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Geospatial Information System (GIS) Librarian & Coordinator for Data, GIS, and Maps

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Position description

Geospatial Information System (GIS) Librarian & Coordinator for Data, GIS, and Maps

The Library seeks applications from highly motivated, innovative, collaborative, and service-oriented professionals to join the Library as our GIS Librarian and Coordinator for Data, GIS, and Maps (Assistant, Associate or Full Librarian). This position reports to the Program Director of the Library’s Reference and Research Advisory Services (RRAS). The University of California San Diego Library is committed to supporting academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body.

The University and the Library
With nearly 30,000 students, UC San Diego is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through excellence in education and research at the undergraduate, graduate, professional school and postdoctoral levels. UC San Diego has been recognized as one of the top 10 public universities in the nation by US News & World Report, as well as one of the top schools for medical research. UC San Diego is also in the top 10 of all universities in the nation in receiving federal R&D research grants. The UC San Diego Library plays a critical role in advancing and supporting the university's research, teaching, patient care, and public service missions.

About the Library Program
The Reference & Research Advisory Services Program is responsible for providing reference and research advisory services in support of UC San Diego’s teaching, learning and research activities. The Program strives to provide reference and research support expertise, enable learners to become effective, efficient, and ethical information users, and encourages self-directed inquiry. Within this framework, the Program’s focus is to provide students, faculty and staff with specialized, point-of-need, or embedded assistance that will enable them to fulfill their information needs.

About the Position
As the use of geospatial data across academic disciplines and the broader UC San Diego campus continues to expand, the GIS Librarian plays a critical role in leading and developing the Library's GIS services for learning, teaching, and research. GIS is a vital component of library services, and the GIS Librarian is the leader within the UC San Diego Library for developing, managing and providing geospatial data and services.

As the Coordinator for Data, GIS, and Maps, s/he leads the development and management of the service unit, including Data, Geospatial, and Maps Services, to meet user needs on campus, in the Library, and in the Data & GIS Lab. The GIS Librarian coordinates the activities of the Data Services Librarian and the Map Librarian and reports to the Program Director of RRAS,

Responsibilities of the Position
• Leads, develops, and promotes GIS services and resources to meet curricular and research needs on campus
• Serves as the GIS specialist for research assistance, assisting in person and virtual users
• Collaborates with librarians, library staff, and campus communities to provide instructional services, including general and specialized GIS instruction
• Partners with subject librarians for liaison and outreach to academic departments and programs on campus
• Collaborates with other Library programs to develop and implement strategies to support the acquisition, management and preservation of GIS Data
• Provides vision and leadership to develop and expand Data, GIS, and Maps services
• Coordinates the work of the Data Services Librarian and the Map Librarian
• Oversees the daily operations of the Library’s Data & GIS Lab
• Serves on the RRAS Management Team and participates in program development and administration

Required Qualifications
• Master's degree in library and information science with a concentration or advanced coursework in GIS, or equivalent
• Proficient with GIS software with a focus on ESRI ArcGIS and an understanding of how to interact with GIS software programmatically
• Experience working with geospatial data, metadata standards, and formats
• Experience working with geospatial data in special software such as Sketch-UP, Matlab, R, SPSS or SAS
• Experience teaching the use of GIS in a library environment
• Experience providing reference service in an academic or research library
• Ability to develop effective relationships between the Library and other campus units
• Experience managing or coordinating the work of staff and/or librarians
• Superior organizational, analytical and communication skills
• Candidate must have a strong commitment to excellence in service and be able to work both independently and collaboratively
• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education

Desired Qualifications
• Additional degree or certificate in related field
• Experience with programming language such as Python, Perl, or PHP
• Experience with open-source and web-based GIS tools (OpenLayers, Leaflet, Open GeoPortal, Harvard WorldMap, QGIS, ArcGIS Online, etc.)
• Experience with data visualization tools, software and concepts as related to geospatial information
• Three years or more management experience in an academic or research library

Librarians at UC San Diego are academic appointees and entitled to appropriate professional leave and all other perquisites granted to non-faculty academic personnel. Librarians at UC San Diego are expected to participate in library-wide and system-wide planning and governance and to be professionally active. The successful candidate will have an appreciation of, a sensitivity to, and respect for a rich and diverse academic environment, inclusive of students, faculty, and staff of varying social, economic, cultural, ideological and ethnic backgrounds, and those with disabilities.

Salary: Salary and level of appointment in the Librarian series commensurate with qualifications and experience and based on the University of California pay scales.

Closing Date: Deadline for applications is July 24th, 2015.

To Apply: For full consideration, please submit applications to: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF00817

Please provide the following:

• A short application letter addressing your interest in this position and applicable qualifications
• A resume of education and relevant experience
• The names of at least three persons who are knowledgeable about your qualifications and/or suitability for this position
• A personal statement summarizing your past or planned contributions to diversity.
AA-EOE: UCSD is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer with a strong institutional commitment to excellence through diversity.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

  • Cover Letter

  • Statement of Contributions to diversity - Applicants should summarize their past or potential contributions to diversity. See our Faculty Equity site for more information.

  • Misc / Additional - additional documents, references
    (Optional)

  • Misc / Additional - additional documents, references
    (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)