The University of Texas Libraries seeks a forward-thinking leader, innovative collaborator, and motivational manager for the key leadership position of Assistant Director of Research Support & Digital Initiatives (RSDI). Reporting to the Director of Academic Engagement, the AD of RSDI identifies and implements strategic directions for services and programs to support academic research across all disciplines and in multiple modalities, including reference, research consultation, teaching, liaison work, research data services, open science practices, collection development, curation, and digital scholarship. Engaging directly with faculty, students, and researchers, this position works with resourceful and creative Library staff to innovate, design, pilot, implement, promote, and assess user-focused services that respond to a rapidly changing scholarly environment in support of the Library’s mission, vision, and values.

 

The AD of RSDI leads a department consisting of four teams: Two Engagement Teams of Subject Liaison Librarians are focused on innovative research lifecycle support, digital project work and initiatives, data management planning, and related skill building. The Digital Scholarship Team provides consultation and learning opportunities associated with Digital Humanities and Digital Scholarship and oversees the Scholars Commons and Scholars Lab, physical spaces and programmatic initiatives central to facilitating and showcasing digital project work, supporting all facets of the research lifecycle, and nurturing interdisciplinary community. Research Data Services is the fourth team and they coordinate training and support for data management, GIS, the Texas Data Repository, and engagement with the UT Open Source Program Office (OSPO).

 

Responsibilities

• Oversee and coordinate research lifecycle support activities and digital initiatives, encompassing analog as well as digital project work to enhance collections and their use, via a department comprised of two teams of domain experts and two teams of subject liaisons. Manage four direct reports made up of two Engagement Team Leads, the Head of Digital Scholarship Services, and the Head of Research Data Services. Work collaboratively with UTL partners and leaders to formulate innovative approaches to engaged involvement in UT Austin’s research enterprise.
• Support Academic Engagement projects and initiatives; grow, enhance, and manage a suite of tools and services that promote sustainable and scalable research lifecycle collaboration and digital scholarship support; and facilitate departmental, AE, and UTL-wide teamwork and community in pursuit of stronger internal working relationships and collaboration; and promote AE initiatives.
• Work with Digital Scholarship and Research Data Services Team Leads, and others within UTL, to support research in its many forms, including emerging and established open scholarship methods and digital scholarship/digital humanities, managing digital exhibit proposals and various workflows for digitization and portal or repository ingest, and otherwise support scholarship, open data initiatives, and open science practices within and beyond UTL.
• Serve as a member of the UTL Leadership Council by working in a collaborative and participatory environment to shape strategic directions for the Libraries work in close collaboration with other Libraries staff, faculty, and campus partners to assess, create, and share knowledge. Contribute to general leadership initiatives. Actively partner with UTL administration, other staff, cross-functional teams, and working groups to advance Libraries strategic goals.
• Enhance individual professional skills; participate in training and staff development activities; participate in professional activities on organizational, institutional, and national levels. Maintain active contacts with colleagues in the field. Contribute to professional discussion through presentations, publications, etc.
• Other related functions as assigned.

 

Required Qualifications

• MLS/MLIS, or equivalent.
• At least five years of significant and progressively responsible management and leadership experience in an academic library.
• At least five years of relevant experience working with the research lifecycle in higher education, including experience providing research services as a liaison librarian, user/access services, instruction in libraries, academia, or similar research settings or other user-centered service initiatives in a library setting.
• Strengths in successfully establishing and maintaining effective and positive working relationships internally and externally and coordinating collaborative efforts across library departments and campus.
• Ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment, embrace organizational change, and lead departmental consensus around strategic objectives.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with a focus on diplomacy, transparency, and collaboration.
• Excellent judgment and decision-making in curating and benchmarking priority-aligned strategic goals within the realities of various team skill sets, capacities and annual workflows.
• Project management experience with strengths in strategic thinking, impeccable organizational skills, and connecting varying priorities toward a common goal.
• Ability to effectively supervise, mentor, and support professional growth among library staff.
• Ability to promote and sustain a positive and ethical workplace culture where belonging is centered and the contributions and development of all individuals are valued.

 

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with new information technologies, evolving models of scholarship, including, open access, open data, evidence synthesis, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) with the ability to articulate how these influence teaching, learning, and scholarship.
• Experience in developing and implementing strategic plans and projects.
• Knowledge of assessment techniques and trends in academic libraries.
• Grant writing and/or grant project implementation experience.
• Experience administering and assessing digital library and unique collection initiatives and/or other programs and services relevant to position responsibilities.
• Experience participating in a library fundraising and development program, engaging with new and ongoing donors, and providing stewardship information to major donors.
• Experience managing a branch library or library department.

 

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleagues develop these preferred skills.

Salary Range

$100,000 + depending on qualifications

 

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office and library conditions.
• Weekend and evening work may be occasionally required.

 

Work Shift

Monday – Friday between the hours of 7am and 6pm, as arranged with manager. Flexible Work Arrangements available.

 

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

 

During your application, you will be asked the following questions:

• How do you ensure clear, consistent, and transparent communication across different teams and the organization?
• Please describe your approach to building relationships internally and externally.
• Please tell us about your leadership strengths and management style. How has it led to developing strong teams that value different perspectives?
• Please tell us how you stay organized and ensure deadlines are met when managing multiple projects.