Chester Beatty Library Employment Information Package ICT Manager

Job Title:

ICT (Information & Communications Technology) Manager

Grade:

Higher Executive Officer Standard

Reports to:

Head of Operations and Administration

Location:

Chester Beatty Library, Dublin Castle, Dublin, Ireland

Date:

November 2016

The Chester Beatty Library The Chester Beatty Library contains a world famous collection of manuscripts, prints, miniature paintings, early printed books and objets d’art from countries across Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. The Collection is principally focused on the written word and its associated painted and printed images. The Library is one of Ireland’s national cultural institutions. It is a public charitable trust established under the will of the late Sir Alfred Chester Beatty and is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Western treasures of the Library include some of the earliest sources on papyrus for the bible and a great library of Manichean texts; Armenian and European manuscripts from medieval, Renaissance and modern times; prints, early and fine books and bindings complete a remarkable conspectus of the arts of manuscript production and printing from many cultures and periods. Chinese and Japanese painted scrolls and albums, woodblock prints, printed books and decorative arts are among the most important part of the Library’s East Asian holdings. The Asian collections also contain material from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Mongolia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Indonesia. Over 6,000 individual items, mainly manuscripts and single-page paintings and calligraphies, make up the Islamic Collections. This includes more than 260 complete and fragmentary Qur’ans, some dating from the late eighth and ninth centuries and including the work of the leading calligraphers of the Islamic world. For more information on the CBL, its holdings and a full schedule of events and activities please visit www.cbl.ie.

Summary Job Purpose The Library is seeking a creative and dedicated individual with knowledge of and experience in the fields of both IT and Digital Humanities. He/she will design and implement the strategies, processes and technologies required to connect the Library’s collections and metadata with our audiences.

In the lifetime of our current Strategic Plan 2016-2020, the Library is committed to making the Collections available online. Hand-in-hand with this is the in-house digitisation of the collections, which we will commence in 2016. In addition to creating and preserving digital content, the Library will seek to make this content available in the most accessible and appropriate ways, given its resources. The ICT Manager will work as part of the newly formed ‘Digital Team’ to achieve this. In addition, the ICT Manager will maintain, develop and manage the Library’s IT infrastructure and all digital, mobile and web platforms. This involves responsibility for both IT and conservation of the collection/building management technologies. Through collaboration with other staff members the ICT Manager will advise the Senior Management Team on technical and digital media development strategies, encompassing, for example, the technical architecture of the computer network, the maintenance/expansion of the building management system and further development of web and mobile platforms. He/she will be focussed on building and maintaining the Library’s online presence through the redevelopment of the Library’s website and other digital platforms. The Chester Beatty Library is a collaborative organisation and the global nature of the collections are reflected in our multicultural and intercultural programming. The successful candidate will be a member of the management team and an energetic and self-motivated individual with a passion for the arts and excellent interpersonal skills. S/he will form part of a small but dynamic team with the flexibility to adapt to the Library’s constantly changing environment. Key Areas of Responsibility: the ICT Manager will • • • • • • • • • • • • •

maintain, manage and develop the Library’s IT infrastructure and digital, mobile and web platforms; assist with the implementation of the actions in the Library’s current Digital Strategy and play a key role in the development of future strategy; review the current CBL website and project-manage a re-design; monitor performance on search engines and ensure optimal results attained; plan and oversee the research, evaluation and integration of new technology, systems development methodologies, data administration, capacity planning, training and technical support; prepare project plans and schedules for technical systems development and manage projects in line with budgets and timelines; manage third party IT/technology experts and analysts involved in projects; be responsible for technical support services; actively keep abreast of developments in the field and advise colleagues of opportunities for development of services to the Library staff and the public; be responsible for devising or sourcing appropriate training for managers/users; maintain relations with colleagues in other institutions in order to maximise IT cooperation; advise and assist colleagues with development of blogs and other digital presence opportunities; perform any other duties which may be assigned from time to time as appropriate to this position.

Required Skills • • •

• • • • • • •

Educated to degree level in Software Development, Computer Science, Digital Humanities or a related field; A minimum of 3 years’ relevant professional experience in the field of digital humanities, cultural heritage, museums or similar environments; Experience running complex internal and cloud hosted IT environments including manged desktop environments, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Active Directory, IT support functions, backup and restore functions, server virtualisation and IT Disaster Recovery; Experience of service design and development, including the creation of strategies, policies, procedures and workflows; Expert knowledge and experience of digital repository systems, database systems, data storage systems, and digital preservation issues; Evidence of strong project management skills; Highly effective organisation and planning skills - the ability to remain calm and focused while working under pressure; Flexible approach, able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team and on own initiative; Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate diplomatically and effectively at all levels, both internally and with external contacts; An interest in and commitment to the work of the Chester Beatty Library.

Desirable Skills • • •

Knowledge of the Irish language would be considered an advantage Experience of supporting large scale digitisation projects Experience of digital preservation principles, tools and technologies

Salary An incremental salary scale applies (Higher Executive Officer Standard grade) and all new entrants from outside the Irish public/civil service will be required to commence employment at the minimum point of the scale which is €46,081 per annum. They will also be required to join the Single Public Service Pension Scheme. Different terms and conditions may apply if the appointee is an existing public servant, in accordance with agreements in place at the time of appointment and subject to approval of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Annual Leave The annual leave allowance will be 29 working days a year, subject to the usual conditions regarding the granting of annual leave, is on the basis of a five day week and is exclusive of the usual public holidays.

Application Instructions To apply, interested candidates should submit a cover letter expressing interest in the position and outlining relevant experience, together with a complete curriculum vitae and the names and contact information (mail, e-mail and telephone numbers) of two professional references to: Ms Mary Corless HR Manager Chester Beatty Library Dublin Castle Dublin 2 Ireland (email: [email protected]) Closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm GMT on 21 December 2016. Referees will not be contacted until the search committee has informed the candidate of doing so. The Chester Beatty Library is an equal opportunities employer. Please note: All data received relating to the application will be held in line with the Library’s record retention policy.