Metadata Lead

Auckland Council; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 112,000 - 124,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Option to buy an additional week’s ann

Four weeks annual leave, plus an extra

Additional day of leave for community

Discounts on attractions

KiwiSaver

Job summary

Auckland Libraries, part of Auckland Council Group, is seeking an experienced Metadata Lead to set strategic direction for metadata governance, standards and practice across our large public library collections. You will influence priorities, guide modernisation, and collaborate with vendors, partners and internal teams to ensure metadata supports discovery and stewardship.

You will bring cataloguing leadership, expertise in bibliographic control and interoperability, and a demonstrated ability

Qualifications

• Significant cataloguing and metadata leadership experience within a library environment.
• Proven expertise in metadata standards, bibliographic control, governance, and best practice.
• Experience contributing to metadata transformation, remediation, digital collections, or systems modernisation.
• An informed understanding of interoperability, automation, machine-assisted metadata creation, and emerging AI-supported workflows.
• Proven success influencing stakeholders, building capability, and leading collaborative change.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and strategic advisory skills.
• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and embedding Te Ao Māori perspectives.

Responsibilities

• Lead and embed the strategic direction for metadata across Auckland Libraries.
• Provide expert advice on metadata standards, governance, quality, and best practice.
• Influence priorities for metadata, digital collections, discovery, and interoperability.
• Guide metadata modernisation, transformation, and remediation across collections and systems.
• Build capability and collaboration across teams, institutions, vendors, and sector partners.
• Evaluate opportunities for automation, machine-assisted metadata creation, and AI-supported workflows.
• Represent Auckland Libraries within professional and sector networks.

Skills

Metadata leadership

Cataloguing expertise

Strategic advisory

Stakeholder influence

Communication

Cultural responsiveness

Education

Master’s in Library Science

Job description

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• Champion innovation in discovery, AI-supported workflows and emerging metadata practice.
• Provide strategic direction, expert advice, and influence across Auckland Libraries and the wider sector.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced library metadata professional to lead metadata strategy for one of Australasia’s largest public library collections.

As Metadata Lead, you will set the strategic direction for metadata governance, standards, capability and practice. Working with leaders, specialists, operational teams, vendors and sector partners, you will ensure metadata remains central to the discovery and stewardship of our physical and digital collections. You will join us at a pivotal time for metadata practice. Drawing on your cataloguing expertise, you will influence priorities, guide the modernisation of our metadata environment, and explore opportunities presented by interoperability, automation, machine-assisted metadata creation, and AI-supported workflows.

Metadata is critical to how customers discover, access, and engage with our collections. Your strategic leadership will strengthen metadata quality and capability while supporting responsible innovation, continuous improvement, and long-term sustainability. You will help ensure new approaches improve efficiency and scalability while retaining professional oversight and operational team ownership.

• Lead and embed the strategic direction for metadata across Auckland Libraries.
• Provide expert advice on metadata standards, governance, quality, and best practice.
• Influence priorities for metadata, digital collections, discovery, and interoperability.
• Guide metadata modernisation, transformation, and remediation across collections and systems.
• Build capability and collaboration across teams, institutions, vendors, and sector partners.
• Evaluate opportunities for automation, machine-assisted metadata creation, and AI-supported workflows.
• Represent Auckland Libraries within professional and sector networks.

You are an experienced library metadata leader with significant cataloguing expertise. You combine a strong understanding of bibliographic practice with the strategic thinking, leadership, and influence needed to establish direction and lead change across a complex organisation.

You will bring:

• Significant cataloguing and metadata leadership experience within a library environment.
• Proven expertise in metadata standards, bibliographic control, governance, and best practice.
• Experience contributing to metadata transformation, remediation, digital collections, or systems modernisation.
• An informed understanding of interoperability, automation, machine-assisted metadata creation, and emerging AI-supported workflows.
• Proven success influencing stakeholders, building capability, and leading collaborative change.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and strategic advisory skills.
• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and embedding Te Ao Māori perspectives.

You will bring the curiosity, judgement, and vision to help Auckland Libraries navigate an exciting and rapidly changing metadata environment.

At Auckland Council, you will join a dynamic, supportive environment where your mahi (work) will directly impact the lives of over 1.7 million Aucklanders. We offer flexible working conditions, a focus on well-being, and a culture of continuous improvement.

We are proud to be recognised for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are accredited by GenderTick, a signatory of the Pride Pledge. These commitments reflect our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.
Together, we can create a Tāmaki Makaurau we can all be proud of.

Additionally, as part of our Auckland Council Group, you will gain access to many benefits and discounts including:

• Option to buy an additional week’s annual leave
• Four weeks annual leave, plus an additional week after five years
• Additional day of leave for community activities
• Discounts on attractions such as the Maritime Museum, Auckland Zoo & Auckland Art Gallery
• Discounted Health & Life Insurance Policies
• Flexible and supportive work environment
• 3.5% KiwiSaver on top of your salary

As part of our organisation, please view a range of our: benefits

Application close date: Sunday 22nd November 2026

Salary: This role is salary band H we expect to appoint the successful candidate at a salary of between $112 – 124k depending upon skills & experience.

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Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.

Employees in receipt of salary protection and/or on the predecessor Council terms and conditions of employment, please note that the salary protection and/or predecessor Council terms and conditions, including relocation, apply to your current position. Should you change to a new position (other than any secondment) you will be issued with a new employment letter of offer with current Auckland Council terms and conditions.