Faculty Positions

Position Title / Rank: Assistant or Associate Librarian, and Acting Head of Learning & Curriculum Support (L&CS) (Open to University of Guelph Internal Applicants Only)

College: McLaughlin Library

Department: Learning & Curriculum Support (L&CS)

Date Posted: September 27, 2023
Deadline: October 12, 2023 or until a suitable candidate is found
Please reference AD #23-56

Position Description:

The McLaughlin Library invites applications from internal applicants to fill the position of Acting Head, Learning & Curriculum Support, a Contractually Limited Appointment ending March 31, 2025. The position will be filled at the Assistant or Associate librarian level. This senior leadership position reports to the Associate University Librarian, Academic, and is a member of the library’s Senior Leadership Team.

Position Description

Leadership & Planning:   

  • Provide strategic leadership and oversight for the staff and operations of the Learning & Curriculum Support (L&CS) Team, which provides expertise, services, and resources to advance the university’s teaching and learning objectives. The group of sub-teams support access to materials, research help, student learning, retention, and success by delivering a range of curricular and co-curricular services to address academic literacies and professional skills.
  • Initiate, develop, and maintain strategic, collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders both within and outside of the University (e.g., Curriculum Committees; Office of Teaching & Learning; OpenEd, AVPA, AVPGS). Lead the L&CS team to develop and prioritize these opportunities.
  • As a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), participate in the collaborative management of the library, including strategic planning, administrative coordination that includes policy development, alignment of services and programs with strategic objectives, assessment, and organizational culture and development.

Management of Resources:

  • Oversee a team of approximately 30 regular full-time employees, including P&M, librarians, and support staff. Teams within L&CS also employ over 140 students including Peer Helpers in the academic year.
  • Provide guidance and coordination for staff activities and decisions, assigning responsibilities, workload, and special projects.
  • Develop and adapt strategies to deliver effective, efficient core services to meet the evolving needs of the University of Guelph academic community.
  • Develop and implement operational procedures and policies to guide decision-making and practice in all areas related to the team.
  • Lead the team in establishing, managing and disseminating metrics that represent the impact of L&CS core activities.

Change Leadership:

  • Lead and manage change in line with team, library, and institutional goals.
  • Seek different points of view by asking questions, exploring options and soliciting feedback.
  • Lead L&CS teams in identifying problems and solutions within an atmosphere of continuous change.

Required Qualifications:

  • An ALA accredited MLIS or equivalent degree
  • Minimum of five years of experience as a professional librarian in an academic setting, with increasing levels of responsibility (e.g., managing staff, projects, resources, budget)
  • Evidence of substantial professional experience with or knowledge of curriculum support services, such as information literacy, access services, accessibility, learning, writing, or media.
  • Demonstrated user-centered service philosophy, with exceptional ability to build partnerships with colleagues, users and partners on campus and beyond
  • Demonstrated experience leading and managing complex projects (developing proposals, timelines, budgets, staffing plans, etc.)
  • Experience envisioning, establishing, and implementing high-level strategy and services in support of research, teaching, and learning
  • Experience supervising a diverse group of staff and the ability to be a collaborative, inclusive leader
  • Demonstrated effectiveness in verbal and written communication

The University of Guelph is the third largest employer in Guelph, a city of approximately 130,000 people, located about an hour drive west of Toronto, Ontario. University of Guelph is a top-ranked comprehensive university in Canada with an enrolment of over 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students across over 40 academic units. The University is known for its commitment to student learning, innovative research, and collaboration with world-class partners. It is a unique place, with transformative research and teaching and a distinctive campus culture. People who learn and work here are shaped and inspired by a shared purpose: To Improve Life. Reflecting that shared purpose in every experience connected to our university positions us to create positive change, here and around the world. Our university community shares a profound sense of social responsibility, a drive for international development, and an obligation to address global issues.

Application Process

Assessment of applications will begin on October 12, 2023 and will continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit the following materials:

  • A statement of interest and vision for the position demonstrating how their qualifications and experience relate to the responsibilities, duties and required qualifications of the position,
  • A curriculum vitae, and
  • Names of at least three references, including one direct supervisor, one peer/collaborator, and one direct report; all for either most recent or immediately prior position. (References will not be contacted without consent).

Please submit application as a single PDF by email to libhire@uoguelph.ca by end of day October 12, 2023.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care, and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.

The University of Guelph resides on the ancestral lands of the Attawandaron people and the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit and we offer our respect to our Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Métis neighbours as we strive to strengthen our relationships with them.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion (https://uoguel.ph/ox2p9) is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

If you require a medical accommodation during the recruitment or selection process, please contact Occupational Health and Wellness at 519-824-4120 x52674.