Strategic Metadata Lead for Discovery & AI

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

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