Library Collections Manager - UOD2119

Univeristy of Dundee; Dundee; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Dundee seeks a strategic Library Collections Manager to lead the acquisition, development and preservation of all library and cultural heritage collections, aligned with institutional priorities and user needs.

Reporting to the Library, Academic and Cultural Services directorate, you will oversee metadata, licensing, digitisation, budget management, and service improvements, working with academic schools and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Provide direction for acquisition, development and preservation of all library and cultural collections.
• Oversee library content budget and advise on subscribed content provision.
• Oversee metadata quality, cataloguing standards, authority control and discovery optimisation.
• Provide strategic leadership of the Reading List service and staff oversight.
• Lead compliance and service delivery for copyright, CLA and digitisation needs.
• Manage specialist staff across acquisitions, metadata, archives, museums, reading lists and digitisation.
• Lead creation and maintenance of policies for collection development and digitisation.
• Collaborate with academic schools, researchers, Estates, DTS and external partners.
• Act as Service Owner for key services within the Collections team.
• Use analytics and user feedback to drive service enhancements and budget planning.
• Contribute to strategic development of library services and annual planning.
• Support national consortium purchasing and engagement with SCURL/SHEDL, SCONUL and JISC.

Job description

The Library Collections Manager provides strategic and operational management, in consultation with senior leadership, for all aspects of the University's library and cultural heritage collections. This includes oversight of university-wide library digital and print holdings and the University's cultural collections which comprise archives, museums, and special collections. The postholder manages the staff responsible for acquisitions, licensing, metadata, reading lists, and discoverability, ensuring effective use of the Library Management System (Alma/Primo), copyright and digitisation services, and collection development services that support teaching, research, and institutional priorities.

Operating as part of the managers' group within the wider Library, Academic and Cultural Services directorate, the role plays a key role in service planning, policy development, team leadership, and the ongoing transformation of collections and their user-facing services. The role requires a deep understanding of library collections, digital resource management, and the evolving needs of users in an academic environment. The postholder will work collaboratively with academic schools, research communities, and institutional partners to ensure the University's collections remain accessible, sustainable, well-managed, and aligned with strategic goals. The role will primarily be based at the Main Library, with visits to other office spaces and sites as required.

Your priorities will include:

• Provide direction for and management of the acquisition, development, and preservation of all library and cultural collections, ensuring alignment with institutional strategy and user needs.
• In collaboration with the Directorate Leadership team and University Librarian oversee the management of the Library's content budget and advise on issues affecting the provision of subscribed content for Univerity staff and students.
• Oversee metadata quality, cataloguing standards, authority control, and discovery-layer optimisation (Alma/Primo, and other specialist catalogues) to ensure users can easily find and access resources.
• Provide strategic leadership of the Reading List service, including list management and acquisitions, as well as wider staff oversight to ensure academic engagement and integration with teaching and learning priorities.
• Lead compliance and service delivery for copyright, CLA and related licences, and the provision of digitisation services for teaching, research, and accessibility needs.
• Manage and develop specialist staff across acquisitions, metadata, archives, museums, reading lists, and digitisation, fostering a culture of expertise, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Lead the creation and maintenance of policies and procedures relating to collection development, metadata, digitisation, cultural collection stewardship, copyright, and resource management.
• Work closely with academic schools, researchers, Estates, DTS, and external partners to support teaching, research, cultural projects, and institutional priorities.
• Act as Service Owner for key services within the Collections team and apply the Service Review Framework accordingly.
• Use analytics, user feedback, benchmarking, and professional standards to evaluate service performance, identify areas for improvement, and lead or contribute to service-enhancement, business cases, and budget planning.
• Bring expert knowledge to the strategic development of library services, informing the library senior team of trends and opportunities in content and digital transformation, and as an active member of the library's management team, contribute to annual planning and reviews of Library services, business continuity, and ongoing service development.
• Support national consortium purchasing at Scottish and UK level, maintain engagement with SCURL/SHEDL, SCONUL and JISC.