Director, Research Library Partnerships Programs

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The Job Details Are As Follows

The Research Library Partnership (RLP) Director provides strategic and operational leadership for OCLC's Research Library Partnership, an established global partnership rooted in research libraries. In this role, the Director will explore and evaluate options to support a more inclusive library partnership model, including potential new affiliation models that could encompass additional library types (such as public and national libraries) and inform future evolution of the programming portfolio. Working in close partnership with Senior Program Officers (SPOs) who lead specific program areas, such as Metadata Leadership & Innovation, Resource Sharing, and the SHARES Community, the RLP Director ensures that RLP activities are well coordinated, strategically aligned, and delivered in a consistent, high quality manner. The RLP Director is also responsible for managing up to two Innovation Fellows, domain experts on 18-24 month contracts. This role serves as the organizational and connective center of the RLP, setting overall direction, translating strategy into execution, supporting SPOs in their work with partners, and ensuring that the program functions smoothly as a coherent whole. The RLP Director reports to the Executive Director of Research and Programming, and plays a key role in sustaining strong relationships with partner libraries across regions and domains.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Leadership and Coordination: Provide day-to-day leadership for the overall RLP program, ensuring that activities across multiple focus areas are aligned, complementary, and delivered on schedule. Develop and maintain an integrated annual calendar of RLP engagementssuch as webinars, partner forums, focus group meetings, and working group milestonesin collaboration with Senior Program Officers. Act as the central point of coordination to prevent duplication, manage dependencies, and ensure a consistent partner experience across the program.
• Operational Management and Delivery: Oversee the operational planning and execution of RLP activities. This includes managing logistics for virtual and in-person events, coordinating platforms and tools, supporting communications and materials, and ensuring appropriate follow-up and documentation. The RLP Director acts as the operational anchor for the RLP, enabling SPOs to focus on content leadership and partner engagement while ensuring that program delivery is reliable and effective.
• Team Leadership and Support: Lead and support a small team of program staff, including Senior Program Officers, by facilitating regular coordination meetings, supporting shared planning, and encouraging cross-program learning. Provide guidance on project planning, partner engagement practices, and internal collaboration. While SPOs lead substantive agendas within their domains, the RLP Director helps prioritize work across the portfolio, balancing strategic goals with available capacity and resources.
• Membership and Partner Management: Serve as the business and operational manager for RLP membership. Maintain accurate records of partner institutions, contacts, and engagement history, and coordinate closely with OCLC colleagues on billing, renewals, and membership status. Support partner recruitment and onboarding efforts by working with Member Relations and responding to inquiries from prospective partners, articulating the value and structure of the RLP program. This role emphasizes relationship stewardship and continuity rather than sales.
• Engagement Metrics and Program Assessment: Establish and maintain a systematic approach to tracking partner engagement and program performance. Define and monitor key indicatorssuch as participation levels, attendance, feedback, and collaborative outputsand use this data to inform planning and improvement. Work with SPOs and the Executive Director to identify trends, address gaps in engagement, and demonstrate the impact and value of the RLP to partners and internal stakeholders.
• Communication and Reporting: Coordinate RLP communications to partners and internal audiences, ensuring clarity, consistency, and alignment with OCLC messaging and brand guidelines. Support the development and distribution of newsletters, announcements, and summaries of outcomes, and collaborate with communications colleagues to amplify RLP work through appropriate channels. Internally, prepare concise updates and briefings that highlight RLP activities, insights, and accomplishments.
• Continuous Improvement and Adaptation: Support the ongoing evolution of the RLP by soliciting and synthesizing feedback from partners and staff, coordinating annual partner surveys, and contributing to program review and planning processes. Explore and propose new affiliation models to support a more inclusive Library Partnership program (including public and national libraries), and evolve the programming portfolio, engagement approaches, and value proposition accordingly. Work with the Research and Programming leadership team and SPOs to adjust program structures and approaches in response to partner needs and broader developments in the library community.

Qualifications

• Experience and Education: 10+ years of progressively responsible experience leading complex programs, portfolios, or membership-based initiatives (e.g., consortial or association management), preferably within or alongside the academic, research, public, or national library environment. Demonstrated people-management experience (directly managing and developing staff) is required. A bachelor's degree is required; an MLIS or other relevant advanced degree is strongly preferred. Experience supporting membership-based or community-driven programs is highly valued.
• Program and Project Management Expertise: Demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-stream programs; coordinate people and activities across roles; and deliver results on time and within budget. Comfort using project management, collaboration, and event platforms is expected. Formal project management training or certification is a plus, but practical experience and sound judgment are essential.
• Organizational and Financial Acumen: Ability to work with budgets, financial reports, and participation data to support planning and decision-making. Experience overseeing program or event budgets and tracking operational performance is desirable.
• Communication and Relationship-Building Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, professional materials and to interact effectively with diverse stakeholders. A collaborative, service-oriented approach is essential, as the role involves close partnership with Senior Program Officers, internal colleagues, and leaders from research, public, and national libraries around the world.
• Knowledge of the Library Landscape: Familiarity with major issues and trends affecting librariessuch as collaboration, metadata, resource sharing, and research supportis important for contextualizing RLP activities and supporting conversations with partners. While this role does not require deep subject-matter specialization, an understanding of the environments in which partner libraries operate (including research, public, and national libraries) is essential.

Working Conditions: Normal office environment.

ADA/EAA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.