Director of HKS Library Services

• Union: 00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary
• Salary Grade: 060
• Department:
  Library and Research Services
• FLSA Status:
  Exempt

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard Kennedy School?

The John

F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is one of 12 graduate and professional schools at the university. Harvard Kennedy School’s mission is to improve public policy and leadership so people can live in societies that are more safe, free, just, and sustainably prosperous. By combining cutting-edge research, the teaching of outstanding students, and direct interaction with practitioners, we have an impact on solving public problems that no other institution can match.

When you work at Harvard Kennedy School, you make a difference.

The Director of HKS Library Services leads the ongoing development of library services and collections supporting world-class research and teaching in public policy and government, working directly with Harvard Kennedy School stakeholders and with colleagues across Harvard Library, and is the senior leadership role for the HKS Library.

The Director reports to the Chief Research Enablement Officer (CREO) as part of the research and library services department, and is a member of the CREO’s management team, along with the Director of Research Computing and Data Services, the Executive Director of Research Administration, the Manager of Community Engagement and Special Projects, and the Senior Administrative Coordinator. The Director works closely with the Vice President for the Harvard Library and University Librarian or delegates.

The Director plays a central role in shaping a modern, research-driven library that integrates deeply into the School’s research and learning ecosystem and cultivates a welcoming, user-oriented environment for students, faculty, fellows and staff. Collaborating closely with other Harvard Library units, the Director oversees the HKS Library staff, collections, services, and space, ensuring the development, stewardship, and accessibility of resources that align with evolving faculty, student, and fellows research, teaching, and learning needs and expanding access to policy-relevant data and scholarship.

The Director collaborates closely with other HKS research and library services teams such as Research Computing and Data, Research Compliance and Sponsored Awards, and academic leadership to support the full research lifecycle, with particular emphasis on discovery, data services, digital scholarship, open science and scholarly publishing. The Director champions innovation in library services, including the integration of emerging technologies, support for data-intensive research, and the evolving role of libraries in an AI-enabled research landscape.

As a key partner to faculty, the Office of Communications and Public Affairs, and HKS research centers, the Director helps identify emerging information needs, supports interdisciplinary inquiry, and enhances the visibility and impact of HKS research outputs.

The ideal candidate brings a strong record of leadership in university research libraries, experience managing services in a complex environment, and a collaborative approach suited to a highly networked, matrixed organization.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Provide strategic leadership in the ongoing evolution of library services, collections, and facilities that advance research, teaching and learning in public policy and government.

Lead the HKS Library, overseeing teams that manage collection development (with a focus on e-resource licenses shared with other Harvard libraries, data, and other digital resources), research services (in-person and virtual consultations, academic integrity training, and support for research dissemination including research data management, digital scholarship, open science, copyright and publishing), course services (including course materials and instruction), and space utilization, working closely with university-wide library services and other libraries in the Harvard Library system and aligning local service delivery with university-wide standards, systems, and initiatives.

Facilitate proactive engagements with the HKS community to ensure that library resources and services support and evolve with the changing research and teaching needs of the School and HKS community. Bolster internal and external communications regarding resources and services available to the faculty and students at the HKS.

Partner with Harvard Library colleagues to further leverage and optimize services and expertise across the system and locally at HKS, and to identify methods that further modernize service delivery at the HKS Library.

Lead HKS Library…