Head of Research & Engagement - Libraries

Working Title: Head of Research & Engagement - Libraries

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Instructional / Teaching Faculty

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

 

College/Division: JMU Libraries

Department: 100113 – Libraries

 

Pay Rate: Pay Range

Specify Range or Amount: $78,000 - $80,000

 

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

 

Beginning Review Date: 8/18/2025

 

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

 

General Information:

JMU Libraries seeks an enthusiastic and innovative leader for the new position of Head of Research & Engagement (R&E) in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections department (DSDC). This position is a full-time, twelve-month, tenure-track position with instructional faculty status at JMU. We anticipate hiring at the rank of Assistant Professor.

The position will join the collaborative DSDC leadership team and report to the DSDC director. DSDC stewards rare books, manuscripts, and archives; supports digital scholarship methods in teaching, learning, and research; and preserves general and distinctive collections at JMU.

The position will lead a team responsible for the department’s research services, collection circulation, instruction, outreach, events, and physical exhibits. R&E responsibilities include managing a public service desk, reading room, and classroom in the renovated and expanded Carrier Library, opening Fall 2026. The Head of R&E will embrace exciting growth potential in DSDC’s services, especially in the R&E portfolio.

In addition to supervising 2 full-time employees and shaping R&E’s services, the successful candidate will have the opportunity to engage with JMU faculty, staff, students, and the local community. The Head of R&E will share responsibility with colleagues for designing and delivering instruction, developing public events, curating exhibits, providing reference services, and participating in outreach and communications.

Links to Question & Answer sessions for this position are on the JMU Libraries Employment Opportunities page.

 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide leadership for the Research & Engagement team in the Digital Scholarship & Distinctive Collections (DSDC) department. Responsibilities include:
• Collaborating as a member of the DSDC Leadership team to coordinate services, operations, and initiatives across the department.
• With the Director of DSDC, developing and maintaining policies, workflows, best practices, and overall direction for the department’s research services, collection circulation, instruction, outreach, events, and physical exhibits.
• Supervising, coaching, and appropriately delegating to the Research & Engagement team.
• Liaising with relevant colleagues across Libraries to support Research & Engag