Head of Open Research

Building and Campus: This is currently a hybrid working role with both work from home and on campus. The role will be based in our department, currently in the Maughan Library on the Strand campus

Job description

About Us

The King’s community is dedicated to the service of society. King’s Strategic Vision 2029 sets out our vision for the future, shaped around five priority areas: educate to inspire and improve; research to inform and innovate; serve to shape and transform; a civic university at the heart of London; and an international community that services the world.

Within Libraries & Collections, we aspire to be leaders in enabling access to knowledge and information fundamental to this vision. Developments in digital education, e-research and AI are transforming our services. Our Open Library strategy outlines our ambitious plans and how they contribute to student success and research excellence.

We are very excited to be recruiting to the role of Head of Open Research at a time when Open Research has never been more important. Our Open Research team is responsible for working with King’s researchers in an exciting, complex, and fast-moving area. The team works to support the curation and dissemination of scholarly outputs – support for open access publishing, REF, research data management, and copyright; alongside the provision of an interlending service and wide range of subscription-based Library resources.

About the role

As Head of Open Research, you will work to drive forward and promote the openness of King’s world-class research. You will be a member of Libraries & Collections Senior Management Team, contributing to our overall strategic direction, providing operational leadership across our division and leading the Open Research team in developing and delivering services. You will play a leading role in planning our long-term transition from paywalled content to investing in open models of scholarly publishing. 

You will work closely with other heads of service to ensure delivery of our Open Library strategy and develop policy on collections and open research.

All Libraries & Collections staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their performance and development by identifying clear objectives, maintaining professional awareness, participating in professional networks, and reflecting on their performance. We expect all senior managers to adopt a positive, proactive, flexible, and committed approach that inspires and motivates others.

You will be expected to participate in frontline services, including contributing towards a Manager on Duty rota for evening and weekend work.

We particularly welcome applications from global majority ethnic candidates as they are underrepresented within Libraries & Collections at this level. We also encourage applications from candidates who have experience from both within and outside of the Higher Education sector where they can demonstrate the skills needed to succeed in this role.

Contract type

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract.

This is a full-time post, but we welcome applications from candidates seeking a flexible work pattern within our necessary service operating hours.

Closing date: 7 April 2024

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