Head of Metadata Services
Washington University St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Full-time
Education
Posted on October 20, 2021
Position Summary
The Head of Metadata Services oversees policies, procedures, and processes related to MARC and non-MARC metadata description across the University Libraries. This position directly supervises 6 FTE, 3 professional and 3 support staff. Reports to the Associate University Librarian for Collection Management and Access Services.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Managerial Duties: (refer to the full Competencies policy)
- Managerial Leadership: Lead the work of unit staff and facilitate organizational contributions of the unit with visible leadership that promotes a culture of performance: Initiate and lead the planning, implementation, and assessment of unit services and activities in alignment with Library strategic directions.
- Performance Management: Hire, train, direct, and mentor unit staff to carry out duties at the expected high level of performance, and regularly assess staffing performance effectiveness with clearly articulated performance expectations and regular, timely feedback in alignment with organizational processes and standards;
- Workplace Management: Develop, implement, and assess short- and long-term strategies for conducting unit services and key project activities; manage and regularly evaluate assignment of work and responsibilities for effective accomplishment of unit objectives; and manage an inclusive and equitable work environment for operations.
- Managerial Communication: Consistently demonstrate accurate, timely, informed, bi-lateral communications relevant to unit, organizational, and institutional issues, and manage unit awareness of organizational communications, including unit requirements and goals resulting from organizational strategy.
Other Duties:
- Develops, recommends, administers, and assesses policies, procedures and processes in support of cataloging and metadata services, in collaboration with managers across the organization, and related to descriptive metadata creation; Implements and monitors compliance with approved policies, procedures and processes.
- Oversees the department's budget, spending, and reporting; Uses data to inform appropriate budgeting in support of in-house and outsourced cataloging; Initiates periodic workflow and outsourcing contract evaluations; Leads organizational committees, task forces, etc. that relate to collections and as appropriate.
- Works with key stakeholders to develop, coordinate, and implement bibliographic control policy and practices across the ILS, discovery, and digital repository systems.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in library and information science.
- 5+ years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrated ability to foster a strong customer service orientation.
- Demonstrated experience providing effective leadership and supervision in academic library.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate with a variety of stakeholders to accomplish goals.
- Proven ability to cultivate an environment of diversity and inclusion.
- Proven ability to foster effective and cooperative working relationships.
- Strong interpersonal skills with ability to work successfully in an intensely collaborative environment with a broad range of people from culturally diverse backgrounds including colleagues, administrators, students, faculty, donors, and alumni.
- Ability to manage professional library staff.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills.
- Ability to thrive and lead during organizational change.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a rapidly changing environment.
- Excellent organization skills and effectiveness in balancing multiple assignments/projects.
- Providing expertise in cataloging and metadata policies, procedures, and best practices.
- Demonstrated knowledge of current and emerging issues, trends, workflows, and best practices in cataloging and metadata.
- Demonstrated descriptive metadata expertise including MARC/RDA and one or more non-MARC metadata formats.
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Developing and implementing innovative, effective cataloging & metadata methodologies and workflows.
- Demonstrated successful experience with change management.
Required Qualifications
- ALA Accredited MLS/MLIS or other subject MA or higher degree.
- One to two years supervisory experience.