Job Details

Director, Academic Engagement

Position Number: 6420754
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Position Type: Libraries

Director, Academic Engagement

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Director, Academic Engagement

Job Profile Title
Associate Director, University Library A

Job Description Summary
The Director of Academic Engagement develops and stewards Penn Libraries' support for, and integration with, the academic and research activities of the University. In alignment with Penn Libraries' Strategic Plan, Knowledge for Life, the Director will provide programmatic leadership for academic outreach and engagement with campus and community partners. The Director will lead and evolve a portfolio of library research and consultation services that strengthen learning and information literacy and promote access to collections, tools, and expertise relevant to the full research lifecycle. The role is responsible for coordination and collaborative approaches that leverage the Libraries' distributed expertise among subject liaison roles and data and digital specialists.
This position has five direct reports. These are: the Student Engagement Librarian, the Community Engagement Librarian, the Assistant Director for STEM Libraries/Engineering Librarian, the Head of the Levy Dental Medicine Library, and the Head of the Veterinary Medicine Libraries.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Build collaborative relationships and engage and align strategically with University partners, on behalf of the Libraries' commitment to educating and preparing Penn students to serve as informed leaders and global citizens.
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of five librarians who lead units that advance outreach, learning, and interdisciplinary research. Direct reports include the Student Engagement Librarian, the Community Engagement librarian, the Head of the Levy Dental Medicine Library, the Head of the Veterinary Medicine Libraries, and the Assistant Director, STEM Libraries/Engineering Librarian.
Direct and evolve Penn Libraries' information literacy programming, with emphasis on strategic initiatives designed to strengthen AI literacy and lifelong learning. Develop and assess the Libraries' approaches to providing course-integrated and scaffolded workshops, digital and customizable learning modules, and management of online research guides.
Direct and evolve Penn Libraries' information and consultation services, to strengthen the Penn community's access to collections, data, research tools, and subject based and interdisciplinary expertise.
Collaboratively plan for the future of the libraries' physical and virtual service points, with attention to training, staffing, scheduling, referral structures, and evaluation of vendor tools and platforms.
Develop and evaluate models for Penn Libraries' programmatic approaches to academic and research engagement. Facilitate working groups as needed to strengthen coordinated and proactive engagement across the research lifecycle, with attention to service integration in areas of growing impact, including evidence synthesis, bioinformatics, and public access.
Contribute to the strategic leadership and planning activities for the Libraries' Collections and Scholarly Communications (CSC) division, including programming for CSC division meetings, alignment of goals and initiatives with the Penn Libraries strategic plan, and the development of inclusive communication structures.
Contribute to the coordination of outreach and engagement on behalf of Penn Libraries' portfolio of departmental libraries, ensuring alignment and proactive communication with Penn's academic communities.
Perform additional duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required:

Master's degree in library science, information science, or equivalent in a relevant field.
7 - 10 years of experience, including 2-5 years experience providing research and/or information literacy services.
Strong record of collaboration with academic and external partners.
Excellent communication and collaborative skills.

Preferred:

Experience managing or working in a departmental, satellite, or campus library.
Experience providing or coordinating library research services for STEM communities.
2-5 years supervisory experience in an academic library setting.

Application Requirement

A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
University Library

Pay Range
$130,000.00 - $140,000.00 Annual Rate
Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.
To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Van-Pelt-Library/Director--Academic-Engagement_JR00109011