As a result of ongoing technological developments, both research and education are becoming increasingly digitized. Both education and research are moving towards open science and scholarship. For the Humanities the interdisciplinary research field of Digital Humanities is becoming increasingly important. Libraries worldwide are shaping their support role in line with these trends.  

As a scientific Information Specialist you work within the Academic Services Division of Utrecht University Library. This division - approximately 35 FTEs - provides services supporting research and education, particularly as they transition towards open science & scholarship. In collaboration with the other divisions of the University Library, the Academic Services Division adapts its services flexibly to the changing needs of Researchers, Lecturers and students. The division is result-oriented. This means that you have a lot of freedom to organize your work yourself. In order to strengthen the team, the University Library is looking for two new colleagues.

For both functions you are the first point of contact on behalf of the library for staff and students of the Humanities faculty. You advise staff and students on our library collections, information literacy skills, open access, research data, and copyrights issues in publishing and sharing. And you translate their wishes and needs into library services.

You are responsible for the selection of relevant literature and sources. You also provide subject specific information literacy training courses for students and staff. And you make sure that Researchers, Lecturers and students are well informed about the library services. You will work closely with many colleagues in our division and from other departments.

The two positions which have become available focus specifically on subject-specific services for a number of disciplines within the Humanities. In addition, in one position the emphasis is on library support for Digital Humanities. The other function focuses on publishing and open access services. 

Your activities include:

• building and maintaining a relevant relationship network within the faculty of Humanities, in particular German, Dutch and English Literature, Linguistics, Celtic Languages, Media and Performance Studies (divided between the two functions, to be determined);
• managing the acquisition budget for some of the aforementioned disciplinary fields and selecting - together with Researchers - literature and databases;
• providing training courses and workshops;
• ensuring a good information supply about the library services and stimulating the optimal use of them for research and education;
• informing, advising and supporting Researchers about developments and solutions in the field of information provision, processing and scientific communication, for all phases of the research cycle;
• the (further) development of (new) library services and products for the creation, management and (re)use of data, software and information in scientific research and education, together with colleagues.

• You hold a Master's degree in a relevant discipline and preferably you have at least three years of relevant work experience.
• You have good advisory skills and are good at sharing knowledge, both to groups and individuals.
• You have experience in building and maintaining professional networks, preferably in an academic environment, and know how to represent our organization in a network of collaborating partners. Because of the network you build, this position is greatly served by a candidate who is willing to stay for several years.
• You have affinity with scientific communication in an academic environment, and are familiar with open science & scholarship.
• For one position we are looking for someone with a demonstrable knowledge of and experience with Digital Humanities (techniques), (qualitative) data and/or technological innovation. For the other position, we are looking for someone with a demonstrable knowledge of and experience with open access and the scientific publication process.

This position requires strong communication skills and personal qualities such as analytical skills, and a customer and result-oriented approach. You are a networker and a team player with an excellent command of English. International candidates are required to have a demonstrable minimum (level B2) command of the Dutch language.

We offer a temporary position (0.8 - 1.0 FTE) for a period of one year, which may become permanent upon a successful assessment after the first year. The gross salary - depending on previous qualifications and experience  - ranges between € 2.836 and € 4.474 (scale 10 according to the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities) per month for a full-time employment. You will receive a laptop and smartphone from the University Library.

Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8% and a year-end bonus of 8.3% per year. In addition, Utrecht University offers excellent secondary conditions, including an attractive retirement scheme, (partly paid) parental leave and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information about working at Utrecht University can be found here.

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major societal themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

Utrecht University Library is a reliable partner for Researchers, Teachers and students in the field of scientific information. We use our expertise to continuously improve the scientific communication cycle. Our services are organized in close collaboration with other parties within and outside the university, transcending boundaries between the disciplines.