Associate Director, Scholars Portal

Job Tittle:  Associate Director, Scholars Portal  

Date Posted: 01/09/2024

Closing Date: 02/08/2024

Req ID: 35606

Job Category: Librarian - Permanent Status Stream

Faculty/Division: Library 

Department: Scholars Portal

Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)  

Are you looking for challenging, meaningful work in a supportive and diverse environment? Are you looking for a career at one of Canada’s top employers? Work where the world comes to think, discover and learn. Consider a career at the University of Toronto.

About the University of Toronto Libraries

The University of Toronto Libraries system is the largest academic library in Canada and is consistently ranked in the top ten among academic research libraries in North America. The system consists of 40 libraries located on three university campuses: St. George, Mississauga, and Scarborough. This array of college libraries, special collections, and specialized libraries and information centres supports the teaching and research requirements of over 300 graduate programs, more than 70 professional programs, and about 700 undergraduate degree programs. In addition to more than 12 million volumes in 341 languages, the library system currently provides access to millions of electronic resources in various forms and over 31,000 linear metres of archival material. More than 150,000 new print volumes are acquired each year. The Libraries' data centre houses more than 600 servers with a storage capacity of 1.5 petabytes.

About Scholars Portal

Scholars Portal is a digital service arm of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) and a division of the University of Toronto Libraries. The goal of Scholars Portal is to develop and manage  common technology, shared collections and service infrastructure that supports the delivery and preservation of electronic resources to researchers and students in Ontario’s 21 universities and beyond

The Scholars Portal team comprises 30 librarians, developers, and systems staff who support services in four broad areas: research & member services; data and geospatial services; digital collections; and web & preservation services.

The Opportunity

The University of Toronto Libraries (UTL) is in search of a dynamic, collaborative, and energetic leader to take on the role of Associate Director at Scholars Portal.

Reporting to the Scholars Portal Director, the successful candidate will offer leadership, vision and essential oversight to guide the development of innovative services that support the needs of OCUL member institutions and the academic and research communities in Ontario.

The Associate Director will offer support and mentorship to the department’s employees and will have direct responsibility for several possible portfolios, tailored to their skills and experience.  Scholars Portals’s key portfolios include content services, data services, preservation services, assessment and engagement services and web services. The Associate Director will also promote the UTL’s culture of diversity and inclusion and support UTL’s Mission Statement and Values .

The Associate Director works with colleagues across OCUL institutions to help develop and maintain services that offer value to OCUL member libraries. The Associate Director will participate in OCUL committees and work with colleagues at Scholars Portal and the OCUL office to develop strategic directions and assess service quality for Scholars Portal. Additionally, the Associate Director will build relationships with and proactively reach out to staff and administrators in the OCUL member libraries, aiming to promote active engagement with and advocate for Scholars Portal initiatives.

The successful candidate will be a creative, collaborative leader who is:

• Proactive about identifying evolving user needs and services in an academic library environment
• Skilled in building support for multi-institutional initiatives
• Committed to the values of equity, inclusion, diversity and accessibility
• A mentor and leader to the staff and librarians
• Committed to maintaining current awareness of emerging technology and trends in libraries and academia and how they can be applied to collections, services and spaces
• Flexible and acts with fairness and integrity

Responsibilities:

• Supervisory responsibility for librarians and staff, including recruitment and retention, training and coaching, leading project teams, tracking tasks and monitoring progress
• Primary responsibility for one or more of Scholars Portal’s key portfolios and the services, teams, and staff within that portfolio
• Project management  responsibilities to ensure successful planning, execution, and completion of departmental projects: including task scheduling, communication with project stakeholders, documentation, reporting and assessment.
• Participation in various governance groups established by OCUL to guide activities within Scholars Portal
• Participation in strategic planning for Scholars Portal and takes responsibility for successful completion of assigned goals related to the portfolio responsibilities
• Collaboration with OCUL member libraries to ensure that their needs are being addressed promptly and effectively by the Scholars Portal team
• Engagement with Scholars Portal service vendors and content providers to ensure that the needs of OCUL are communicated and addressed

Required Qualifications:

• A degree from an accredited Masters level program in library and information studies.
• A keen interest and strong background in information and communications technologies, information resources management and access, library systems and technical services, digital initiatives, or one of Scholars Portal’s key portfolio areas.
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of equity, inclusivity, diversity, and accessibility; proven ability to promote respect and inclusion by working successfully with a wide variety of people and encouraging their participation and involvement.
• Proven leadership skills, especially in team development, showcasing a track record of establishing a shared vision and cultivating a constructive workplace atmosphere.
• A proven track record of progressively responsible leadership and management roles.
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to be persuasive while writing for and speaking to different audiences.
• Record of effective collaboration involving diverse stakeholders inside and outside of the library, such as library vendors, leaders in relevant government agencies and at peer institutions.
• Demonstrated experience working with contracts and license agreements, including interpreting them, tracking their rights and supporting those negotiating terms.
• Proven technical abilities and abilities in troubleshooting and systems project development.
• Demonstrated planning, decision making and problem-solving skills.
• Must qualify for Librarian III as per the Policies for Librarians

Preferred Qualifications:

• A demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in both official languages (English and French)
• A strong record of professional engagement, such as publications and/or experience in relevant professional associations.

Salary and Terms of Appointment: This is a permanent status stream position.

It is anticipated that this position will be filled at the Librarian III or IV level, subject to review and experience. Minimum salary: LIB III: $102,023; LIB IV:  $120,209 (Salary is dependent on rank at hire and qualifications).

Additional information:

Benefits: We offer generous benefits packages to all employees. Additional information is available at: https://people.utoronto.ca/careers/benefits/

How to Apply:

Application Materials Required: A cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references of which at least two have supervised your work. Please attach a single electronic file (MS Word or pdf) with a file name convention of Surname, FirstName, 35606]

Diversity Statements

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

University of Toronto Libraries’ Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Statement:  

https://www.library.utoronto.ca/inclusion-diversity-and-equity-statement

University of Toronto Libraries' Anti-Racism Statement:

https://www.library.utoronto.ca/anti-racism-statement

Accessibility Statement:

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.  If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [email protected] .