Head of Technical Services & Metadata Innovation

Harvard University FAS Human Resources; Cambridge (MA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Medical, dental & vision coverage

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Harvard Radcliffe Institute is seeking a Head of Technical Services to lead a reimagined unit overseeing archival processing, cataloging, acquisitions, and metadata across formats. You will set strategy, champion new tools, and guide sustainable workflows to support discovery and access.

The role emphasizes collaboration with curatorial and digital services, leadership in a complex, lab-like environment, and advancing technical services for a future-ready library.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in library/information science or equivalent.
• Six years of professional library experience in a large academic or special collections library.
• Experience with metadata standards and diverse formats.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for archival processing and cataloging.
• Develop integrated, end-to-end technical services workflows.
• Lead department policies for metadata creation and processing.
• Oversee cross-department projects and backlog reduction.
• Collaborate with curatorial, Research Services and Digital Collections teams.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Change management

Metadata standards

Education

Master’s degree in library/information science or related field

Tools

ArchivesSpace

Aviary

Ex Libris Alma

JSTOR Forum

Job description

Harvard Radcliffe Institute is seeking a Head of Technical Services to lead a reimagined unit overseeing archival processing, cataloging, acquisitions, and metadata across formats. You will set strategy, champion new tools, and guide sustainable workflows to support discovery and access.

The role emphasizes collaboration with curatorial and digital services, leadership in a complex, lab-like environment, and advancing technical services for a future-ready library.