Assistant or Associate Dean for Operations and Strategy

Description

Another Source’s client, The Claremont Colleges Library is recruiting an Associate Dean of Operations and Strategy to join their team on-site in Claremont, CA. This is a great opportunity to join the Library—the principal academic support unit of the highly respected Claremont Colleges Services--in a unique role that will make an impact across seven prestigious campuses.   

Here’s a little about the Claremont Colleges and the position they are recruiting for:  

The Claremont Colleges includes five undergraduate liberal arts colleges and two graduate institutions: Pomona College, Claremont Graduate University, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pitzer College and Keck Graduate Institute. Located on contiguous campuses in the Southern California city of Claremont, each institution has its own student body, faculty, governance, curricular emphasis, culture, and mission. Intercollegiate cooperation provides university-scale services and facilities. 

The Claremont Colleges Library partners with faculty, students, and staff to provide content and services in support of all forms of intellectual engagement and inquiry across The Claremont Colleges consortium. We are focused on creating a dynamic, equitable and welcoming presence for our users, honoring the diverse voices–and varied lived experiences–of our community and constituencies.  We have a strong regional and national presence as a member institution of the Oberlin Group of Libraries, the Greater Western Library Alliance, the Center for Research Libraries, the HathiTrust and SCELC. 

Learn more about the The Claremont Colleges Library. 

What you can expect to be doing: 

As the Associate Dean for Operations and Strategy you will engage in a broad range of senior administrative leadership, strategic and management functions that support The Claremont Colleges Library: A vibrant, innovative and inclusive center for research, teaching, learning, and scholarship serving students, faculty and staff of The Claremont Colleges (TCC) as part of The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS). 

You will bring a deep understanding of the major challenges and trends facing academic libraries today, including rapid changes in: technology and scholarly communication; information literacy and instructional methodologies; collection management and the delivery of analog and digital information; data curation and digital scholarship; creative and efficient use of physical spaces; budget assessment and proof of ROI; issues of open access and diversity, equity, and inclusion; staff retention and succession planning; organizational theory and practice; and the academic library’s role as a campus partner and facilitator of student well-being. The position requires a capacity to thrive, communicate and respond effectively to the changing, and individual, needs of a unique consortium of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. 

You will have the opportunity to demonstrate managerial experience—including a leadership role in the management of financial, human, and physical resources in a complex academic or research library setting. Serving as a member of the Library’s senior Library Leadership Team (LLT) this position will need to demonstrate the ability to be a team collaborator and communicator throughout the organization. In addition, part of the position’s portfolio will be focused on working with the Dean on assessment of services to the Claremont Colleges community. You will oversee two direct reports, Library Building Coordinator and Library Technology Coordinator.  

The anticipated yearly salary range for this position is: $135,000- 145,000 based on experience. 

How you will be spending your time: 

Functional Oversight 

Assists the Dean in the management and oversight of Library operations. 
Coordinates the collection of internal and external data necessary for Library planning and the assessment of Library services, programs and projects. 
Advocates for Library initiatives, services, and partnerships by developing strong relationships with TCC/TCCS constituencies. 
Has a front-line role in communicating the Library’s policies, guidelines, and procedures. 
Carries out special projects for the Dean as requested (e.g., scenario-planning). 
Assists the Dean in strategic planning, in collaboration with other members of the senior Library Leadership Team (LLT) and other TCC/TCCS constituencies. 
Serves on the Faculty Library Advisory Committee (FLAC) and other Library and TCCS committees as needed. 
Leads and supervises staff in the absence of the Dean. 
Anticipates and responds to environmental changes and keeps abreast of trends that impact higher education and the library profession to ensure that the Library achieves its goals. 
 

Library Operations Budget 

In consultation with the Dean, leads the operations budget preparation for the Library. 
Organizes, provides guidance for and communicates about LLT’s divisional allocations within the Library’s operations budget. 
In collaboration with the TCCS Budget & Analytics department, tracks all expenses for the operations budget and advises the Dean on fiscal matters. 
Works with the Senior Director of Collections, Metadata and Resource Sharing, to keep abreast of the Library’s materials budget. 
Prepares spreadsheets and other materials for the Dean to present to TCC/TCCS constituencies. 
Upon request of the Dean, conducts outreach regarding operations budget to TCC/TCCS constituencies.  
  

Library Facilities, Technology and Access 

Serves as primary point person for, and communicator about, Library facilities maintenance and projects including on-site Library technology and classroom audiovisual services. 
Works closely with TCCS Central Facilities Services, and, as needed, with TCCS Campus Safety, to ensure that the Library building is a welcoming and functional space for staff and patrons. 
Assesses Library access points and ability of patrons to navigate the Library’s Honnold and Mudd buildings. 
Collaborates with the Dean, LLT and other TCC/TCCS stakeholders on strategic planning for the Library’s teaching, learning, study and workspaces. 
Collaborates with Library and TCC/TCCS stakeholders on the Library’s technology-related projects. 
 

Organizational Strategy and Assessment 

Creates and oversees the development, collection, and evaluation of metrics designed to evaluate the Library’s strategic initiatives and the Library’s ROI to the colleges.  
Provides leadership and coordinates the collection of internal and external data necessary for Library planning and the assessment of Library services, programs and projects. 
Leads the Library’s statistical gathering and reporting processes for internal tracking (e.g., dashboards), submission to professional organizations and programs (e.g., ACRL, IPEDS), and accreditation activities within the Library at the colleges. 
Collaborates with the Dean to organize the Library’s strategic planning efforts and communicate about the Library’s goal-setting and strategic planning efforts to constituencies within TCC/TCCS. 
In collaboration with the Dean and LLT, facilitates the development of divisional goals, objectives and processes. 
 

Supervisory Responsibility 

Train, evaluate, and develop staff. 
Clearly communicate job requirements and expectations. 
Coordinate training and resources to support the performance of work duties. 
Provide ongoing coaching that is balanced, helpful, timely, and contributes to a work environment of open communication, ownership of duties, and trust. 
Complete annual written performance reviews. 
 

Required Qualifications:  

ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS (Library Sciences Masters Program) or equivalent graduate degree. 
Minimum of five years of experience in an academic library, research library or other academically-focused organization and demonstrated evidence of a progressively increasing scope of responsibility. 
Demonstrated experience in budget preparation including the creation of financial reports, summaries and spreadsheets 
Experience in organizational development and programmatic assessment and evaluation 
Experience in strategic and facilities planning, including public-facing technology 
Proficiency with supervising others, including organizing workloads, delegating responsibility, providing guidance and direction, monitoring and evaluating performance, and coaching 
Involvement in managing change in complex environments 
Experience with outreach to academic faculty and academic program leaders 
 

What’s in it for you: 

The Claremont Colleges offers a comprehensive benefits package for fulltime staff. Learn more about the benefits here: https://services.claremont.edu/benefits-administration/benefit-plan-information/  

Notices 

Disclaimer: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position. When duties and responsibilities change, The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) will review this job description and make changes of business necessity. TCCS reserves the right to modify job duties or assign additional duties as needed.  

ADA & OSHA: This job description defines the essential job duties of this position. TCCS expects that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others. It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  

Equal Employment Opportunity and Non-Discrimination: 

TCCS makes employment decisions on the basis of merit, with the aim of having the best available person in every job. TCCS prohibits discrimination based on all characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance or regulation. TCCS also prohibits discrimination based on the perception that anyone has any of these characteristics or is associated with a person who has or is perceived as having any of these characteristics. 

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis.  We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. Veterans, women, people of color, LGBTQIA+, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.    

Requirements

Required Qualifications:  

ALA-accredited MLS/MLIS (Library Sciences Masters Program) or equivalent graduate degree. 
Minimum of five years of experience in an academic library, research library or other academically-focused organization and demonstrated evidence of a progressively increasing scope of responsibility. 
Demonstrated experience in budget preparation including the creation of financial reports, summaries and spreadsheets 
Experience in organizational development and programmatic assessment and evaluation 
Experience in strategic and facilities planning, including public-facing technology 
Proficiency with supervising others, including organizing workloads, delegating responsibility, providing guidance and direction, monitoring and evaluating performance, and coaching 
Involvement in managing change in complex environments 
Experience with outreach to academic faculty and academic program leaders