Chief Technology Strategist
Harvard University
Cambridge, MA

Harvard Library provides a wide range of services to students, faculty and
researchers at Harvard as well as throughout the world. With a collection of
more than 19 million volumes, a vast collection of primary source materials, a
digital preservation repository containing more than 44 million files, and
access to more than 1 million electronic resources, e-journals, and e-books,
the Harvard University Library is the largest university library in the world.
Over the past 15 years, Harvard has developed a technical infrastructure that
incorporates digital content into libraries' collections and services. The
Harvard Library is now at a pivotal moment as it moves forward into a new
phase of managing and creating large digital collections at scale which both
improves on its past achievements and significantly expands its contributions
in new arenas, such as data curation and online learning.

  
Duties & Responsibilities:

The Chief Technology Strategist (CTS) is a new senior staff position which
reports directly to the Vice President for the Harvard Library. The CTS will
be a member of the Library Leadership Team, and will work closely with the
head of Library Technology Services (LTS). LTS is a unit of 30 staff which is
part of Harvard University Information Technology, Harvard University's
centralized IT organization. The Harvard Library is itself a new entity,
encompassing an integrated shared services element of Access Services;
Information and Technical Services; and Preservation, Conservation, and
Digital Imaging, and uniting through shared vision and policy the 73 libraries
of Harvard's 12 schools.

  
The Chief Technology Strategist will:

  * Participate in university-wide planning that aligns IT strategies and infrastructure with the broader vision of library and information services
  * Create and articulate an evolving technology strategy to support that vision
  * Identify technical solutions to realize the IT strategy
  * Track trends in development and use of information technologies, and recommend strategies that will place the Harvard Library at the forefront in its mission to be an integral part of the teaching, learning, and research programs of Harvard University.
  * Represent the library in collaborations in the University as well as with colleagues and peer institutions around the world with emphasis on open source, interoperable, and collaborative solutions
  * Provide creative leadership in helping libraries and their users adapt and thrive in an era of disruptive change
  * Provide advice and consultation to units across the University
  * Develop proposals to funding agencies to secure support for library technological innovations
Reflecting President Drew Faust's vision of "One Harvard", in which the rich
diversity of its component schools work together to achieve more than the sum
of its parts, the Harvard Library is becoming "One Library". Emerging
technologies are playing a major role in changing the ways in which
scholarship is pursued and transforming teaching and learning. The Chief
Technology Strategist will contribute to the development of Harvard Library's
services in online learning; data curation; Open Access; digitization of
collection; use of social media; new learning spaces which support
collaboration, experimentation, and creative expression; and its partnerships
with faculty and others in research projects. Harvard Library is a member of
the Coalition for Networked Information (CNI), Hathi Trust, National Digital
Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) and Digital Preservation Network (DPN) and other
organizations in which technological advances are integral to discussion and
development.

  
Basic Qualifications:

  * Master's degree in computer science or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience required
  * Ten or more years of system architect experience and/or technical leadership in life-cycle development of large systems
  * Experience with complex computer systems including network architectures, systems administration, software applications, and the development and programming of scalable, reliable production systems and large scale information systems
  * Knowledge of key trends in digital libraries including ability to successfully evaluate emerging technologies and articulate their relevance to library systems
Additional Qualifications:

  * Proven ability to lead complex and cross-organizational projects and effectively communicate, persuade, and document architecture and technical design to a diverse community of stakeholders and audiences
  * Sophisticated understanding of how information is organized, accessed, and used to support the academic and research missions of the university
  * Demonstrated expertise in existing and emergent digital content and storage management standards and technologies
  * Demonstrated ability to function successfully in a matrix environment



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