Head of Digital Scholarship at The University of Pennsylvania

Job Title: Head of Digital Scholarship

Job Status: Full-time

Location: Philadelphia, PA

Salary: $74,476- $98,753

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Description Summary

About the Penn Libraries:

The Penn Libraries provides a network of information resources and knowledge services that are vital to teaching, research, and learning at the University of Pennsylvania. This network includes 19 physical libraries, recognized for their collections, and a digital library known for innovation and richness of content. Through dynamic programming and exhibitions, and through the acquisition and preservation of literary and artistic artifacts, the Penn Libraries documents a wealth of social and historical periods, bringing scholarship to life at the University and in the various communities it serves

Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Research Data and Digital Scholarship (RDDS), the Head of Digital Scholarship is responsible for the administrative management of libraries’ digital scholarship initiatives including those related to digital projects, digital humanities, public digital scholarship, and affiliated areas.

In collaboration with the Research Data and Digital Scholarship team and disciplinary specialists, they will

• coordinate project support through the RDDS sub-team, Digital Projects, Publications, and Partnerships.
• develop and deliver forward-thinking, measurable, campus-aligned programming to support researchers; and
• scaffold scalable education and outreach programming and support for graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and faculty.
• prioritize the development of strong, collaborative relationships with library subject specialists as appropriate and with relevant campus partners, such as the Price Lab for the Digital Humanities.

The incumbent will manage a small team of specialists and students focused on digital projects and public digital scholarship

Job Description

Responsibilities
  • Design, develop, and implement a digital scholarship program encompassing digital projects, digital humanities, and related areas through various initiatives, such as leading the Digital Projects, Publications, and Partnerships team.
  • Supervise and mentor a team of functional librarians and student workers in digital scholarship.
  • Identify and implement strategies for understanding and responding to the existing and evolving digital scholarship needs of campus researchers.
  • Build strong relationships with campus stakeholders to ensure services remain relevant and useful and provide specialized consulting services to the Penn community.
  • Create and maintain research and how-to guides supporting the Penn community relevant to digital scholarship needs. Assist in the development and maintenance of the online presence for digital scholarship.
  • Stay abreast of the trends and best practices in digital scholarship to enhance the libraries’ services by participating in local, national, and international digital scholarship networks, conferences, and meetings as appropriate.
  • Serve as a co-manager of the Research Data & Digital Scholarship Exchange (RDDSx), a collaboration and training space in Van Pelt Library and coordinate programming in RDDSx in collaboration with the Director of RDDS and RDDS Staff.
  • Assist with RDDS assessment and evaluation for digital scholarship.
  • Perform additional duties as assigned.

 

Qualifications:

  • Master’s degree in Library Science (MLS, MSLS, MLIS, etc.) from an ALA-accredited program and 5-7 years of relevant experience in a range of digital scholarship methods, tools, and skills (e.g., text analysis, GIS/mapping, digital exhibits, 3D/immersive technologies, network analysis, etc.), or equivalent combination of education and experience, are required.
  • Experience developing and delivering instruction and instructional documentation (research guides, learning objects, etc.)
  • Ability and willingness to independently learn new technologies and methodologies
  • Knowledge of current research, technologies and scholarly trends in digital scholarship, open access, and scholarly communications
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate in a team-based, service-oriented environment and to build partnerships with faculty and staff on research projects
  • Demonstrated experience with server-side coding of web-based applications, collaborative GitHub workflows, and command line use. Knowledge of one or more programming languages, preferably including Python.
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral; good problem-solving skills.
  • Supervisory experience or successful experience managing a team

Preferred

  • Experience providing services in digital scholarship, digital humanities or scholarly publishing
  • Experience designing and teaching classes, preferably in higher education
  • Experience with static site generation, such as Eleventy
  • Experience conducting research or providing services to support research projects
  • Advanced degree in the Humanities or Social Sciences

Pay Range

$74,476.00 – $98,753.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. 

Affirmative Action Statement 
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 
Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

  • Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  • Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  • Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
  • Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
  • Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
  • Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
  • Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
  • University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
  • Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
  • Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
  • Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
  • Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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