Supervisory Librarian (Director, AFC Archives) presso Legislative Branch

Other

Duties

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress is hiring a Director, AFC Archives to lead the day-to-day administration of the Archive of Folk Culture. The Archives Director is responsible for managing teams of archivists, technicians, and digital specialists who steward a dynamic ethnographic archives documenting traditional culture from around the world, including the earliest field recordings made in the 1890s on wax cylinder through recordings made using digital technology. The Director is responsible for acquisitions, processing, preservation and digital access activities related to the Center’s collections, which includes the Veterans History Project collection. The role is a significant leadership opportunity, calling for the successful applicant to work with the AFC Director and a team of supervisors and team leads, to lead a committed archives staff as they serve the needs of Congress and the public. Supervises a group of employees performing work up to the GS-14 level. Provides administrative and technical supervision relative to the staff supervised. Plans work to be accomplished by subordinates, sets and adjusts short-term priorities, and prepares schedules for completion of work; assigns work to subordinates based on priorities, selective consideration of the difficulty and requirements of assignments, and the capabilities of employees; observes workers’ performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff and clearly communicates these through the formal employee performance management system. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Recommends appointment, promotion, or reassignment and develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters. Serves as a primary advisor to top management on the various folklife archives and library preservation projects and/or programs, policies and initiatives, including the Veterans History Project. Plans, develops and carries out a vital archives project planning and execution of highly visible projects and the participation in the evaluation, development and documentation of long-term and short-term archives special collections strategies. Plans, develops and implements complex multi-phased archival preservation and access projects that require collaboration and coordination across multiple service units, the formation of cross-divisional working groups; and collaboration with other governmental agencies and external partners. Handles and troubleshoots largely undefined issues and elements that require deep probing and analysis to determine the scope and nature of the problem. Develops authoritative new approaches, methods or standards to resolve critical or highly unusual project planning related problems. The projects are essential to the missions of the Library and affects large numbers of people on a long-term or continuing basis. The work encompasses a broad range of library functions and processes related to the acquisition, management and preservation of Folklife related collections and archives projects. Serves as a primary advisor to the AFC Director on the development and stewardship of AFC collections, including establishing acquisitions policies and priorities; developing and implementing preservation protocols and practices for AFC’s digital and analog collections. Provides expert, authoritative guidance to AFC Director regarding AFC acquisition and collections development policy, to include matters pertaining to subject areas, scope, format, preservation, security and access. Serves as an expert consultant to the Director of the American Folklife Center regarding the development and preservation of ethnographic collections. Serves as an expert consultant to top senior management in Library Services and the Special Collections directorate on matters pertaining to archival policies and preservation of cultural heritage collections. Reports regularly to senior management of Library Services and directorate regarding intra-division activities and collaborative projects and programs. Establishes and maintains close and cooperative working relationships with Library of Congress officials including the LC Office of Communications, LC Congressional Relations Office, with related interests in the subject areas within the purview of the AFC. Provides expert advice to Division colleagues regarding work related to folklife, ethnomusicology, archiving, reference services, and archival instruction and training, and access services. Works with other Division leadership in developing and providing access to library resources in the Archive on site, online and other means. Engages in the implementation and evaluation of reference and public service policies, procedures and publications.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment The Supervisor leads his/her staff toward meeting the Library’s vision, mission, and goals by acting decisively, leveraging diversity and inclusiveness, demonstrating flexibility and resilience, fostering continuous improvement and innovation, and fostering integrity and honesty. To view the Library’s Supervisory Core Competencies click the following link: Supervisor Core Competencies Library of Congress employees are prohibited from using illegal drugs, including marijuana. The Library is part of the Federal Government and abides by federal law, so regardless of individual state or District of Columbia laws, marijuana use is illegal, considered criminal activity, and can affect your employment at the Library. In addition, past or current drug use and activities (e.g., selling or distributing) may deem you ineligible for employment.

Qualifications

Applicants must have had progressively responsible experience and training sufficient in scope and quality to furnish them with an acceptable level of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position without more than normal supervision. Ability to manage the full range of archival stewardship activities for collections documenting folklife, ethnomusicology, oral history and documentary studies.** Ability to manage and lead a diverse workforce.** Ability to analyze organizational and operational problems and develop solutions to plan and carry out library programs.** Ability to communicate in writing. Ability to communicate effectively other than in writing.

Other Information

Although it is the Library's policy to afford the maximum pay benefit to employees when setting rates of pay, a new appointee who has had no previous Federal service will generally be paid at step one of the grade. The Library of Congress is an equal opportunity employer. All who meet the eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply. Applicants must submit a complete application package that is received by the closing date of this announcement. This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please email [email protected]. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Applicants with disabilities may be considered under special hiring procedures and must submit an appropriate certificate of eligibility when applying for this position. The proof or disability/certification may be issued by the State Vocational Rehabilitation Office, Disability Services or Career Services office of the applicant’s college or university, or the Department of Veterans Affairs. The letter must verify that the applicant has a severe disability and must be dated within three years of the date of the application. Certification from health care providers are not accepted. For more information contact the Library's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity at 202-707-6024 or email [email protected]. FAILURE TO SUBMIT YOUR CERTIFICATION WILL CAUSE YOUR APPLICATION TO NOT BE CONSIDERED UNDER THE SELECTIVE PLACEMENT PROGRAM. The Library of Congress is the national library of the United States and is part of the Legislative Branch of the Federal government. As such, all positions are in the excepted service. Appointment/retention is subject to a favorable evaluation of an appropriate personnel security/suitability investigation. For more information, please see: https://www.loc.gov/careers/working-at-the-library/frequently-asked-questions/vetting-personnel-at-the-library/ The Library reserves the right to fill a lesser or greater number of vacancies indicated during the life of this vacancy announcement. Initial permanent appointments to the Library of Congress require completion of a one-year probationary period. In addition, per Library of Congress Regulation 9-532, an appointee or internal selectee is subject to a one-year supervisory probationary period if this is their first supervisory/managerial position at the Library of Congress. Probationary periods served at other Federal agencies do not count toward this requirement. The Library of Congress may offer repayment for all or part of federally insured student loans. However, not all service units within the Library of Congress participates in the repayment of federally insured student loans. Therefore, determination to repay a federally insured student loan is subject to approval by the appropriate service unit. The selected applicant may be required to file a financial disclosure statement with the House of Representatives, U.S. Congress, in accordance with the provisions of Public Law 95-521, Ethics in Government Act of 1978.