ATLA (American Theological Library Association) seeks a highly collaborative, proactive, and innovative person to leading the Association’s open access publishing initiatives as its Scholarly Communication/Open Access Publishing Manager. This position coordinates multiple Editorial Boards to support open access publishing of major works, issues of contention, and schools of thought that propel research in religion and theology; develop knowledge and skills in librarianship, pedagogy, and research methodology; and represent specialized topics of interest religion and theology. This position works both independently and collaboratively to provide outreach and support for open publishing initiatives, raise awareness of open access and scholarly communication issues including open educational resources, and develop professional development opportunities for ATLA members in the areas of open publishing. This position develops collaborative open publishing projects for the benefit of members and to support expanded access to scholarship in religion and theology. This position conducts member needs assessment; supports and maintains publishing platforms and tools; assesses education and training needs and arranges professional development programs; designs and implements programs that leverage member knowledge and expertise, supports standards, and shapes connections between instructional programming, scholarly communication, and libraries. This position is responsible for working closely with colleagues and managing relationships with members and prospective content contributors, partners, the open access publishing community, consultants, and vendors.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Manage the operations of four open access publications ranging from a monographs series to a journal to conference proceedings. Facilitate the work of the Editorial Boards for each imprint including supporting publishing platform technology, implementing marketing plans, and coordinating use of standards.
- Promote open access, scholarly communication, and open educational resources to members.
- Maintain in-depth knowledge of standards and best practices, established and emerging technologies, and both national and international open publishing programs in the digital library sphere. Network, collaborate, and participate in organizations and groups regarding open publishing and scholarly communication issues.
- Develop, identify instructors, and coordinate professional development opportunities for members including webinars, workshops and presentations online and/or in person in the areas of open access and scholarly communication.
- Create programs and tools to assist members in leading and/or supporting open access and scholarly communication initiatives at their institution including documentation such as guidelines, protocols, and best practices for communicating with administrators, faculty, and researchers.
- Serve as a resource for open publishing, copyright, fair use, and open access issues
- Participate in efforts to promote, manage, and make accessible open educational resources through partnerships with members and other organizations.
- Conduct research including surveys, focus groups, interviews and visits, to understand the current landscape and needs of members relating to open publishing.
- Maintain and support open publishing platform technology, working closely with the Digital Projects Manager and Information Systems staff.
- Liaise with prospective partners and other peer organizations, vendors, the open publishing community, consultants, and vendors. Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, collaborators, and colleagues.
- Represent the association at conferences, workshops, symposia, regional meetings, etc.
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:
- Master’s degree in library and information science or equivalent field; or four to ten years related experience and/or training
- Two years’ experience working in a library, cultural heritage organization, or affiliated educational, nonprofit, or professional organization
- Proven proficiency in managing open publishing projects, including communication and outreach activities
- Demonstrated experience with publishing technologies such as OJS, OMP
- Experience consulting with teaching faculty, administrators, and students on research or scholarly topics
- Working knowledge of scholarly communication, intellectual property, rights management, open access, and open educational resources
- Knowledge of new scholarly publishing models and the economics underlying them
- Experience working with scholarly societies, associations, or editorial boards of journals
- Experience coordinating the activities of a small team toward discrete goals
- Demonstrated ability to work in collaborative environment
- Professional experience building institutional relationships
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:
- Knowledge of repository software
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing financial strategies for project or program sustainability
- Evidence of potential to succeed in a rapidly changing environment
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
- Must be willing and able to travel throughout North America via plane, train, automobile, and other means. Occasional international travel required.
- Must have a valid driver’s license and passport (or legal ability to acquire one).
- Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
ATLA is an equal opportunity employer located in downtown Chicago. This position is a full-time position and may work onsite in the ATLA offices or remotely. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. ATLA offers an excellent benefits package.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. For more information about ATLA, please visit our web site at: www.atla.com.
To apply, please e-mail (1) a letter of application specifically addressing qualifications for the position, (2) a current resume, and (3) the names and contact information for three references to jobs@atla.com. Please include “Scholarly Communication/Open Access Publishing Manager” in the subject line. No phone calls.