LIT-wide program and service management, User experience (usability, accessibility, content, information architecture, and Front-end web application development.

The Head of Design & Discovery provides leadership for programmatic initiatives of the unit; directs management of the unit’s project and operational portfolio; and collaborates with the IT leadership team to guide the strategic direction of the division as a whole. Unit activities include coordinating strategic initiatives; designing user-centered IT service models and cross-division workflows; providing analytics-driven guidance for public discovery, access, and content systems; promoting the adoption of technology policies and standards; and coordinating IT project and resource stewardship initiatives. The unit’s service and operational portfolio includes the library web site; in-house and vendor-based cross-platform search and discovery systems; user interface frameworks; library staff business workflow and content tools; and digital exhibits. Within its design portfolio, the unit promotes user-centered design while providing leadership and expertise in User Experience (UX) strategy, user research, assessment, content creation and management, and web accessibility.