Digital Humanities Consultant

Description

The Digital Humanities Consultant works with and advises faculty, students, and staff on scholarly digital projects; tests applications and tools as part of project work and service development; and creates and delivers instruction in digital humanities methods, tools, and trends, which includes supervision and mentoring of students. Work also involves consulting and collaborating with Libraries, IT, and academic support staff on developing technical solutions and best-practices guidance for research, teaching, and publishing projects within digital humanities.

Please join us to learn more about the position and ask questions.  We are offering an information session over Zoom where we will share more information about the university, our library, and the Digital Humanities Consultant position. No registration is needed - just click the link at the listed date and time.  This is in Eastern Standard Time. Participation is anonymous, attendee names only seen by panelists.

Friday, May 17, 1:00PM ET:  https://duke.zoom.us/j/95556376053

Responsibilities

Consultation (40%)

·       Serves as a central point of contact for digital humanities projects across the university, to help advise on or refer questions related to digital project development, management, sustainability, and access.

·       Consults with faculty, students, staff, and project teams to provide project definition and analysis and advise on development (e.g., project scope, requirements and specifications, and project design; workflows; technology selection; accessibility and sustainability).

·       Acts as the liaison to faculty, students, and staff in resolving technical issues with digital projects, from identifying and facilitating infrastructural support (e.g., server space; equipment) to diagnosing and referring issues to other technical support units as appropriate.

·       Advises on digital humanities grant applications.

·       Collaborates with other technology groups on campus to ensure that technologies used fit within overall Duke technology infrastructure; helps plan for new infrastructure needs.

·       Works with Library staff, academic departments, and technology service providers throughout the University on projects to explore new hardware and software tools, and to advocate needs and obtain resources for faculty and students that are appropriate for their academic disciplines.

Training & Instruction (30%)

·       Trains, supervises, and mentors graduate student interns working on digital humanities projects.

·       Coordinates, develops, and organizes events and programs such as workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and training series to inform Duke community on trends in digital humanities, methods for effective use of technologies, and use of specialized tools.

·       Creates and delivers multimodal tutorials for live and online presentation.

·       Collaborates with instructors to design and support course projects that incorporate digital topics, tools, and methods.

·       Provides individual and small-group instruction as needed for Duke community, to support their understanding and appropriate use of digital tools and practices.

Research & Publishing Support (25%)

·       Provides technological support for digital humanities and innovative publishing projects as part of research, instruction, or publishing. Support may include testing or integrating tools or developing prototypes in order to address needs related to digital content creation, content storage, content discovery, text analysis, data visualization, and the manipulation and/or analysis of digital media.

·       Actively learns and evaluates digital scholarship tools, platforms, and methods in order to translate technical knowledge into instruction and help researchers understand the relationship between scholarly aims and technological choices in their work.

·       Recommends technology for use in digital projects and assists faculty, students, and staff with integrating and using this technology.

Other (5%)

·       Displays continuing growth in professional and subject knowledge and takes an active interest in the profession. Growth and interest are demonstrated through continuing development of professional knowledge and abilities, membership and participation in professional organizations, and service to the library, University, or community in a professional capacity.

·       Reviews professional literature; participates in mailing lists, discussion groups, and other online forums to stay abreast of new methodologies and practices relevant to digital humanities; and continually improves knowledge of scholarly research, teaching, and publishing practices and the technologies that support them.

·       Participates in Library and University committees and work groups as relevant to goals and interests.

·       Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

·       This position may occasionally supervise and train practicum students and graduate assistants.

Qualifications

It is the expectation that all Duke University Libraries staff members will demonstrate exceptional workplace behaviors in the execution of their specific position responsibilities. These behaviors are customer focus, collaboration, creative problem solving, continuous learning and a commitment to diversity.  

Education

Required: Master’s degree in relevant subject area; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred: Master’s degree in humanities, computer science, or information science.

Experience

Required: 

·       A minimum of three years’ experience in using technology in humanities scholarship, and a demonstrated keen understanding of current projects and trends in the digital humanities. 

·       Demonstrated proficiency in one or more of the following areas: multimedia authorship, graphic design, web development, digital audio and video production, digital mapping and GIS, 3D modeling, database development, or game design.

·       Demonstrated success in teaching, advising, and presenting on digital scholarship methods and tools for different audiences.

·       Demonstrated ability to manage projects and complete them according to schedule, outcomes and budget.

·       Familiarity with one or more general-purpose languages (such as Python), interacting with data storage systems (such as SQL, NoSQL, or graph databases), and using the Unix/Linux command line.

·       Familiarity with tools and approaches to reducing environmental impacts and increasing accessibility of digital scholarship.

·       Experience working with faculty, students, and staff in an academic setting.

·       Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills.

·       Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.

Preferred: 

·       Experience successfully supervising undergraduate and/or graduate students.

·       Demonstrated proficiency in several of the following areas: multimedia authorship, graphic design, web development, digital audio and video production, digital mapping and GIS, 3D modeling, database development, or game design.

·       Knowledge of workflows for producing digital media, such as audio and video, and integrating into web-based applications or collaboration platforms (e.g., databases, geoservers).

·       Experience using interoperability affordances such as APIs to integrate or query various data sources (e.g. databases, geoservers, social media platforms).

·       Demonstrated competence programming with one or more general-purpose languages (such as Python), interacting with data storage systems (such as SQL, NoSQL, or graph databases), and using the Unix/Linux command line.

·       Evidence of ability to generate faculty enthusiasm for and engagement in the use of new technologies in research and teaching.

·       Record of innovation and creativity in identifying and applying technological solutions to research and teaching needs.

·       A successful record of managing digital projects, both independently and as part of a team, from conception through implementation and documentation.

·       Strong record of writing tutorials and documentation.

Working Conditions

·      Normal office environment

·      Must be able to work in an environment in which exposure to materials containing dust and mold is possible

·      Occasional travel required

These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the employee in this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of a person in this position. This description is subject to change at any time.

Salary and Benefits

Salary and rank dependent on qualifications and experience; the anticipated range is $75,000-$85,000. Comprehensive benefits package includes 20 days vacation, 14 holidays, 12 days sick leave; health, dental, disability and life insurance and support for professional development and training.

Environment

Since its founding in 1924, Duke University has grown into one of the most prestigious private universities in the world and its medical center ranks annually among the top in the nation. The Duke University Libraries are the shared center of the university's intellectual life, connecting people and ideas. The Libraries consist of the Perkins Library, Bostock Library, Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Lilly Library, and Music Library, and the library at the Duke Marine Laboratory in Beaufort. Duke's library holdings of 6.2 million volumes are among the largest of private universities in the United States. 

Duke is a diverse community committed to the principles of excellence, fairness, and respect for all people. We recognize that the workplace only truly flourishes with an active presence of different backgrounds and unique abilities. We value the unseen perspective, the unheard voice, and the unnoticed ideas. We hope to give a platform of growth and connection, where employees can be free to produce new ways of thinking to promote inclusion and respect for all. Duke University Libraries encourages an environment where shared goals are reached by exceptional individuals.             

Duke's hometown is Durham, North Carolina, a city with vibrant research, medical and arts communities, and numerous shops, restaurants and theaters. Durham is located in the Research Triangle, a growing metropolitan area of more than one million people that provides a wide range of cultural, recreational and educational opportunities. The Triangle is conveniently located just a few hours from the mountains and the coast, offers a moderate climate, and has been ranked among the best places to live and to do business.

Duke offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes both traditional benefits such as health insurance, leave time and retirement, as well as wide ranging work/life and cultural benefits. Details can be found at:  http://www.hr.duke.edu/benefits/index.php.

Application

Cover letter, detailed resume and the names, addresses (mailing and e-mail), and telephone numbers of three references should be submitted to https://academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/27563 . Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Applications which are missing any of the components listed above will not be reviewed.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Duke University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual’s age, color, disability, genetic information, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. The Duke University Libraries have a strong commitment to Affirmative Action and is actively seeking to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of our staff.