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Metadata Technologies Program Manager, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Posted June 12, 2015

Auto req ID: 35915BR

School/Unit: Harvard Library

Department: Harvard Library – Information and Technical Services

Duties & Responsibilities:

The Harvard Library seeks a dynamic individual to take a leadership role in furthering the success of the libraries’ digital presence by enhancing resource discovery and improving access to collections. As a member of the Information & Technical Services department management team, under the supervision of the Head of Metadata Management, the Metadata Technologies Program Manager will lead and collaborate with colleagues to develop a diverse metadata program focusing on incorporating emerging technologies, such as linked data, and experimenting with innovative approaches to creating discovery metadata. The incumbent will focus on expanding the range of options being employed to address library metadata needs by conceptualizing projects, developing project plans, identifying training for metadata staff to build the required skill set, developing solid working relationships and infrastructure plans with campus technology units, and participating in forward-looking collaborative projects with our peer institutions (e.g. the Linked Data for Libraries project). Not solely a metadata technologist, the incumbent would also serve as a metadata consultant for the broader Harvard community, including performing outreach and advocacy to academic or administrative departments as appropriate for developing collaborations across campus (e.g. HarvardX or other high-profile initiatives where digital assets are being created from legacy collections in the libraries, museums or archives). The incumbent will develop a broad understanding of the range of use cases and collection types requiring discovery metadata at Harvard.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Provides leadership for metadata practitioners in conceiving, designing, planning and implementing appropriate metadata schemes and innovative metadata projects to facilitate user discovery of library resources
  • Leads collaborative research and development efforts on linked data initiatives that maximize exposure and access to the richness of Harvard collections while building the infrastructure to link related information resources outside of Harvard
  • Engages in high-level planning and advocacy for metadata solutions to unify Harvard campus collections virtually as a means of helping researchers make connections across a diverse set of research assets at the university
  • Works closely with Library Technology Services and other campus information technology units on implementing technical solutions that enhance discovery and access
  • Guides efforts to adapt, harvest, manipulate or leverage alternative sources of existing metadata; advise on the development of automated workflows for metadata creation and enrichment, extraction, transformation, quality control, syndication, and ingest
  • Identifies skill development and training necessary for staff retooling to meet the demands of new metadata roles and responsibilities
  • Creates a network across the libraries and campus in order to match emerging needs to staff, developing and extending staff skills as the library supports growing non-traditional metadata needs
  • Analyzes digital project use cases and requirements to develop strategies for metadata capture, normalization, transformation, storage and output; works with project teams as metadata expert for the life cycle of a project
  • Performs in-depth metadata analysis based on automated review of very large datasets or logs; troubleshoots issues related to metadata mapping and transformations
  • May contribute expertise toward metadata harvesting platforms outside the library (e.g. Harvard Faculty Finder, DPLA) that would provide robust showcasing for faculty scholarship or Harvard collections
  • Serves as a member of relevant committees, working groups and communities of practice, inside and outside of Harvard Library as appropriate to represent Harvard within national or international bodies devoted to linked data, metadata standards and infrastructure
  • Contributes to the overall goals of the department as appropriate

Basic Qualifications:

  • MLS or advanced degree in a related field of information management or equivalent work experience, plus at least years of progressive experience with technology-focused metadata projects
  • Demonstrated success with project management and leading project teams collaboratively, with multiple levels of staff, and colleagues at peer institutions or open source communities
  • Understanding of linked data principles and demonstrated expertise with semantic web technologies, such as effective use of RDF, RDF-S, triplestores, and related query languages and tools
  • Experience with REST principles and web services architectures
  • Knowledge of XML schema, XSLT stylesheets, metadata cross-walks, and principles for designing and/or adapting existing work from related domains
  • Knowledge of programming, data manipulation and transformation tools, technologies and methodologies (e.g. Python, JavaScript, OpenRefine)
  • Conceptual knowledge of library metadata principles

Additional Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of OWL, bibliographic ontologies and ontology building techniques highly desirable
  • Familiarity with ontologies and structured data standards, such as controlled vocabularies and thesauri
  • Experience with analyzing, creating and documenting procedures such as service standards, policies, procedures and workflows
  • Awareness of library standards (e.g. FRBR, RDA, BibFrame, OAI, OpenURL, DOI, Dublin Core, etc.) and information industry organizations and communities (e.g. NISO, LODLAM, etc.)
  • Ability to use technology in creative ways to solve problems or facilitate workflow
  • Must have excellent organizational, interpersonal, problem-solving and analytical skills, customer service orientation, and flexibility to adapt to changing daily priorities
  • Work experience in the digital library community desirable
  • Knowledge of library metadata standards (descriptive, technical, structural) highly desirable or the initiative and ability to develop that knowledge quickly (e.g. MARC, MARCXML, EAD, METS, MODS, VRA and others)
  • Must exhibit strong initiative and ability to prioritize and meet project deadlines
  • Demonstrated success performing complex work both independently and collaboratively with a diverse group of people
  • Commitment to self-directed learning and development as part of a continuous learning environment
  • Ability to learn and master new software, systems, and technology as required
  • Ability to work productively and cooperatively in a team environment, with flexibility and versatility in an evolving work situation required

Additional Information:

In the course of 375 years, Harvard’s Library has grown from a single collection of 400 volumes to a 73-unit library system whose holdings include nearly 17 million volumes, more than 21 million digital files, 10 million microforms, 8 million photographs, and an estimated 400 million manuscript items.

For additional information visit the Harvard Library web site at: http://lib.harvard.edu/about-us.

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EEO Statement: 

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by law.

Application Information

Please submit your resume and cover letter on line: https://sjobs.brassring.com/TGWEbHost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerID=25240&siteI D=5341&AReq=35915BR

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