Library Web Applications Manager

Description

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Description:

Amherst College invites applications for the Library Web Applications Manager position. The Library Web Applications Manager is a full-time, 40 hour/week position. The salary for this position starts at $77,000 and is commensurate with experience. Given Amherst’s distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The Library Web Applications Manager provides leadership, coordination, and maintenance of the library’s front-end web interfaces and related digital infrastructure. Provides web user interface, user experience, and accessibility expertise to the library. Working collaboratively with a diverse group of library departments and campus partners, the Library Web Applications Manager oversees project management and ongoing support for the library website and some integrated tools and systems. The position leads the library web strategy across our platforms and oversees maintenance of library web systems. Working with the Senior Digital Library Software Developer, the position also assists in the maintenance of the library’s systems and tools supporting digital asset management, digital preservation, and library digital infrastructure. Works collaboratively with colleagues in campus IT, as well as external partners and members of the Five Colleges.

The Library Web Applications Manager helps develop, cultivate, and support a diverse workforce and student body; leads efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming environment.

The College has a remote work pilot program for which this role may be eligible.  If a candidate is selected for an interview, this remote pilot option will be discussed in detail during the interview. 

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Library website management and administration

• Conducts troubleshooting and general support for a diverse set of web content creators, including coordinating with campus IT, training staff, creating documentation, managing and tracking ongoing support issues, advocating for support as needed.

• Leads the strategy for the library web and related digital infrastructure, including leading and exploring the role of the library’s web group.

• In collaboration with the UX librarian and Electronic Resources & Discovery Librarian, assesses web content and infrastructure, designing usability tests, building roadmaps, gathering statistics, and recommending updates based on research and knowledge of usability and standards for web interfaces.

• In collaboration with other campus digital accessibility stakeholders, ensures that library web content and design meet current accessibility standards.

• In collaboration with the Electronic Resources & Discovery Librarian, coordinates integration of the library’s discovery tools with the library website.

• Collaborates with library content creators, maintainers, and stakeholders to ensure website content is accurate and updated.

• Creates and maintains complete, clear, well-written documentation on systems they oversee, both as a means of documenting system setup and for content creators where needed. Provides training and consulting support for content creators and users of web applications.

• Maintains skills and knowledge of technological developments in library digital infrastructure and web development.

Digital asset management and digital preservation

• Provides backup for the Senior Digital Library Software Developer as needed for digital asset management and repository functions such as:

  • Providing system administration, integration, and storage provisioning for library digital asset management systems, repositories and tools, ensuring data integrity across storage and data assets, and including assisting with platform migration(s) and asset ingest and maintenance.

  • Conducting maintenance, monitoring performance and security monitoring, and coordinates and/or performs updates of web, database, and ancillary services.

  • Troubleshooting and coordinating responses to bugs and other system issues.

• Provides input on front-end implementation and setup of digital asset management and repository systems

• Ensures that library digital asset management and repository systems meet usability and accessibility standards

Library digital infrastructure

• Implements, maintains, and creates policies regarding externally hosted web applications and other library digital infrastructure across multiple environments and operating platforms in support of library infrastructure needs, in collaboration with other library stakeholders. This could include digital scholarship tools, data management tools, scholarly publishing support, support for tools such as ArchivesSpace, future FOLIO integrations, document-sharing platforms used by library staff, or other digital infrastructure as needed.

• Makes recommendations for appropriate frameworks for application development and service delivery that take into account the cost of implementation, integration, support, and maintenance.

Other

• Actively participates in committees and work groups of the Library and College, as appropriate.

• Performs other duties/functions as requested.

• Actively participates in the College’s efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Qualifications

Required:

• Demonstrated experience in creating and maintaining a website in Drupal, or similar content management system.

• Demonstrated experience in designing, creating and maintaining a website from concept to product, including the iterative process of working with stakeholders and product owners, and implementing proven methods of UX (user experience) and UI (user interface) design and accessibility standards.

• Demonstrated experience in Unix operating system, particularly file management, terminal text editor applications, user management, searching through and parsing logs, etc.

• Demonstrated experience in at least one scripting language, such as PHP, JavaScript, Python, Perl and Bash.

• Experience in project management, particularly in its application to web development and  digital projects, and a demonstrated ability to manage complex projects with a variety of team members and stakeholders.

• Excellent knowledge of HTML and CSS.

• Demonstrated experience with and understanding of web accessibility compliance, practices and methodologies.

• Excellent verbal and written communication, and excellent interpersonal skills.

• Experience with the Google suite of collaboration tools (Google docs, Google sheets, etc.).

• Demonstrated skill in and commitment to documenting and maintaining documentation of web processes and/or systems, both for system documentation and for training users.

• Demonstrated commitment to effectively supporting a broadly diverse and intentionally inclusive community.

• Bachelor’s degree or 5-7 years of professional experience in an environment supporting scholarly content

Preferred:

• Experience with the following programming languages: PHP, Python, JavaScript, Perl, Ruby

• Experience developing web applications.

• Experience working in or supporting a library setting, or similar.

• Demonstrated experience designing, creating, and maintaining an academic or library website in collaboration with stakeholders

• Familiarity with digital asset management systems and/or library metadata formats (e.g. MODS, DC).

• Familiarity with Google Analytics or similar, both in creating and interpreting views.

• Demonstrated understanding of the humanities, digital scholarship, and academic environments.

• Demonstrated skill in visual design and interaction design.

• Experience in collaborative environments working with both technical and non-technical partners.

• Demonstrated system administration skills to sufficiently manage a server.

• Experience with cloud technology, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS).

• Experience using software version control, preferably Git.

• Familiarity with project management practices for overseeing software development and implementation.

• Demonstrated experience using Agile/Scrum project management methodologies and tools.

• Experience with project management tools such as Trello and Slack

• Bachelor’s degree or 5-7 years of professional experience in an environment supporting scholarly content

Amherst College requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 (medical and religious exemptions may apply).

Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for Benefits Information.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs . Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

To find information about job group and level (JGL) follow this link.