Digital Initiatives & Digitization Program Officer

Digital Initiatives & Digitization Program Officer Job Description

Full-time | Onsite, Chicago, IL | Expected Starting Salary: $ 80,000 - $90,000

Summary

The Center for Research Libraries seeks an innovative and collaborative librarian to lead and enhance access to electronic resources and digital research materials. Reporting to the Director of Collections, Access & Technology, this position develops and implements solutions that improve discovery and access to CRL’s extensive digital collections. Working closely with colleagues in Global Collections, Access Initiatives, Collection Care, and Metadata Services, this role advances sustainable strategies for building and maintaining CRL’s digital infrastructure and online access. This position plays a vital role in shaping CRL’s digitization program, overseeing day-to-day operations that support both on-demand and project-based scanning. The librarian supervises the onsite digitization team and external digitization services, ensuring workflows are efficient, cost-effective, responsive to member needs, and aligned with long-term collection goals. The role offers significant opportunities to develop collaborative digital projects with member institutions and external partners, extending the reach and impact of CRL’s collections. The position also contributes to evaluating and implementing AI-enabled tools and other emerging technologies to enhance access to electronic resources, transform library processes, and support evolving digital research methods. This is a unique opportunity to influence both operational practice and strategic direction, developing forward-looking, scalable solutions that support researchers and strengthen CRL’s role as a collaborative, member-driven organization.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Digital Access and Discovery

  • Oversees access to CRL’s digital resources, including management of holdings in TIND DA and integration with major discovery systems used by member libraries 
  • Enhances user access by proactively identifying and resolving issues related to authentication, delivery, and platform performance.
  • Administers and evolves CRL’s authentication framework, ensuring alignment with member systems and improving access models.
  • Serves as a primary point of contact for digital access inquiries from members, researchers, and CRL staff.
  • Collaborates with vendors and member institutions to resolve access issues, improve interoperability, and promote effective use of CRL collections.

Digitization and Operations

  • Leads and supervises the digitization and digital metadata teams, coordinating workflows and priorities.

  • Manages CRL’s digitization program, balancing on-demand requests and project scanning.
  • Establishes and maintains workflows, documentation, and best practices for digitization and digital resource management
  • Identifies and integrates external digitization services with internal capabilities to provide scalable and cost-effective capacity
  • Develops proactive strategies for identifying, diagnosing, and resolving access and delivery issues

Collaboration and Lifecycle Management

  • Works closely with colleagues across Global Collections, Access Initiatives, Collection Care, and Metadata Services to support the full lifecycle of digital resources.
  • Partners with metadata colleagues on enhancement and cleanup projects to ensure accurate, discoverable records 
  • Develops collaborative digital initiatives with member institutions and external partners to expand access and impact.

Innovation and Emerging Technologies

  • Explores, evaluates, and implements emerging technologies—including AI tools—to improve access, digitization workflows, and operational efficiency 
  • Shares findings and recommendations to support cross-functional understanding and organizational learning 

Training & Professional Engagement

  • Serves as a point of expertise for members, designing and leading training and engagement on digital access, authentication, and emerging tools

  • Develops expertise in evolving standards, technologies, and practices related to digital access and discovery.

  • Engages with CRL members and relevant professional communities as part of ongoing professional development and outreach activities

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited institution or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience 
  • Minimum of five years of experience in digital resource management, e-resource access, or digitization services at an academic or research library.
  • Demonstrated experience managing or coordinating workflows and staff
  • Familiarity with authentication systems (e.g., EZproxy, OpenAthens) and access management practices
  • Familiarity with metadata standards and practices supporting digital collections
  • Ability to evaluate, test, and implement technologies supporting digitization, access, and discovery (e.g., platforms, tools, or equipment)
  • Ability to communicate technical concepts, challenges, and solutions to both technical and non-technical audiences
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with digitization workflows, including scanning operations, quality control, or digital asset management systems.
  • Experience working with vendors, publishers, or service providers to support access, systems, or digital content.
  • Experience exploring, piloting, or implementing innovative technologies in a library environment, including automation or AI-enabled tools  
  • Experience collaborating across institutions or participating in consortial or shared initiatives

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform this job. The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to moderate noise levels within the general office setting.

While performing the duties of the position, the employee is frequently required to talk and/or listen. The employee is frequently required to sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is regularly required to stand and walk, and to use a keyboard for input of text, numbers and other content into a computer or system, and to read information in electronic form displayed on a screen or monitor or carried via another output device. The employee occasionally must use his/her hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, and ability to adjust focus.   

Supervisory Responsibilities

Responsible for the supervision of digitization and digital metadata teams.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, permanent position with an expected starting salary of $80,000 to $90,000. CRL offers competitive benefits including health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, and flexible PTO including vacation, sick, personal time, 2 floating, and 12 paid holidays per year. In addition, CRL offers generous retirement benefits with a monthly 10% contribution after a year of employment (immediately vested). Employees will receive funding for professional development activities.;

Application Process

Expertise in each requirement listed above is not expected — instead, we encourage applications from those who demonstrate a mix of expertise in some areas and commitment to learning and experimentation in others. Skills and relevant experience outlined in your application may be paid or unpaid and can include internships, volunteer work, and practicums. We understand that experience, education, learning, and creativity take many forms and expect that qualified applicants may bring additional skills to this position that we’ve not considered or listed here. If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply! 

To be considered for this position, please submit a cover letter and resume to hrteam@crl.edu. Please include ‘Digital Initiatives & Digitization Program Officer’ in the subject line. We are keen to fill this important position on our team, and applications will be received until the position is filled. Applications received by close of business Tuesday, September 1, 2026, will be given priority attention. 

Equal Opportunity Employer

CRL is committed to actively promoting the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion as key components for serving our members and advancing our global mission. As such, CRL is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment, hiring and employment and is dedicated to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at CRL are based on organization needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. CRL will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Travel Requirements

Occasional travel may be required for training opportunities and /or meetings

Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skill, and/or abilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbent will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently.  All duties and requirements are essential for job functions.

All requirements are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. The management of the Center reserves the right to exclude from employment individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves or other employees. 

This position description does not state or imply that these are the sole duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other position-related instructions and to perform any other position-related duties requested by their supervisor(s).

This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" employment relationship.