Job Purpose

To manage and maintain efficient, high-quality workflows, processes and procedures for the delivery of the Digital Research Collections service.

To project manage the development of curated digital collections, ensuring processing activities meet project objectives, professional standards, best practice and institutional priorities.

To contribute to Library Collections service delivery; and to the University Library's overall service planning and continuous improvement.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Maintain and develop the processes, procedures, standards, and workflows underpinning the delivery of the Digital Research Collections service, ensuring the efficient and effective development and publication of curated digital collections.

2. Project manage the development and undertake the quality control of curated digital research collections. Prioritise, schedule and coordinate relevant processing activities (including conservation assessment, photography, transcription, and metadata enhancement) to ensure progress in line with project scope and timescale. Report on progress and highlight issues to management.

3. Undertake digital research collection processing activities in line with departmental standards. Ensure that accurate records of these activities are maintained within the relevant management systems.

4. Develop and maintain effective working relationships with Library Collections colleagues to ensure the effective delivery of processes and workflows supporting the Digital Research Collections service. Support collaborative problem-solving as a constructive approach to the resolution of issues – liaising across and within teams and escalating to management as appropriate.

5. Use expertise and knowledge to support the scoping of digital research collections projects; advising on overall feasibility, processing activities, resources and timescales required.

6. Ensure processing activities are in line with collection deposit terms, intellectual property rights, and data protection regulations.

7. Ensure the maintenance of relevant statistics and performance measures in line with ASC and Library requirements. Monitor and report on these to management in line with reporting cycle, highlighting and prioritising issues for further investigation.

8. Contribute to the delivery of Archives & Special Collections services, undertaking the roles of Engagement Supervisor and Duty Manager on a rota basis.

9. Actively engage with the University’s and Information Services’ initiatives to promote equality, diversity, and inclusion within the University’s community. Work constructively with Library Collections colleagues to develop inclusive, critical, and reflective professional practice.

10. Maintain personal and professional knowledge and awareness of trends and developments in the management and discovery of digital heritage collections through appropriate professional development, training courses, membership of professional bodies and attendance at conferences and events.

11. Support Library Collections’ and University’s wide-ranging activities; contributing to the delivery of services and the development of collections, responding constructively to ad hoc requests, and engaging with longer-term development and enhancement programmes.

12. Contribute to the enhancement of the University in line with the University’s Strategic Plan, World Changers Together.

Knowledge/Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Knowledge/Qualifications

Essential:

A1 Either: ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar or number of different roles. Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 8, (Ordinary Degree, Scottish Vocational Qualification Level 4) or equivalent (including professional accreditation with relevant formal training), and experience of personal development in a similar or related role(s).

A2 Demonstrable practical knowledge and understanding of archive, library or heritage collections management.

A3 Detailed knowledge and understanding of archives and library principles, practices, and standards.

A4 Knowledge and understanding of the relevant legislative and regulatory framework, including intellectual property and data protection.

A5 A clear commitment to continuous professional development (for example: working towards post-qualification membership of a relevant professional association).

Desirable:

B1 A post-graduate qualification in the field of library / archives / museum studies / heritage discipline.

B2 Knowledge and understanding of the higher education sector.

B3 Digitisation standards, image licensing and digital image delivery and management systems.

Skills

Essential:

C1 Highly effective written and oral communication skills, with a particular ability to communicate information of a specialist or highly technical nature at a level and in a format appropriate to the audience.

C2 Excellent interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build effective collaborative working relationships within and across service teams to achieve goals.

C3 Effective workload management skills with good planning and prioritising skills; a flexible approach to changing priorities, working practices, and work environment; and the ability to work effectively across multiple activities simultaneously.

C4 Well-developed IT skills, including the use of collection, content and/or asset management systems.

C5 Effective analytical skills demonstrating excellent problem-solving capability.

C6 High level of accuracy and attention to detail.

C7 Ability to exercise initiative and work independently but also as part of a team.

C8 Excellent manual handling skills, with both gross and fine motor skills. C9 Ability to write clear, accessible and collections-focused content for online delivery.

Desirable:

D1 Working as part of an interdisciplinary team.

D2 Ability to effectively clean, analyse, and manipulate structured data – such as metadata or tabular data – for use in digital collections or content management systems, using tools such as Microsoft Excel, OpenRefine, Python (e.g. pandas), or XML/XSLT).

D3 Commitment to continuous professional development to enhance own skills and knowledge.

D4 Experience with web accessibility standards and inclusive content design.

Experience

** Essential:**

E1 Relevant practical experience in the processing (e.g. arrangement, description, digitisation) of library, manuscript, or archival collections.

E2 Experience of planning and progressing work activities within professional guidelines or organisational policy, applying initiative and independent judgement.

E3 Experience of working independently and resolving unforeseen issues and challenges.

E4 Proven track record of delivering projects using recognised project management techniques.

E5 Experience of maintaining progress across multiple work activities simultaneously.

E6 Proven commitment to supporting the career development of colleagues and to other forms of collegiality appropriate to the career stage.

Desirable:

F1 Practical experience in the delivery of heritage collections as fully digital assets; digital images and enhanced metadata.

F2 Involvement in the development or delivery of inclusion and equality programme activities.

F3 Experience of supervising or line managing staff, interns or volunteers.

F4 Representation of organisation within external professional or sectoral organisation.

F5 Experience supporting or contributing to grant-funded or externally funded digitisation or digital scholarship projects.

Terms and Conditions

Salary will be Grade 6, £33,482 - £37,174 per annum.

This post is full time & open ended.

Closing Date: 23:45 12th June 2025

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.  If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University  https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/.

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/.

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.