Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application. Inquiries: Lisa Spiro (Search Coordinator), lspiro@rice.edu

We will evaluate your application based on your cover letter and resume, so you do not need to fill out the Work History and Education sections of the online application.

For more information about working at Fondren Library, please see https://library.rice.edu/content/employment.

This position is unable to provide visa sponsorship.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in how we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name -- RICE -- Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Cataloging and Metadata Services team at Fondren Library is seeking a Metadata Analyst. This is a professional librarian position which takes a creative approach to library data by gathering datasets, looking for quality indicators or discrepancies, and applying improvements as appropriate. This position collaborates with others on local and regional digital projects. Provides training or technical advice to library staff regarding resource description and metadata assignment. The position specializes in examining the library's catalog data on a large scale rather than cataloging or making fixes to individual items.

The ideal candidate for this role is inquisitive about library standards and local practices. They can assess and compare data to identify anomalies. They are able to explore data for inconsistencies and find conditions that should not exist. They are communicative and able to work with people in all departments of the library to create solutions to identified problems. They are interested in programming languages to efficiently address data issues on a large scale. They are big-picture thinkers and advocate for metadata alignment across systems.

Workplace Requirements

Following a six-month probationary period, this full-time position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. The role is expected to be on campus 80% of working hours, though additional remote work time may be arranged. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $63,100 to $68,100 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Master's degree from an ALA-accredited program or equivalent library and/or information science program
• Two or more years of experience working in an academic library
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Project experience adjusting large-scale library metadata
• Proven ability to identify problems with library datasets
• A background working with institutional repositories
• Experience with MARC metadata
• Experience with non-MARC metadata (could include Dublin Core, EAD, METS/MODS, etc.)

Preferences

Preferred qualifications are not required, but please share with us how your experience and interests align with the position. We also commit to helping future colleagues develop and grow professionally.

• Specialized work experience focusing on metadata, cataloging, or library systems
• Experience working with OpenRefine
• Experience working with the Ex Libris Alma/Primo library services platform
• Knowledge of or a willingness to learn Python
• Knowledge of SQL and Oracle databases a plus

Essential Functions

• Manages special cataloging and metadata cleanup projects as assigned by the department head
• Assists other departments and work groups in developing controlled metadata fields
• Acts as liaison for metadata projects with other departments within the library and/or other campus groups
• Creates and modifies reports of library metadata as needed for a variety of library projects
• Provides quality control and documentation for metadata relating to cultural heritage and research data repositories
• Provides training or technical advice to library staff regarding resource description and metadata assignment
• Manages large, complex, or multi-faceted projects, several projects concurrently as needed

Additional Functions

• Participates in departmental and library-wide committees and work groups established to further various aspects of the Fondren Library mission
• Assists in other cataloging activities as needed
• Stays current with national metadata standards, schemas, responsible for interpreting and adapting those for local purposes
• Performs other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.