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University of Colorado

Head of Materials Management

JOB_REQUIREMENTS

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Company Location

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Salary

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Requisition Number:

68308

Location:

Boulder, Colorado

City

Boulder

State

Colorado

Employment Type:

University Staff

Schedule:

Full-Time

Posting Close Date:

13-Nov-2025

Date Posted:

29-Oct-2025

Job Summary

CU Boulder Libraries encourage applications for The Head of Materials Management position! This role is responsible for managing the safe transport and regular maintenance of the Libraries’ physical collections. This position develops, coordinates, prioritizes, and delegates operational workflows for materials management, including stacks management, Prospector or direct consortial borrowing services, material paging and retrievals, and item delivery to branches, offsite storage (PASCAL), campus boxes, or other mailing services. They supervise shelving operations and the delivery of materials to patrons and other libraries to make our collections accessible and readily available to our academic community. They are a functional expert for the software that the Libraries use to track and process materials. They serve as the lead and supervisor for the Materials Management Section and report to the Director of Engaged Spaces.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

Mission

We are a knowledge catalyst. We fuel inquiry, discovery, collaboration, creation, and the dissemination of knowledge. We welcome everyone, wherever they are on their educational journey.

Vision

An information-empowered world.

Values

Empower | Connect | Learn | Inspire

Our values define our interactions within the Libraries and radiate outwardly. This means that we develop a culture that compassionately and authentically embodies our values in all aspects of our work.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Materials Management Leadership:

Designs services and develops policies to deliver library materials to patrons via holds, campus box, or other mailing services. Provides vision and applies extensive knowledge of the various services to design, iterate, and improve delivery workflows. Directs a team of 7 FTE who are responsible for paging, retrieval, and delivery of items requested from all library locations including PASCAL and the Law Library. Oversees Prospector (direct consortial borrowing) lending and borrowing. Develops and documents procedures for efficient materials movement and is responsible for contracts and budgets with courier services such as MORE and the Colorado Courier system. Coordinates with services staff and Resource Sharing to collaboratively manage holds and deliveries to branches, service points, and other on and off campus pickup locations. Responds to inquiries or complaints from internal and external partners and troubleshoots to resolve access or service issues. Ensures accountability and stewardship of campus resources (operational, financial, and human) in compliance with campus standards and procedures.

Section Head Responsibilities:

Serves as the Section Head for Materials Management. Hires, evaluates, and supervises the work of staff, student employees, and volunteers. Establishes work priorities, performance goals, growth opportunities, and standards for staff and provides regular coaching and annual performance evaluations. Conducts training, develops procedural guidelines and documentation, furthers professional development, and processes timesheets. Develops the Section’s goals and objectives, ensuring alignment with the Engaged Spaces Team, Success & Engagement Strategies Chapter, and University Libraries.

Functional Expertise:

Serves as the functional expert or product owner for electronic tools used in materials management (e.g., FOLIO apps designed to manage hold or direct consortial borrowing). These tools govern patron access, circulation policy, and inventory processes. Maintains extensive working knowledge of these systems and provides training for staff. Serves on a variety of groups related to the ongoing iteration of processes in the Library Services Platform, either as a member or co-facilitator, as needed. Reviews and applies standard processes to update these systems and in-house workflows. Implements changes within these tools by adjusting back-end coding of the database to reflect circulation policies. Propose, initiate, and participate in cross-section/team projects, including the coordination of partners, communication, expectations, timelines, and deliverables implementing cross-departmental needs and priorities. Investigates, troubleshoots, and understands the intersection of cataloging, loan rules, and other functions in the library services platform to successfully circulate thousands of items in the University Libraries’ collection. Analyzes current operating systems, tools, and technology using statistics and workflow studies in order to plan and implement changes or technological improvements to hardware and software related to materials management.

Direction of Stacks Management Across All Libraries:

Directs stacks management projects, inventory control, and tracing procedures across all library locations. Participates in long-term planning for stacks and recommends shifting and transfer projects using knowledge of the collection, standard methodologies, and analysis of usage patterns. Maintains the order and integrity of the collection through high level planning of shelving, shifting, shelf-reading, and space inventory projects. Applies knowledge of MARC records, local cataloging practices, and Boolean search to craft specific criteria to produce lists of items for various purposes, including updating large numbers of records.

Data Collection and Project Management:

Oversight of the processes dedicated to the transfer of materials to PASCAL offsite storage and the Google Books Project. Collects and analyzes a variety of collection-related data, such as usage statistics for long-term stacks planning, weeding projects, and shared print programs. Uses knowledge of bibliographic records and applies principles of information organization to assess collection growth and usage. Performs statistical analysis to summarize findings in applicable reports, surveys, and other communication mediums for both a general and specialized audience. Proposes new opportunities that are informed by the collected data and the Libraries’ priorities.

Leadership and Libraries Service:

Provides leadership and shares expertise through service on library-wide task forces, guilds, pods, or committees as appropriate. Leads the local Libraries Google Books Team. Serves as the University Libraries representative to regional consortial groups, such as the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries and Greater Western Library Alliance in regard to the Libraries’ participation in resource sharing services, policies, and use of materials management electronic tools. Attends conferences, professional webinars or other educational sessions to engage self and others on new initiatives related to materials management. May provide reference and other assistance to patrons to help meet their information needs.

What You Should Know

This position is working primarily in person.
Weekend and/or evening work hours may be required as needed.

What We Can Offer

The starting annual salary for this full-time position is $68,000 - $75,000. A small relocation stiped is available within Libraries guidelines.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be collaborative. Be innovative. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
3 years of library experience that includes the following:
- Supervisory or leadership experience (students or staff).
- Experience using circulation and resource sharing modules in FOLIO or similar ILS.
- Experience with project management and planning.
- Experience using tools (such as FOLIO reports and MetaDB) and spreadsheets to collect, manipulate, and present data.Experience with handling stacks, moving physical collections, shelving, paging, circulation, or related materials management activities.
A Valid U.S. Driver's License.

What You Will Need

Safe and defensive driving skills.
Ability to cultivate an environment of inclusion and respect.
Ability to collaborate with colleagues and partners, both internally and externally,
Ability to identify and solve problems independently and on a team.

What We Would Like You to Have

Must be capable of working independently.
Experience with staff scheduling.
Familiarity with various circulation processes such as managing holds and sending notices.
Experience establishing relationships and collaborating with cross-functional teams

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.

A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by November 13, 2025 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.