Job Summary

The Special Collections Department at the University of North Texas Library is seeking to hire an Archives Collection Manager. The Collection Manager is a key supervisory role within Special Collections that provides leadership and expertise in developing and maintaining a comprehensive program for processing and physically managing archival collections. This position oversees a team of two full-time processing archivists and is directly responsible for managing appraisal, processing, arrangement, and description of analog manuscript and archival materials. Additionally, the Collection Manager will collaborate with the Digital Archivist to guide the appraisal and processing of born-digital archival materials, and collaborate effectively with other units within Special Collections to support the needs of collection users.

The Collection Manager will be responsible for overseeing the use of ArchivesSpace, maintaining documentation of local descriptive standards within Special Collections, and managing the submission of finding aids to the state consortium, Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO). The Collection Manager will have opportunities to participate in a variety of departmental outreach activities and has a key role in the annual Archives Institute, a six-week program designed for graduate students pursuing archival careers.

As a manager within the Special Collections department, and the site supervisor for Special Collections at the Research Collections Library (a remote facility located about one mile north of campus), the Collection Manager plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. This is achieved through open communication and by providing regular feedback, guidance, coaching, and mentorship to staff members. In this highly collaborative role, the Collection Manager works closely with other unit heads in Special Collections (Public Services, Digital Archives, University Archives, and Preservation) and UNT Libraries to solve challenges and pursue innovative solutions that maximize the impact of archival resources in an academic context, in alignment with the library’s goals.

As a librarian, this position is expected to contribute to scholarly activity and professional service, including but not limited to research, publications, grant writing, participation in professional organizations, and service on library and university committees and workgroups.

Job Duties

• Supervise and evaluate the performance of processing staff; review completed finding aids for adherence to standards and edit them as needed prior to publication.
• Mentor and coach direct reports to develop their skills in both library operations and specialized areas, fostering their growth in a positive and proactive environment.
• Establish processing priorities and determine appropriate levels of processing for collections, provide project management for processing activities, and set realistic goals and timelines for project completion.
• Develop, refine, and enhance workflows and procedures for processing and managing collections in various formats, ensuring adherence to accepted archival standards and the unique needs of UNT Libraries.
• Collaborate and frequently communicate with colleagues within Special Collections to ensure processing practices support related functions such as acquisitions, preservation, digitization, metadata creation, public services, outreach, and instruction.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation related to processing and description activities, including the departmental Processing Handbook, local descriptive standards, and any other relevant resources.
• Facilitate outgoing loans of Special Collections materials.
• Supervise the use of ArchivesSpace within Special Collections, ensuring its effective application in managing archival materials.
• Serve as the primary liaison with Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO) and ensure the regular updating and submission of finding aids to the consortium.
• Contribute to departmental outreach initiatives.
• Participate in the annual Archives Institute.
• Identify funding and partnership opportunities; write grants and proposals, and assist in the development of funding initiatives.
• Perform other duties in support of Special Collections' core functions as needed.

Qualifications

Preferred

We want to emphasize that the preferred qualifications are not required and that we are committed to helping our future colleague develop these preferred skills.

• Certification through the Academy of Certified Archivists.
• Two of more years experience supervising full time employees.
• Experience working in an academic archive or special collections department.
• Experience processing archival collections.
• Experience working with photographic archives.
• Familiarity with ArchivesSpace and/or experience creating and maintaining documentation of local descriptive practices.
• Strong analytical, organizational, communication, project management, and time management skills, with the ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and complete tasks within budget and scope.
• Knowledge of descriptive and metadata standards such as EAD, DACS, and Dublin Core.
• Experience securing external funding for processing projects.
• Demonstrated contributions to scholarly activity and professional service.

Minimum

• Master's degree in Library Science, Archival Science, History, or a related field.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build and sustain effective relationships with library staff, faculty, and students.
• Proven ability to manage projects and meet deadlines.
• Experience supervising, coaching, and evaluating full-time staff.

Salary: Salary depending on qualifications and rank with a minimum of $64,780.20 (Assistant), $69,280.20 (Associate), and $75,580.20 (Librarian).

For more information and to apply, please visit this link.