Job Summary
The MIT Libraries are on an exciting journey of transformation, prioritizing a digital-first, open scholarship agenda that accelerates the progress of science, promotes equity and inclusion across disciplines, and reduces the marginalization of scholars and scholarship from disadvantaged communities. We are exercising bold leadership in defining a model for research libraries in an unpredictable future. If you are excited about being part of a team that is implementing new approaches and systems with an equity lens in service to a great university, we’d be thrilled to talk with you.
Reporting to the Associate Director for Collections, the department head for Scholarly Communications & Collections Strategy leads services and staff in transforming models of scholarly publishing in ways that increase the impact and reach of research and scholarship and that promote open, equitable, and sustainable publishing and access models. The Scholarly Communications & Collections Strategy department coordinates overall collection management strategy for the Libraries’ general collections, as well as vendor negotiations and repository services. In enacting collection management strategy, the head of SCCS leads our pursuit of business models and contract terms that meet MIT values, which include allowing for computational access, generous reuse rights, user privacy protections, and forwarding the principles of the MIT Framework for Publisher Contracts adopted jointly by the Libraries and the Faculty Committee for the Library System in 2019. In addition to operationalizing this open scholarship agenda, the next head for Scholarly Communications & Collections Strategy will actively encourage the acceleration to digital-first collection building, advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the collections, strategize with colleagues across the Libraries to focus our physical collections on the essential core — a portfolio of exceptional quality and singular relevance to MIT research and teaching — and lead the development of new collecting strategies to support data-intensive and computational research and learning.
Core responsibilities include:
• Leading collections strategy in support of MIT needs, implementing data-informed models that align collections investments with the evolving research, teaching, and scholarly communication aspirations of the Libraries and the Institute.
• Advancing scholarly communications reform in ways that promote open, equitable, and sustainable publishing and access models.
• Leading and managing a team of seven staff, including collection strategists, scholarly communications librarians, and support staff working in support of these areas, and coaching, mentoring, and supporting their professional development.
• In collaboration with the Associate Director for Collections, overseeing the collections budget and leading budget planning, with a focus on progressively shifting investments to those that promote open collections, provide access to emerging and distinctive formats (e.g. acquired data, MIT-created data, streaming video, unique collections), and to the application of collections funds to support workflow efficiencies (e.g., shelf-ready, metadata creation and management) and the entire resource lifecycle (e.g., digitization, preservation, conservation, access).
• Progressing the Libraries’ goals of targeting the physical collection to an essential core of materials of exceptional quality and singular relevance to MIT research and teaching and expanding initiatives to support data-intensive and computational research and learning.
• In collaboration with colleagues across the Libraries, managing an ongoing program to increase awareness among the MIT community about open science/open scholarship, encouraging their participation in scholarly communication reform, and supporting authors in complying with funder requirements related to author rights and author agreements.
• Providing strategic leadership and oversight for the negotiations team and, in collaboration with the Director of Copyright Strategy, coordinating the Libraries’ licensing program.
• Collaboratively developing repository strategy and overseeing the implementation of local, federal, or funder policies regarding open sharing of research products.
• Working tightly with other units of the MIT Libraries to deliver an integrated portfolio of services to the MIT community, leading and supporting internal partnerships, participating in Libraries-wide planning and prioritization, cultivating and strengthening collaborative relationships, and ensuring alignment particularly with the staff in Research and Learning who make selection decisions and with the staff in Digital Library Services who manage technical projects and build out platforms.
• Providing strategic leadership and oversight for a robust program of collection analysis and assessment, including developing methodologies for the assessment of open access initiatives.
• Playing a role nationally and internationally in collaborative strategy discussions and partnerships, and speaking and writing about scholarly communications and collections issues in various forums and publications.
Required qualifications:
• MLS, or other relevant advanced degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in an academic library or research setting.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in relevant areas, such as scholarly communications, collection management, budget management, or collection analysis.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience, with an ability to foster a collaborative, user-centered, inter-departmental approach to problem solving and decision making (5 years preferred, but equivalent qualifications will be considered).
• Demonstrated commitment to building and advancing diversity and inclusion in staffing, collections, and/or services, with an understanding of open scholarship as an equity and social justice imperative.
• Proven success in collaboration and strategic partnering and the ability to think broadly about the needs and mission of the library system as a whole.
• Experience advocating with vendors and publishers in advancing new scholarly publishing business models or library acquisition models.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to influence and collaborate effectively within and across organizational boundaries, to work successfully with a diverse population, and to build and sustain healthy, long-term, multi-project relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience working with technical teams to co-develop shared strategy and roadmaps for the development and build-out of technical platforms; experience defining, scoping, and managing projects, either as a formal project manager, or as an informal project leader.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible, tolerate ambiguity, set priorities effectively, and resolve competing demands in an atmosphere of fast-paced change.
Preferred qualifications:
• Experience engaging with faculty in decision making around collections development and management.
• Experience negotiating for library acquisitions and/or with library licensing.
• Formal training and/or experience in project management.
• Experience identifying and implementing new technologies to advance collections management and stewardship.
Background reading:
• MIT Libraries Vision: A New Urgency
• MIT Open Access Task Force Recommendations
• MIT Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of Libraries Report
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
$103,392 minimum salary. Actual salary will depend on qualifications and experience. MIT offers excellent benefits including a choice of health and retirement plans, a dental plan, tuition assistance, and fully subsidized MBTA passes for local bus and subway service. Flexible work arrangements, including flex-time and telecommuting, are considered for positions that meet established criteria. The MIT Libraries is a collegial and supportive working environment and fosters professional growth of staff with management training and travel funding for professional meetings.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Apply online at: http://careers.mit.edu; applications must include a cover letter and resume. Priority will be given to applications received by January 8th, 2021; position open until filled. MIT is strongly and actively committed to diversity within its community and particularly encourages applications from qualified women and minority candidates. Professionals who enthusiastically embrace the empathy, courage, self-reflection, and respect of a multi-cultural, diverse, and inclusive workplace, and who strive to incorporate those values in their work and interactions are encouraged to apply.


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