The University of Pittsburgh’s University Library System (ULS) seeks a collaborative, service-oriented, and creative leader to serve as the head of the newly reorganized Science & Engineering Library. This individual will lead the research support services program for Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) fields, including support for science data, open science, and scholarly communications in collaboration with members of Digital Scholarship Services (DSS), the Office of Scholarly Communications (OSCP), and Archives & Special Collections (A&SC). In addition, the incumbent will support a dynamic research and instruction program, serving as the lead instructional and research services librarian for Civil and Environmental Engineering, Bioengineering, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering, and other STEM disciplines. This is a full-time, 12-month librarian position in the Non-Expectation Stream (NES) as appointment-stream faculty.

As a member of the University Library System, the Head of the Science & Engineering Library will:

  • Under direction from the Associate University Librarian for Research and Learning, lead the direction and strategy of the Science & Engineering Library with a focus on data, open science, scholarly communication, and research impact. Other activities include research support, reference & assignment consultations, outreach, instruction, and collections)
  • Align unit services with the goals of the ULS, academic departments, and the University
  • Provide leadership, mentorship, support, and feedback for the members of the Science and Engineering Library team
  • Collaborate and communicate effectively with peers, administrators, institutional partners, and
  • Maintain familiarity with research trends in the STEM disciplines and advise ULS leadership about the ways these trends may necessitate changes in library services.
  • Maintain familiarity with current and emerging approaches to scientific education and ways to incorporate information and digital literacies into such environments.
  • Collaborate with functional expert librarians in data services, GIS, and digital scholarship services to provide coordinated support for learning, training, and research.
  • Serve as a STEM subject specialist and liaison for assigned departments, focusing on research support services, developing curricular and co-curricular engagement opportunities, and providing academic and research support for students
  • Proactively build relationships and partnerships with faculty, staff, and students in undergraduate and graduate STEM programs
  • Serve as a lead facilitator of the ULS STEM Research Support Working Group alongside ULS subject and functional experts and support faculty, graduate students, and undergraduate research throughout the research lifecycle.
  • In collaboration with Digital Scholarship Services and other units, promote and support research data management and practices, assist with locating or developing datasets, facilitate electronic lab notebooks, and help with identifying relevant software and other information sources as needed
  • In collaboration with other units, provide support for managing and documenting research outputs in ways that promote openness and equity (e.g. ORCiD, Web of Science, the University of Pittsburgh Institutional Repository, preprints, and scholarly sharing, BioSketch, etc.) For example: provide guidance for using ORCiD, Open Science, assist with the implementation of software for faculty profiles (e.g., Symplectic Elements), and measuring impact (e.g., Web of Science).
  • Work independently and collaboratively with colleagues to design, implement, and assess library instructional services, including face-to-face, hybrid, and online learning opportunities, instruction sessions and workshops, and other approaches with specific attention to the methodologies used by STEM researchers
  • As head of the unit, must be available to provide support to all functions of the library as needed, including public service, collection management, and other activities and duties as assigned

Librarians at the University of Pittsburgh are members of the faculty and are expected to demonstrate continuous professional development in addition to performing their specific responsibilities. This expectation includes such activities as:

  • Participating in and contributing to departmental, library, and campus-wide committees or working groups
  • Participating in professional organizations at a regional, state, national, and/or international level
  • Maintaining a broad awareness of current and emerging issues that affect their particular areas of expertise
  • Participating in relevant publishing and presentation opportunities
  • Pursuing knowledge of professional trends and developments that can be applied to evolving research, services, and collections

Librarians are also expected to recognize, respect, and work effectively with individuals and groups with diverse perspectives and backgrounds in all aspects of their work and take initiative in learning about issues relating to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

  • A master’s degree from an ALA-accredited library/information sciences program or equivalent
  • Two or more years of experience supporting STEM research or learning in a library, research, and/or teaching environment
  • Experience or demonstrated knowledge in one or more of the following STEM-related areas: student-centered instruction, STEM resources, and research support strategies, scholarly communications, open science, team science, and research data management.
  • Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills

Preferred (Desired) Qualifications:

  • Prior managerial leadership experience and a desire to serve in a managerial leadership capacity
  • Undergraduate or graduate degree in a STEM field, engineering preferred
  • Experience providing STEM services in a higher education setting
  • Experience or demonstrated interest in conducting outreach and engagement efforts with students, faculty, and campus collaborators to support research and instructional endeavors
  • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with science and information literacy instruction in face-to-face and/or online environments
  • Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills as well as a strong service orientation
  • Demonstrated commitment to promoting underrepresented voices in STEM disciplines and an ability to foster an inclusive and diverse workforce.

The University of Pittsburgh Library System

The University of Pittsburgh’s University Library System (https://www.library.pitt.edu/) is a member of the Association of Research Libraries and contains over 4.7 million print and electronic volumes, including access to over 300,000 journals and 570 databases. The University Library System (ULS) consists of 13 libraries and employs 75 faculty librarians and 103 staff. In addition to the ULS, the University of Pittsburgh includes libraries for the health sciences and law school.

The ULS stands at the center of intellectual life at the University of Pittsburgh, fostering connections and knowledge creation and dissemination that help faculty, students, and researchers from around the world to excel in research, scholarship and creative expression. It supports and enhances faculty and student productivity through its extensive collections, innovative Open Access publishing, and user-centered focus.

The ULS has recently enacted a major organizational realignment and is currently aggressively hiring in many areas of strategic priority, including research support, digital scholarship and creation, entrepreneurship and innovation. We are repositioning our services to respond to and anticipate changes in research, teaching, and learning. We are also in the midst of a top-to-bottom renovation of Hillman Library, the central library of the University of Pittsburgh campus which saw 1.9 million visitors in FY17. The reinvented Hillman (http://library.pitt.edu/hillmanreinvention) will be a light-filled home to spaces, from vibrant to serene, for digital making and exploration, showcasing unique collections, advancing the academic study, and fostering energetic, collaborative exchange.

This is an exciting time to join the Pitt library system and contribute to envisioning the library of the future.

The University of Pittsburgh

Founded in 1787, the University of Pittsburgh (http://www.pitt.edu/) is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States. Today Pitt is an internationally recognized center of learning and research, strong in the arts and sciences, and the professions. Pitt serves approximately 32,000 students, including more than 9,000 graduate students, in the 16 schools at the Pittsburgh campus and the four regional campuses. Pitt attracts, on average, more than $700 million in research funding every year. It is also one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright students and scholars for the 2017-18 academic year (according to the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs), and is among only 16 institutions in the country to be named a top producer in both the Fulbright U.S. Student and Scholar programs. In 2018, for the second consecutive year, the Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings named Pitt as the best public university in the Northeastern United States.

The City of Pittsburgh

The city of Pittsburgh is located in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Consistently ranked as one of the most livable cities in the United States, Pittsburgh is recognized for its natural beauty and unique blend of cultural, education, and technological resources. Additional information on the city of Pittsburgh can be found at: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/

 

Salary: Commensurate with experience. Comprehensive benefits package including one month vacation per year; excellent benefit plans; TIAA/ Vanguard; and tuition assistance.

The successful candidate will meet the criteria for appointment at the rank of Librarian I or II and will be hired on an initial 3-year renewable contract. For further information, please see ULS Guidelines for Faculty Librarians.

Please apply through the University of Pittsburgh’s Talent Center, requisition number 2202912. In addition to creating a Talent Center account, please upload/attach a cover letter, CV, and three professional references with contact information. Any questions regarding the application process should be directed to Sharon McMasters (sam989@pitt.edu).

Visa sponsorship is not offered with this position.

Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled; primary consideration will be given to those received by May 11, 2022.