Head of Digital Strategies and Services for Archives and Special Collections

Description

Although this position will remain posted until filled, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by the end of the day on Friday, October 18th.  

Harvard Library seeks a dynamic and innovative leader to serve as the Head of Digital Strategies and Services within Technical Services for Archives and Special Collections (TSASC), a recently formed department that brings together staff from Harvard University Archives and Houghton Library. This newly created role will play a key part in shaping and executing an emerging vision for TSASC to advance open knowledge and strengthen user engagement through digital initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity to build a team, craft and implement a vision, and collaborate across Harvard Library to support a user-focused approach to access and discovery for archives and special collections.  

Reporting to the Director of Technical Services for Archives and Special Collections, the Head of Digital Strategies and Services will lead a team dedicated to digitization, stewardship of born-digital content, and metadata and systems support for stakeholders in Harvard University Archives and Houghton Library. The Head will help create collaborative culture and communities of practice across Harvard Library’s AASC portfolio, which consists of the Fine Arts Library, Harvard Film Archive, Harvard University Archives, Houghton Library, and Loeb Music Library. The incumbent will contribute to strategic efforts to enhance discovery of and access to archives and special collections, including University records, through new digital platforms and services. They will lead efforts to enhance capacity for born-digital stewardship; oversee programmatic and patron-driven digitization; and work to enhance interoperability, accessibility, and usability within our systems infrastructure. The Head will lead the team in innovative ways of doing work and experimentation with innovative technologies while balancing environmental impact, sustainability, and total costs of stewardship for digital content.

Position Description

• Lead and manage a team consisting of 7 FTE; oversee day-to-day operations of unit including a free scanning program, programmatic and project digitization, stewardship of born-digital content, metadata consultation services including automation, batch edits, reporting, and standards compliance, as well as service ownership for existing and emerging systems supporting archives and special collections 

• Through partnerships across Harvard Library develop and implement a comprehensive digital strategy and roadmap for Technical Services for Archives and Special Collections 

• Collaborate with stakeholders within AASC and across Harvard Library to create and align methods of prioritization for services within a newly reorganized structure; communicate regularly with stakeholders the unit’s work and status on projects 

• Oversee programmatic and user-driven digitization initiatives to enhance access to archives and special collections for a global audience, with a focus on Harvard Library’s initiatives to highlight narratives from diverse perspectives and underrepresented groups 

• Establish scalable infrastructure and capacity to steward born-digital content with a focus on providing mediated and un-mediated access in physical and virtual reading room environments 

• Partner with colleagues across Harvard Library to help reimagine and implement an interoperable environment for access and discovery systems that are easy to use for both staff and researchers 

• Participate in Harvard Library working groups and national professional organizations, staying abreast of emerging trends, standards, and best practices

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Library Science, Archives Management, or a related field 

• 5 or more years’ professional experience with digital projects, collections, or services 

• 2 or more years’ experience managing and supporting staff

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Demonstrated success developing and implementing strategies and workflows in a complex environment with many stakeholders and numerous competing priorities 

• Expertise in library and archives metadata standards, systems interoperability, born-digital stewardship, and/or user experience design 

• Passion for enabling access to cultural heritage collections through emerging technologies, balancing innovation with sustainability and long-term costs of stewardship 

• Strong project management experience, written and verbal communication, and leadership skills 

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, belonging and anti-racism 

• Demonstrated discretion in handling confidential information 

• Capacity to thrive in an environment of change

Physical Requirements

Frequently moves boxes weighing up to 20 pounds across the library for various needs.

Working Conditions

• May interact with collections that may contain dust, mold, or other contaminants.

• Hybrid position. The position is based on site in Cambridge, MA. There may be the opportunity for a hybrid work model compliant with Harvard University policies. 

• Work location is responsive and subject to change based on business needs. Requests for flexibility will be considered consistent with Harvard University flexwork policies.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.

• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.

• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.

• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.

• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.

• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.

• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.

• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.

• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Across the Harvard Library, our work is enriched by our diverse campus community. Our unique and wide-ranging abilities, experiences, and perspectives are integral to achieving Harvard University’s mission of excellence in research, teaching, and learning for our patrons, our collections, and our workplace. We believe that an inclusive environment that cultivates and promotes understanding, respect, and collaboration across our diverse workforce enables our success. 
 
We invite individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and abilities to be a part of our community of over 700 staff members. Our work with faculty, students and researchers to explore answers to intellectual questions, enduring and new, and to seek solutions to the world’s most consequential problems, requires that we not only reflect, but also champion our diverse society. 
 
Harvard Library inspires collaboration, reflection, experimentation, and discovery connecting users to related disciplines and to University-wide teaching resources. The Library engages users through curated discovery, digital collections, reimagined physical space, and specialized research support.  Today, Harvard Library’s holdings range from traditional print collections to rapidly expanding access to digital resources. Harvard Library provides the University's faculty, students, and researchers—now and in the future—with exceptional experiences and comprehensive access to these materials. 
 
Learn more about our contributions to the academic enterprise by visiting us at http://library.harvard.edu and about the Harvard University community at http://hr.harvard.edu/why-harvard.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.