Library Systems Administrator

Job Description

Job Description

Job Title: Alma Platform Manager

Employment Type: Full-Time with Benefits

Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the United States and able to obtain USDA facility-access approval, successfully pass a USDA background investigation, and complete required security and Privacy Act training.

Work Mode: Hybrid with periodic onsite meetings and training at the National Agricultural Library (NAL), Beltsville, MD, as required.

Security Clearance & Compliance Requirements:

• Must be able to obtain USDA facility-access approval.
• Must successfully pass a USDA background investigation prior to performance.
• Must complete all required USDA security and Privacy Act training.
• Must be available to support occasional onsite requirements with advance notice from the agency.

Position Overview:

Eigennet LLC is seeking an experienced Alma Platform Manager to support the National Agricultural Library (NAL), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under a FEDLINK Library Support Services contract. This individual will serve as the sole designated Key Personnel responsible for administering the Ex Libris Alma Library Services Platform (LSP) , supporting Python-based workflow automation, managing governance and change control activities, and collaborating across library, IT, and data management teams.

The ideal candidate will possess strong expertise in Alma administration, library metadata workflows, Python automation, database troubleshooting, and Agile delivery methodologies.

Responsibilities:

Alma System Administration

• Configure, manage, secure, and maintain Alma roles, permissions, profiles, integrations, normalization rules, and authentication/SSO configurations.
• Monitor Alma jobs and troubleshoot workflow disruptions impacting ingest, indexing, publishing, and preservation processes.
• Review audit logs and ensure platform stability and compliance.

Governance & Change Management

• Execute change management activities including impact analysis, testing, deployment planning, implementation, validation, and rollback procedures.
• Participate in Change Control Board (CCB) activities and maintain change lifecycle documentation.
• Support incident management and emergency change protocols.

Python Workflow Integration

• Maintain and enhance Python-based workflows used for automated data ingestion, transformation, indexing, synchronization, and error handling.
• Support integration of library systems with external platforms and services.
• Ensure secure credential management and data governance compliance.

Agile Team Participation

• Participate in sprint planning, backlog refinement, standups, retrospectives, and work decomposition activities.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to align technical work with change management and deployment schedules.
• Provide system-level expertise for library platform enhancements and operational improvements.

Monitoring & Reporting

• Maintain operational dashboards, monitoring tools, and continuity plans.
• Support backup and recovery testing procedures.
• Prepare monthly status reports, operational metrics, issue resolution logs, release notes, and change request documentation.

Experience Required:

• Demonstrated experience administering the Ex Libris Alma Library Services Platform (LSP) , including roles, permissions, metadata configuration, job monitoring, and troubleshooting.
• Experience developing and supporting Python-based workflow automation , data ingestion/transformation scripts, and system integrations.
• Experience diagnosing data flow, indexing, schema, and database-related issues in relational or cloud environments.
• Experience working within Agile/Scrum teams , including sprint planning, daily standups, retrospectives, and backlog management.
• Experience supporting change control processes, governance frameworks, release management, and lifecycle documentation .
• Experience maintaining secure integrations, credential management, and audit logging practices.
• Ability to support operational coverage during core hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM ET .

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with library metadata standards such as MARC21, Dublin Core, MODS, RDA , and related schemas.
• Strong knowledge of Alma metadata tools, normalization rules, templates, and mapping tables.
• Experience with configuration management, version control, and configuration drift remediation.
• Ability to troubleshoot cross-system integrations involving metadata, indexing, and preservation workflows.
• Experience using documentation and collaboration platforms such as Confluence , Jira, or similar tools.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical teams, library staff, government stakeholders, and external vendors.

Educational Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Information Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Data Science, Library and Information Science, or a related technical field.

Relevant Certifications:

• Certifications related to Ex Libris Alma, Agile/Scrum, Project Management, Python Development, Cloud Technologies, or Library Systems Administration are considered a plus.