Research Services Associate

Special Instructions to Applicants: In PDF form, applicants should attach a cover letter addressing how their skills and experience align with the position. Please also attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

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

Under general supervision, the Research Services Associate serves as a research resource for the campus community and visitors. The position contributes to service delivery and provides essential support for the Research Services team’s projects and programs in the areas of research assistance, teaching support, collection development and management, and outreach.  

The ideal candidate enjoys library research and is enthusiastic about supporting others in using Fondren Library’s rich and extensive research resources. They have strong communication and organization skills. They enjoy collaborative projects as well as independent work.

Workplace Requirements

This position is primarily on-site, necessitating most duties to be performed in-person at Fondren Library during regular workday hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Some remote work assignments are possible, depending on service and project needs. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary is $16.83 to $20.24 an hour, depending on qualifications and experience.  *Non-exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Associate's Degree or equivalent
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis. 
• 3+ years’ experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis. 

Skills: 

• Strong public service orientation and customer service skills
• Ability to search relevant databases and the integrated library system 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, specifically Word and Excel, as well as Google Workspace. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to stay current with technology changes involving library and campus services and resources
• Ability to learn and guide others in library practices and procedures
• Strong organizational skills
• Good working knowledge of library principles, practices, and terminology

Preferences

• Teaching or training experience  

Essential Functions

• Provides advanced research guidance to on and offsite researchers, making referrals as appropriate
• Assists in developing research guides, tutorials, and other learning tools
• Assists in orienting campus researchers and visitors to Fondren’s services, spaces, and collections 
• Coordinates library orientation or instruction requests from area schools and related groups
• Assists in finding, acquiring, and organizing materials for the library’s collection
• Maintains data on research services programs; generates reports on activities as needed, and assists with service assessment projects
• Particip