Head of Discovery Services

Code4lib; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Code4lib is seeking a Head of Discovery Services at the University of Houston Libraries to provide strategic leadership for discovery systems and enhance electronic resource access services. The role focuses on ensuring effective discovery experiences for library collections.

The successful candidate will establish departmental priorities, manage daily operations, and collaborate with colleagues to promote accessible and interoperable discovery experiences benefiting the university community.

Responsibilities

• Leadership of electronic resource access and troubleshooting.
• Oversight of technical configurations and continuous improvement of discovery experiences.
• Promotion of shared understandings of the features and limitations of discovery tools across the university community.
• Conducting user experience assessments of discovery pathways to inform service enhancements.
• Effective documentation and succession planning.
• Personnel management of the department, including coaching and support for goal setting and professional development.

Job description

Head of Discovery Services – University of Houston Libraries

University of Houston (UH) Libraries seeks a collaborative, forward‑thinking leader for the role of Head of Discovery Services. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Collections Strategies and Discovery (CSD), this position provides strategic leadership for discovery systems and electronic resource access services, ensuring effective discovery experiences by leveraging tools and services that support access to Libraries’ collections and global scholarship.

The successful candidate will establish departmental priorities and manage the daily operations of the Discovery Services department in alignment with CSD portfolio priorities and the Libraries’ strategic plan. In partnership with colleagues from across the CSD portfolio, the Libraries and the UH System, the Head of Discovery Services enables accessible and interoperable discovery experiences through proactive management, data‑informed decision‑making, and collaborative problem‑solving.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadership of electronic resource access and troubleshooting.
• Oversight of technical configurations and continuous improvement of discovery experiences.
• Promotion of shared understandings of the features and limitations of discovery tools across the university community.
• Conducting user experience assessments of discovery pathways to inform service enhancements.
• Effective documentation and succession planning.
• Personnel management of the department, including coaching and support for goal setting and professional development.