Alma Platform Manager /Alma System Administrator

Description

Job Title: Library Systems Engineer (Alma & Data Workflows)

Employment Type: Full-Time with benefits
Customer Agency: Library of Congress (LOC) – National Agricultural Library (NAL), U.S. Department of Agriculture
Work Location: TBD (Will discuss during our call)
Place of Performance: TBD (Will discuss during our call)
Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the United States.
Security Requirement: Candidates must comply with Library of Congress federal records handling requirements and complete required LOC records management training.

 Position Overview

• Library Systems Engineer (Alma & Data Workflows) will support the Library of Congress FEDLINK Program on behalf of the National Agricultural Library (NAL), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• NAL relies on the Ex Libris-Alma Library Services Platform (LSP) for cataloging, metadata management, acquisitions, indexing, and downstream integration of workflows. Several mission-critical data pipelines — particularly those supporting indexing QA/QC, AGRICOLA (Agricultural Online Access) production, and cross-system synchronization — are implemented in Python. The Alma Platform Manager will provide a hybrid capability combining Alma Systems Administration with development and maintenance of NAL-designed Python workflows.

• The candidate will operate under the authority of NAL's Change Control Board (CCB) Charter and will support NAL's transition to Agile working practices for library systems work. The candidate will coordinate closely with NAL's Data Production Division, Information Technology Services Division, acquisitions and metadata teams, and external vendors, while NAL retains final authority over all policies, program requirements, security requirements, government business processes, and acceptance of deliverables.  

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Configure, manage, secure, and maintain Alma system components, roles, permissions, profiles, integrations, normalization rules, and authentication/SSO behavior; review audit logs.

• Monitor all Alma jobs and resolve workflow disruptions across ingest, indexing, publishing, and preservation flows.

• Execute the full change lifecycle under the CCB Charter: pre-change impact analysis, sandbox/freeze-window testing, deployment planning and execution, post-deployment verification, and rollback execution.

• Support incident reporting and emergency change protocol participation.

• Maintain and enhance Python pipelines supporting automated ingest, transformation, indexing, synchronization, error handling, and secure credential management.

• Support data governance for bibliographic/holding/item changes initiated by automation, including log retention and cross-system reconciliation.

• Provide system-level expertise during sprint planning, backlog refinement, and retrospectives, ensuring work affecting Alma or automation pipelines is entered into the CCB process.

• Coordinate with the CCB Project Manager and Systems Librarian to align sprint commitments with the Change Request Log and deployment windows.

• Maintain dashboards, job-monitoring artifacts, and operational continuity readiness; ensure backups exist and recovery procedures are tested.

• Maintain the CCB release calendar, including freeze periods and Ex Libris release windows, with 30- and 7-day advance notifications.

• Prepare required deliverables: Monthly Status Report, Required Metrics Report, Issue Resolution and Change Request Log, Operational Metrics Report, and Release Notes for CCB-approved changes.

Required Qualifications

• Experience administering the Ex Libris Alma LSP, including roles, permissions, metadata configuration, job monitoring, and troubleshooting.

• Experience with Python-based workflow automation, ingestion/transformation scripts, and integrations with external systems.

• Experience diagnosing data flow, indexing, and schema issues in relational or cloud databases.

• Experience participating in Agile/Scrum teams, including planning, standups, retrospectives, and work decomposition.

• Experience applying governance artifacts such as change control processes, change lifecycle documentation, and freeze/sandbox requirements. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting Federal Government library or cataloging projects.
• Familiarity with Library of Congress cataloging practices.
• Experience supporting the National Library Service (NLS) or accessible library services.
• Knowledge of NLS-specific MARC tagging conventions.
• Familiarity with accessible media production workflows.
• Experience cataloging large-scale audiobook collections.
• Working knowledge of metadata quality assurance and validation processes.
• Experience preparing production reports and project status documentation.
• Experience working under Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contracts or production-based delivery models.
• Familiarity with RDA cataloging standards.

• Knowledge of BIBFRAME concepts and modern library metadata practices.

Knowledge and Skills Required:

• Familiarity with metadata standards (e.g., MARC21, Dublin Core, RDA, MODS, and other schemas).

• Strong understanding of Alma's metadata tooling ecosystem (normalization rules, templates, mapping tables).

• Ability to translate governance requirements into compliant system configurations.

• Ability to diagnose cross-system issues involving metadata, upstream ingest scripts, indexing behavior, or downstream preservation syncs.

• Ability to write clear documentation in approved repositories (e.g., Confluence).

• Ability to collaborate across agency divisions, teams, and external vendors.

• Ability to maintain security controls, log auditing, and credential handling for integrations.

• Familiarity with configuration management, version control, and configuration-drift detection/remediation.

 Educational Qualification:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Information Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Library/Information Science, or a related technical field — required. 

Additional Requirements

• Periodic onsite presence required for mandatory agency meetings, training sessions, or other activities requiring physical presence (NAL will endeavor to provide a minimum of 14 days' notice; shorter notice is possible in exceptional circumstances). 

Please complete the questionnaire below. The information provided will be used to assess your qualifications and share your profile with the hiring team for consideration and next-step decisions.

Full Name (First, Middle, Last):

1. Ex Libris Alma Administration Experience

Please describe your hands-on experience administering the Ex Libris Alma Library Services Platform (LSP), including roles and permissions management, metadata configuration, integrations, job monitoring, troubleshooting, and system administration. Please indicate the approximate number of years of experience.

2. Python Workflow Automation

Please describe your experience developing, maintaining, or supporting Python-based workflow automation, including data ingestion, transformation, indexing, synchronization, API integrations, and automated library workflows. Please indicate the approximate number of years of experience.

3. Data Flow & Database Troubleshooting

Please describe your experience diagnosing and resolving data flow, indexing, schema, or integration issues within relational or cloud-based databases. Please include the technologies/platforms used and approximate years of experience.

4. Agile/Scrum Experience

Please describe your experience working within Agile/Scrum environments, including sprint planning, backlog refinement, daily standups, retrospectives, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

5. Change Management & Governance

Please describe your experience working under formal change control and governance processes, including impact assessments, testing, deployment planning, release management, rollback procedures, and change documentation.

6. Metadata Standards Experience

Please describe your experience working with library metadata standards such as MARC21, Dublin Core, RDA, MODS, BIBFRAME, or related schemas. Please indicate which standards you have used and your level of expertise.

7. Federal Library Experience

Have you supported a Federal Government library, cataloging, or library systems project as an employee or contractor? If yes, please identify the agency and provide a brief description of your role and duration.

8. Education

Please provide your highest educational qualification, including degree, field of study, institution, and graduation year. This position requires a Bachelor's degree or higher in Information Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Library & Information Science, or a related field.

9. Onsite Requirement

Current Location:

This position may require periodic onsite attendance with advance notice. Please confirm your ability to support onsite requirements when required.

10. U.S. Work Authorization

Please describe your current authorization to work in the United States.

11. Security / Background Screening

Please confirm your ability to complete any required federal background investigation, suitability determination, or security screening associated with this position.

12. Availability & Compensation

• Earliest Available Start Date:

• Desired Annual Salary:

13. Career Goals / Reason for Job Search:

Please describe briefly your reason for leaving your most recent position.