Executive Director, Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP)

Princeton University; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 141,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

The Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP) seeks an entrepreneurial Executive Director to lead this major shared collections partnership into its next phase. Jointly owned by Columbia, Harvard, Princeton, Yale, and The New York Public Library, ReCAP stewards more than 18 million items and hosts BorrowDirect, a cross-institution network.

Reporting to the Board of Governors, the Executive Director will set strategic direction, oversee operations and finances, and represent the

Qualifications

• Ten+ years experience in a large research library.
• Five+ years in progressive library management.
• Proven success in strategic planning and multi-institutional projects.
• Experience managing exempt and non-exempt staff.
• Broad knowledge of library community roles.
• Ability to work with a governing board.
• Strong consulting, negotiation, and public presentation skills.
• Familiarity with procurement, budgeting, invoicing.
• Data-driven decision making.
• Experience engaging on national and international stage.

Responsibilities

• Develop vision and strategic goals with the Board.
• Explore service expansion and partnerships including technology/delivery models.
• Lead strategy into operations and cost-model new services.
• Oversee operations including storage facility and discovery/delivery systems.
• Manage finances with multi-year budgets and capital projects.
• Ensure fiscal/legal soundness with counsel and partners.
• Develop staff and recruitment across the organization.
• Administer BorrowDirect program in collaboration with program staff.

Skills

Strategic planning

Leadership

Staff development

Stakeholder management

Budgeting

Data analysis

Public speaking

Negotiation

Board interaction

Project management

Education

Master's in Library Science

Professional degree in cultural heritage

Tools

Data reporting tools

Library systems

Facility management software

Job description

Overview

The Research Collections and Preservation Consortium (ReCAP) seeks a strategic, entrepreneurial Executive Director to lead one of the world's most significant shared collections partnerships into its next phase of development.

Jointly owned and operated by Columbia University, Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, and The New York Public Library, ReCAP stewards a single-site collection of more than 18 million items, which is among the largest concentrations of research material anywhere in the world. Each year the consortium accessions ~500,000 new items and fulfills 240,000+ requests in print and digital formats, delivering timely service to researchers across its partner institutions. ReCAP also hosts and stewards BorrowDirect, the resource-sharing partnership that connects faculty, students, and researchers to thirteen of the world's premier library collections.

Reporting to and working closely with the Board of Governors, the Executive Director operates with a high degree of independence to set operational direction and represent the consortium in national and international cooperative library initiatives, including shared print, discovery-to-delivery innovation, preservation, logistics, and facilities. With partner libraries increasingly uniting their resources, expertise, and collective scale, ReCAP aims to model scalable innovation — leveraging digital opportunities and shared collections to advance world‑class research and teaching. This is a rare opportunity to shape new directions for large scale collaborative collection stewardship.

Responsibilities

• Works with the Board of Governors to develop vision and strategic goals, advises the Board on emerging issues, and serves as spokesperson for the partnership and ex‑officio Secretary of the Board.
• Identifies and explores service expansion possibilities, including evaluating emerging technologies, digital delivery models, and strategic partnerships to expand the consortium’s reach and impact.
• Leads strategy into operations: researches, designs, and cost‑models new services; develops improvements to existing services; and guides partner staff, committees, and working groups to realize the Board's direction.
• Oversees all aspects of ReCAP's operations, including its specialized collection storage facility and the technology systems supporting discovery and delivery, working with the Operations Manager to ensure efficient, high‑quality service.
• Manages the consortium's finances: a total annual budget of approximately $7 million (including a ~$5 million operating budget, a major maintenance program with annual contributions of $1.4–1.9 million, and the ~$600K BorrowDirect program budget), plus periodic large capital projects ranging from $5 to $40 million.
• Ensures the consortium is fiscally and legally sound, coordinating with ReCAP's counsel and the partners' general counsels on governance and compliance, and balancing the consortium's interests with Princeton's standards and practices.
• Leads and develops the ReCAP staff: recruits, mentors, and evaluates team members; determines staffing needs; and fosters a positive, healthy, and safe work environment.
• Administers the BorrowDirect program and its $650,000 operating budget in collaboration with its Program Manager and community.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Master's or professional degree in library science or another area of cultural heritage.
• Ten or more years of relevant experience, including five or more years of progressive management experience in a large research library, especially in collection management, access, preservation, and/or library storage.
• Demonstrated success leading strategic planning efforts and guiding collaborative, multi‑institutional projects.
• Experience managing and developing both exempt and non‑exempt staff.
• Broad knowledge of the library community gained through roles in collection development, access services, technical services, and/or administration.
• Ability to work effectively and independently with a governing board.
• Strong consulting, negotiation, mediation, and interpersonal skills, with excellent public presentation abilities for a wide range of audiences.
• Sound business judgment and familiarity with procurement, budgeting, billing, and invoicing.
• Skill in collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to guide operational improvement and policy development.
• Experience engaging on the national and international stage.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of operations management principles, particularly inventory and supply chain management.
• Extensive experience with data reporting and analysis tools.
• Familiarity with enterprise information technology and library systems.
• Experience with facility management and construction or renovation projects.
• Familiarity with unions and collective bargaining arrangements.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full‑time position; salaries for part‑time positions are pro‑rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.

Standard Weekly Hours

36.25

Eligible for Overtime

No

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Probationary Period

180 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)

No

Physical Capacity Exam Required

No

Valid Driver’s License Required

No

Experience Level

Director#LI-SB1

Salary Range

$141,000 to $175,000