Director of Special Collections Strategy & Development

Texas A&M • College Station, TX

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Texas A&M University Libraries are seeking a Director of Special Collections Strategy & Development to guide the growth of the department within the Special Collections and Archives Division (SCA). This role leads a team of specialized curators, oversees stewardship of key collections, including those not assigned to specific curators, and champions initiatives that expand access and engagement with SCA materials. The position also calls for a strong record of progressively responsible project leadership, including developing new programs, taking on emerging challenges, and managing complex initiatives that strengthen collection visibility and impact. The Librarian Director works closely with the Associate University Librarian and fellow division directors on division‑wide planning, resource allocation, fundraising, and program development, contributing to a collaborative leadership team dedicated to advancing the mission of the SCA Division. This is an on-campus opportunity. The selected candidate will be required to work on-site at our College Station campus. This position requires occasional evening/weekend hours for event support. Salary: $103,980.00/annually with a $3,000.00 allowance for professional development. Cover Letter/Resume: A cover letter and resume are strongly recommended and will help in our review. You may upload them on the application under the CV/Resume section.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in library science or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ten years of related experience.
• Significant work with archival and special collections, including accessioning and preservation.
• Strong knowledge of academic library functions, cataloging standards, and archival metadata (e.g., EAD, DACS).
• Experience with collection management and library technology systems (AtoM, ArchivesSpace, Aeon).
• Demonstrated leadership, including supervisory experience and progressively responsible project work.
• Proven ability to manage projects and adapt to rapidly shifting priorities.
• Experience with digital project lifecycles, including born‑digital and digitized materials.
• Effective communication skills across all organizational levels.
• Ability to multi‑task, collaborate, and resolve conflicts in team environments.

Nice To Haves

• Over 10 years experience in libraries, archives, museums, or public history settings.
• Demonstrated record of progressively responsible experience with projects and/or services, such as taking on new challenges, developing programs to promote collection engagement, and project management.
• Reading knowledge of at least one non‑English language.

Responsibilities

• Leads strategic planning, daily operations, resource allocation, and personnel management for the Special Collections department.
• Guides long‑term collection development and mentors a team of specialized curators.
• Works closely with SCA leadership on division‑wide planning, donor cultivation, fundraising, and procedural development.
• Collaborates across divisions to advance digital initiatives, enhance discovery and preservation, and expand the impact of collections through teaching, exhibitions, programming, and specialized reference services.
• Provides primary curatorial stewardship for collections not assigned to specific curators.
• Engages in scholarly and professional activities to integrate emerging ideas and technologies into library services.
• Serves on committees and partners with campus units to advocate for the Libraries.

Benefits

• Medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, life and AD&D, flexible spending accounts , and long-term disability insurance with Texas A&M contributing to employee health and basic life premiums
• 12-15 days of annual paid holidays
• Up to eight hours of paid sick leave and at least eight hours of paid vacation each month
• Automatic enrollment in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas
• Health and Wellness: Free exercise programs and release time
• Professional Development: All employees have access to free LinkedIn Learning training, webinars, and limited financial support to attend conferences, workshops, and more
• Educational release time and tuition assistance for completing a degree while a Texas A&M employee
• Living Well, a program at Texas A&M that has been built by employees, for employees

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees