Consortial Technologies and Partnerships Position

Description

About SCELC: SCELC empowers librarians working in private nonprofit academic and research libraries to collaborate on access to and the effective use of electronic and physical library resources and services. Our mission, vision, and values embody access, collaboration, innovation, integrity, partnership, responsiveness, and transparency. Examining issues of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility will shape all aspects of how SCELC staff approach their work with SCELC and wider community.

About the position: The Consortial Technologies and Partnerships (Manager III or Assistant Director) plays a pivotal role in overseeing and managing programs and systems to enable resource sharing, shared print collections, and digital collections for SCELC member libraries. Additionally, the role manages internal technology needs for SCELC staff.

This position requires a dynamic and forward-thinking individual who embraces change management and strives to standardize service level agreements across the consortium. The Consortial Technologies and Partnerships position will collaborate with member libraries to ensure sustainable, efficient and effective use of shared resources, promoting innovation and excellence in library services. In collaboration with the Executive Director and Director of Strategic Library Services and Communications, the Consortial Technologies and Partnerships position identifies and supports strategic efforts for library technology innovation. Examining issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will shape all aspects of how the Consortial Technologies and Partnerships position approaches work with the SCELC community and beyond.

Team: Reporting to the Director of Strategic Library Services and Communications, the Consortial Technologies and Partnerships position assists SCELC in developing strategic, resilient, and scalable solutions for our member libraries. The position also works closely with the entire SCELC team by supporting their internal technology needs.

Projects: This position will play a critical role in several strategic initiatives starting with the selection and implementation of a new service desk solution for SCELC, featuring a knowledge base and ticketing system.

Responsibilities You’ll Have

Resource Sharing, Shared Print Collections, and Digital Collections

• Systems Management and Coordination: Oversee the development, implementation, and management of SCELC technology services across SCELC member libraries
• Innovation: Explore and integrate new technologies and methodologies to enhance user experience and support the transformative role of SCELC libraries
• Optimization: Enhance and optimize systems and processes to improve efficiency, sustainability, and user satisfaction
• Training and Support: Provide training and ongoing support to member libraries on platforms and best practices
• Collaboration and Community: Work with member libraries to develop a community of practice to ensure SCELC technology services meet community needs and expectations
• Policy Formation: Establish and maintain governance structures, documentation, and policies and procedures for systems management
• Strategy: Develop and implement strategies to support the expansion of services to new libraries
• Vendor Relations: Manage relationships with technology vendors, ensuring compliance with service level agreements and optimizing vendor performance

Internal Technology Needs

• SCELC IT: Support the implementation and maintenance of internal consortial systems and technologies, including Google Workspace, a CRM, service desk, and knowledge base platform
• Support and Troubleshooting: Provide technical support and troubleshooting to consortia staff for internal systems, hardware, and technology-related issues

Benefits & Wellness Options

SCELC’s current work environment is primarily remote, with 60-95% of employee work performed virtual, with some flexibility at the employer’s discretion. SCELC has a 40-hour work week. Employees accrue 20 days of vacation per year and 12 days of sick leave.

SCELC offers employment in the states of California, Washington, and Illinois. Residency in any other states will be subject to approval of SCELC's Executive Director. Please inquire.

Minimum expected salary is $80,000 or $85,000 depending on experience (Manager III or Assistant Director). SCELC’s current benefits package includes multiple options for individual medical plans, with generous employee-sponsored premiums for employees and their dependents. Currently dental and vision plans are also provided, along with life insurance and long-term disability insurance. SCELC contributes to the retirement plan (403b) at an additional 8% of an employee’s salary per annum.

Please apply online. We are looking to fill this position as soon as possible, with initial review of applicants to begin on September 27, 2024. 

Mission Statement

SCELC creates sustainable and tailored opportunities that serve our libraries today and in the future.

We are committed to creating and supporting an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist workforce and sustaining an environment that is welcoming to all. SCELC provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected classification. Equal employment opportunity includes, but is not limited to, hiring, benefits, training, promotion, demotion, transfer, leaves of absence, and termination. The Company takes allegations of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation seriously, and will promptly investigate when such behavior is reported. SCELC encourages everyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. Contact Teri Gallaway at [email protected] with any questions.

Requirements

Qualifications You’ll Bring

• Master’s degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) or equivalent from an ALA-accredited program
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in a library systems or technology role
• Proficiency in managing library systems and technologies in a consortial or multi-library environment, including ILS, digital repositories, controlled digital lending (CDL) and resource sharing platforms
• Strong project management skills
• Working knowledge of programming languages and tools appropriate to the management of library systems
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders including significant experience in the design and delivery of online training and documentation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to addressing challenges, optimizing processes and incorporating stakeholder feedback to improve systems
• Enthusiasm for embracing new technologies and methodologies to enhance library services and user experience
• Demonstrated ability to lead change management initiatives and standardize processes across diverse institutions
• Demonstrated experience with developing and standardizing service level agreements (SLAs) for consortial services, ensuring clear expectations and accountability
• Experience with regularly reviewing systems and performance metrics to create reports on program effectiveness

Desired Experience & Skills you may have

• Experience managing library services platforms such as Ex Libris Alma/Primo, OCLC WMS, or FOLIO and familiarity with ILL and authentication systems like ILLiad, Tipasa, Worldshare, EZProxy, Shibboleth, SAML, or OpenAthens
• Proficiency in programming languages and scripting environments including Perl, Python, Ruby, Shell scripting, Java, R, PHP, JavaScript, SQL, HTML, CSS, JSON, XSL, and XML
• Demonstrated knowledge of current trends and issues in library systems, including AI and large language models (LLMs) in a higher education context
• Experience with data visualization, data cleaning, and familiarity with library metadata schema including MARC, RDA, as well as awareness of linked data models
• Previous work in an academic library setting and/or previous work in a small team-based organization