Associate Dean for Research & Learning

Associate Dean for Research & Learning

Click “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty information form. Attach the following documents:

In your cover letter, please be sure to directly address all minimum required qualifications. We are open to a broad range of ways and contexts in which candidates might demonstrate how they meet these qualifications. For example, while candidates might document their demonstrated commitment, experience, and knowledge through work activities—including in positions outside of libraries—they might also speak to coursework, community service, participation in cultural or other organizations, and involvement with student groups, among other possibilities.

Working Title  | Associate Dean for Research & Learning
Department  | University Libraries-0905
Requisition Number  | F_250049
Posting Open Date  | 06/17/2025
Application Review Date: (To ensure consideration, please submit all application materials before review date)  | 07/22/2025
Posting Close Date  |
Open Until Filled  | Yes

Description of Work 
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries seeks a strategic, relationship-driven leader to serve as Associate Dean for Research & Learning. This is a full-time, 12-month administrative appointment with an anticipated start date in late summer or early fall 2025. The successful candidate also will be a member of the University Libraries’ faculty.

The Associate Dean joins the Libraries at a pivotal time, as we advance a bold vision for the future of public research libraries through the development of the Nebraska Model—a relationship-first framework that centers stewardship, shared purpose, and community impact. Our vision is a public research library that effects transformational encounters with information so that all can thrive as individuals, communities, and worlds.

UNL Libraries is a special place—defined by a culture of ingenuity, a commitment to inclusive excellence, and a push to connect Nebraska’s land-grant mission with global scholarship. Through initiatives such as Pages to Paths—a year-long campaign marking key milestones in our history and inviting broader engagement with our evolving identity—we are reflecting on our past and actively shaping the Libraries’ future. That future is rooted in responsiveness, creativity, and relationships.

The Research & Learning division is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of UNL Libraries’ efforts to advance student learning, development, and success; anticipate, respond to, and engage in the contemporary needs of the University’s research communities; and advance inclusive excellence integrally in these areas of the Libraries’ work. Research & Learning includes the Information Services & Learning Spaces, Research Partnerships, and Teaching Partnerships units, and it has a broad mandate to coordinate related activities across the organization. Each department has specialization and focus, and together they take an integrative and collaborative approach to co-creating solutions to information problems.

Information Services & Learning Spaces is responsible for delivering the Libraries’ core information and space-based services, advancing the usability and accessibility of these services, and collaborating with library, campus, and community partners to host programming and events that emphasize student belonging, success, and well-being. The department’s expertise spans areas such as customer service, user-centered design, graphic design, accessibility standards, service delivery innovation, and community engagement strategies.

Research Partnerships designs and delivers advanced information and data services, collaborates on campus-wide research initiatives, and provides expert support in areas such as evidence synthesis, research data management, and geospatial analysis. Expertise within this department includes data management and curation, open scholarship, geographic information systems and geospatial data, and advanced reviews, alongside expertise across disciplines.

Teaching Partnerships leads curriculum strategy and development, ensuring that the Libraries’ teaching initiatives meaningfully connect with campus curricula and bring strength across disciplines. Team members contribute expertise in information literacy, informed learning, instructional design, critical pedagogy, and active learning methodologies.

We seek a leader who brings strategic insight and collaborative spirit to bear on the evolving challenges and opportunities in research and learning. The Associate Dean will work closely with the Dean and senior leadership team, as well as with their unit heads, to shape and implement library-wide initiatives that advance teaching, learning, research, and outreach, with a deep commitment to access, opportunity, and belonging.

This is a leadership role for someone who sees presence and listening as essential components of strategy. Success in this role will require visible, outward engagement across campus and in the broader community—building trust, cultivating relationships, and showing up where leadership is needed most.

Primary Responsibilities
Lead the Libraries’ research and learning portfolio, including strategic direction for teaching and learning services, research support, academic partnerships, and undergraduate engagement. Advance division-wide efforts in assessment and evaluation, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and user needs. Supervise and mentor unit heads and other faculty/staff, fostering a culture of trust, professional growth, and shared leadership. Collaborate within the Libraries and with campus partners on strategic planning, resource allocation, and program development. Represent the Libraries across campus and in state, regional, and national settings. Contribute to cultivating an inclusive, equitable, and supportive environment for all library users and personnel.
 
Minimum base salary starts at $77,000 based on rank and years of service. Compensation will also include an administrative stipend up to $30,000.

About Lincoln and the University of Nebraska.The University of Nebraska-Lincoln seeks to attract and retain a high-performing and diverse workforce in which employees’ differences are respected and valued to better meet the varying needs of the diverse populations we serve. The university fosters a diverse and inclusive work environment that promotes collaboration so that all individuals are able to participate and contribute to their full potential.

Lincoln, Nebraska, is a city of nearly 300,000 people and the state capital, where residents enjoy a low cost of living, high-quality public schools, and more parkland per capita than most U.S. cities. See https://aboutlincoln.unl.edu/ and https://placetobelnk.com/.
As an EO/AA employer, the University of Nebraska considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. See https://equity.unl.edu/notice-nondiscrimination/.

Minimum Required Qualifications
Master’s degree in library and information science from an ALA-accredited program (or international equivalent), or a terminal degree in a discipline relevant to the position’s scope. Record of achievement in academic or research librarianship and scholarship (or equivalent professional activity) commensurate with appointment at the rank of associate professor or professor. Evidence of strategic thinking and future-oriented leadership, particularly in the context of research and learning programs in academic/research libraries. Successful experience supervising professional staff or faculty, including supporting professional growth and development. Demonstrated success building trust and leading collaborative initiatives involving diverse stakeholders. Demonstrated commitment to inclusive excellence, including efforts to advance access, opportunity, and belonging in research, teaching, or service contexts. Strong record of effective communication and organizational coordination across academic units, disciplines, or institutional levels. Record of engagement with national or international initiatives related to academic libraries, public higher education, or scholarly infrastructure.

Preferred Qualifications 
At least five years of experience in a public-facing teaching and learning, research support, student success, and/or learning spaces department in an academic library setting. Experience building and sustaining campus partnerships and collaborating with faculty and researchers to integrate library services and resources in evolving research and scholarship practices.
Work Location (City, State)  | Lincoln, NE
Pre-Placement Driving Record Review Required  |
Criminal History Background Check Required  |
Posted Salary  |

How to Apply 
Click “Apply for this Job” and complete the faculty information form. Attach the following documents: Cover Letter. Curriculum vitae.  In your cover letter, please be sure to directly address all minimum required qualifications. We are open to a broad range of ways and contexts in which candidates might demonstrate how they meet these qualifications. For example, while candidates might document their demonstrated commitment, experience, and knowledge through work activities—including in positions outside of libraries—they might also speak to coursework, community service, participation in cultural or other organizations, and involvement with student groups, among other possibilities.
For questions or accommodations related to this position contact  | Liz Lorang, Dean and Search Committee Chair
liz.lorang@unl.edu
402-472-2526
Job Category  |
Job Category (old)  | Academic Administrative
Job Type  | Full-Time
Position funded by grant or other form of temporary funding?  | No
If Temporary, indicate end date  |
Planned Hire Date  |
Appointment End Date  |
Organizational Location  | Default Location

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

Required Documents

Connect with #UNL

Campus Links

Policies

University of Nebraska–Lincoln About the Big Ten Conference

© 2017 University of Nebraska–Lincoln · 402-472-7211