Head of Technology [Yale University, New Haven, CT]

Description

Yale University offers exciting opportunities for achievement and growth in New Haven, Connecticut. Conveniently located between Boston and New York, New Haven is the creative capital of Connecticut with cultural resources that include three major museums, a critically-acclaimed repertory theater, state-of-the-art concert hall, and world-renowned schools of Architecture, Art, Drama, and Music.

General Purpose:  Reporting to the Director of Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, the Head of Technology is a key member of the library’s senior management, responsible for providing vision, strategic direction, & administrative leadership for all aspects of Beinecke’s IT operations. The library seeks a candidate with a keen perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by research libraries in a dynamic and evolving technological landscape.

The Head is responsible for informing, advising, and facilitating Beinecke Library’s senior leadership in: establishing priorities for IT-related initiatives including investments in staff, hardware, and software; reviewing issues with existing infrastructure and software used by Beinecke including assessment of Beinecke’s return on its IT investments; assessing strategic opportunities and challenges presented by emerging technologies; understanding the implications of IT developments in the profession, at Yale, and within the University Library.

The Head of Beinecke IT will collaborate closely with the leadership and staff of the University Library’s IT department to direct efforts that design, implement, and maintain systems that support the Beinecke Library’s staff as well as the scholars and students who use the Library. The Head will develop and oversee Beinecke Library’s technological infrastructure and systems and may assist in managing aspects of the University Library’s IT infrastructure.

The Head will represent Beinecke’s IT interests within the University Library and the broader University. The Head will help develop and/or support campus-wide IT initiatives that support Beinecke Library’s broader mission.

The Head will lead a collaborative effort of Beinecke Library staff to develop annual and three-year plans to improve the Library’s IT programs and achieve the library’s strategic objectives. Immediate goals for Beinecke IT include developing tools that: enhance the efficiency of library operations; improve the library’s ability to measure and evaluate its collections and services; enrich the research experience of library patrons; make it easier and more convenient for students, scholars, and library professionals to discover and use Beinecke’s scholarly resources (including metadata) without visiting the library.

The Head will foster communication about IT across Beinecke and chair Beinecke Library’s Standing Committee on IT composed of staff with day-to-day responsibility for employing and maintaining the library’s production systems. The Head of Beinecke IT directly supervises 1.5 FTE support specialists but is also responsible for collaborating with the Director of University Library IT to deploy approximately 3,250 hours a year of University Library IT staff time to meet Beinecke’s needs. With the approval of the Director of Beinecke Library, the Head may hire and oversee outside consultants and contractors to address library needs.

Required Education and Experience:  Bachelor’s Degree in a related field and ten years of related work experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Qualifications:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to communicate complex technical solutions to non-technical stakeholders.
• Interpersonal, analytic, and project management skills including the ability to collaborate with peers across reporting lines.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of end-users.
• Experience in coordinating teams to develop and implement short and intermediate goals.
• Commitment to continuing education and innovation.

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills:

• A Masters in Library, Information or Computer Science or related field.
• Experience with technology in a research library or other organization concerned with cultural heritage and scholarly research.
• Financial management.
• Experience with an integrated library system such as Voyager or such tools as ArchivesSpace, Aeon, Fedora, Hydra, BlackLight, or Apache Solr.

Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library

The Beinecke Library is Yale’s principal repository for literary archives, early manuscripts, and rare books. One of the great collections in North America, the Beinecke collections are internationally known and heavily used by scholars from around the world. For further information about the Beinecke Library, consult the library’s web site at: http://www.library.yale.edu/beinecke.

The University and The Library

The Yale University Library, as one of the world’s leading research libraries, collects, organizes, preserves, and provides access to and services for a rich and unique record of human thought and creativity. It fosters intellectual growth and supports the teaching and research missions of Yale University and scholarly communities worldwide. A distinctive strength is its rich spectrum of resources, including around 12.8 million volumes and information in all media, ranging from ancient papyri to early printed books to electronic databases. The Library is engaging in numerous projects to expand access to its physical and digital collections. Housed in eighteen buildings including the Sterling Memorial Library, the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and the Bass Library, it employs a dynamic and diverse staff of approximately five hundred who offer innovative and flexible services to library readers. For additional information on the Yale University Library, please visit the Library’s web site at www.library.yale.edu.

Application: For more information and immediate consideration, please apply online at www.yale.edu/jobs – the STARS req ID for this position is 36655BR. Please be sure to reference this website when applying for this position.

We invite you to discover the excitement, diversity, rewards and excellence of a career at Yale University. One of the country’s great workplaces, Yale University offers exciting opportunities for meaningful accomplishment and true growth. Our benefits package is among the best anywhere, with a wide variety of insurance choices, liberal paid time off, fantastic family and educational benefits, a variety of retirement benefits, extensive recreational facilities, and much more.

Yale University considers applicants for employment without regard to, and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin; nor does Yale discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.