Assistant Head, Acquisitions

WORK GROUP: Acquisitions

REPORTS TO: Head, Acquisitions

 

Northwestern University Libraries seek an innovative and service-oriented Assistant Head of Acquisitions to provide leadership and management for the Acquisitions Work Group. The Assistant Head of Acquisitions reports to and collaborates with the Head, Acquisitions and provides support for the acquisitions and licensing of library collections across all subject areas, formats, and channels of delivery. Under the supervision of the Head, Acquisitions, the Assistant Head of Acquisitions will have direct and supervisory responsibility for operations, workflows, and special projects involving ordering, payment, receipt, processing, and access to information resources of all types. Along with coordinating functions within the Acquisitions workgroup, the Assistant Head of Acquisitions will collaborate with managers and staff from throughout the Libraries to devise and refine processes that optimize services across operational units and maximize the Libraries' overall role in the teaching and research mission of Northwestern.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

* Supervises staff within the work group to provide for resources acquired and processed in a timely, fiscally responsible, and effective manner.

* Actively contribute to a collaborative, dynamic team and implement change in the workplace. Review and improve work processes. Contribute to the evaluation of new technologies including the Alma library services platform acquisitions functionality.

* Monitor revision and development of documentation for all work group processes.

* Develop and sustain vendor relationships, monitors contracts and evaluates services. Collaborates with subject liaisons, monitors and manages workflows of tangible materials.

* Collaborates with the Head, Acquisitions on various projects, such as review and documentation of all approval plans, overhaul and maintenance of the subject liaison acquisitions manual, review and documentation of all collection development policies in conjunction with the subject liaisons, and other projects related to acquisitions functions.

* Engages in appropriate professional development, continuing education, professional service, and research activities. Participates on library-wide committees, task forces and teams and assists in representing the University Libraries in consortial partnerships including the Big Ten Academic Alliance.

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

* Master's degree in librarianship, or related field.

* 1 -- 3 years of supervisory experience.

* An aptitude for business transactions and vendor relations and training others.

* Ability to lift boxes of library materials receipts weighing up to 50 lbs. and pushing book trucks weighing up to 150 lbs.

 

MINIMUM COMPETENCIES:

* Ability to work in a collaborative team-based environment

* Excellent oral and written communication skills

* Adaptable, ability to adjust to changing environment

* Customer focused

* Takes ownership of work, completes what is needed without being asked, follows through

* Plans ahead, manages time well, is resource conscious, finds better ways to achieve personal and work group goals

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

* Experience working in a customer focus role.

* Experience managing people in an operational setting with performance expectations.

* Experience with financial workflow and assessment of vendor services.

* Experience with the technical services functionality of a library services platform.

 

ENVIRONMENT:

Northwestern University is a highly selective private university with campuses in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois and in Doha, Qatar. One of the leading private research libraries in the United States, Northwestern University Library serves the educational and information needs of the NU community as well as scholars around the world. Its collection contains more than 7 million volumes, a full array of digital resources, and collections of distinction in Africana, transportation, and 20th-century and contemporary music. Northwestern is a member of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA). See more information about University Libraries at: http://www.library.northwestern.edu.

 

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.

 

TO APPLY: Applications received by Oct. 26th 2018 will receive first consideration. You can apply for the position at https://facultyrecruiting.northwestern.edu/apply/MzA1