Job Description

Job Title
Faculty/Research Librarian (post level 8) (Contract appointment: 2 years) (Job ID: 6120)
Organizational Unit
University of the Free State -> Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation -> Library and Information Services
Contract Type
Contract
Occupational Level
Junior Management
Location
Qwaqwa Campus - Qwaqwa, FS ZA (Primary)

Closing Date
25/4/2025
Description

KINDLY TAKE NOTE: Applications may only be submitted online through the official UFS vacancy website:

https://ufs.hua.hrsmart.com/hr/ats/JobSearch/viewAll

- Applications submitted through any other platform will not be considered.

Duties and responsibilities:

Provide guidance to faculties to advance research, education, and innovation in the teaching and learning LIS. Customise the Library services' strategies for client groupings for current and future developments. Give input regarding tactical and strategic decisions. Interpret developments within faculties and communicate to the line manager. Provide input and execute strategies that are intended to achieve established goals to satisfy key LIS goals. Collaborate with other library stakeholders to ensure that faculties are provided with seamless services. Benchmark information services against international best practices. Enhance and assess the quality of the user experience of the library. Represent the LIS on faculty boards and faculty department meetings in an advisory capacity. Provide input into resource planning. Attend training, workshops and conferences to stay up to date with developments in the field. Give input into the budget requirements for the faculty library as well as other related funding. Identify areas where the library environment can be improved and make suggestions or improvements accordingly. Collaborate with LIS ICT Services to ensure high levels of systems availability, functionality, integrity, and efficiency. Provide professional guidance of the faculty library services according to relevant policies and procedures. Monitor, evaluate and report on sound knowledge management practices that are implemented and marketed in the faculty library and faculty. Implement the delivery of traditional and new services such as Scholarly Communication, Bibliometric Analysis, Systematic reviews and Research Data Management (RDM) to the faculty. Communicate the faculty needs and the importance of libraries within faculties. Relate UFS strategies and policy to individual roles of the personnel. Attend Faculty Board meetings and all relevant committee meetings in the faculty. Develop relationships with HODs in academic departments and regularly schedule meetings to assess progress and address any concerns. Communicate faculty concerns and ensure they are addressed timeously. Provide feedback to faculties of new services available. Collaborate with different stakeholders within the University, i.e. CTL, ICT, and Ideas Lab, to keep up with rapid technological changes. Ensure that quality information services are consistently provided for all academic departments in the faculties. Conduct needs and gap analysis and provide feedback to the library management Implement quality assessment tools acquired by the library (LIBQUAL, LIBCal etc.) to evaluate the quality of services provided to the faculty Monitor the quality of support for the relevant faculty and provide recommendations where change is required. Deliver structured library orientation for all lecturers, support staff and undergraduate students. Develop and offer general content and assessment for the multi-literacy online course (Information, digital and research literacy skills). Develop and offer customised content and assessment for specific and focused credit-bearing training interventions, such as research methodology, in collaboration with academics. Equip UFS graduates with attributes for academic success and life-long learning: Information, digital and research literacies. Develop content, train Tutors and equip first-year students with information literacy skills. Create awareness and train on available information resources to improve usage. Establish communication channels in faculties for inputs about information resource management. Implement the collection development policy. Build a comprehensive collection that meets the faculty's teaching, learning and research needs. Assess collection and confirm status to ensure relevancy, currency and usage, serve in Accreditation Boards, etc. Manage the selection of balanced information resources, to meet the teaching and learning information needs of users and avoid unnecessary duplications. Keep track of Faculty information resources' budget and report on under- and/or over-expenditure. Conduct stocktaking of internal stakeholders' collections. Manage the use of collections on short loan/reserved. Monitor the collection development in respective departments. Management of IM strategies, e.g. migration to electronic resources. Ensure that electronic resources are appropriately evaluated and prioritised for faculty needs. Plan, support, participate in the marketing events of the LIS. Plan, support, participate in the marketing events in the faculty. Contribute to, and implement plans, to market the online resources of the LIS.

Inherent Job Requirements:

Bachelor's degree or BTech degree on NQF Level 7 in Library and Information Science

or

Any Degree plus Postgraduate diploma on NQF Level 8 in Library and Information Science field. Three (3) years' relevant working experience relating to the duties and responsibilities Membership of LIASA

(Attach the 2025 certificate).

Recommendations:

Honours degree on NQF Level 8 in the field of Library and Information Science. Experience within the higher-education environment. Knowledge of university systems, policies, and procedures.
Competencies

Key Competencies Required :

Results Orientated:

The ability to set high standards, establish tough goals, and to work to achieve success. The ability to deal calmly and effectively with high stress situations.

o Strategic Thinking:

The ability to plan work and to follow plans. The ability to be creative and open-minded when addressing work issues.

o Business Acumen:

Proficient in using MS Office.

o Leading:

The ability to lead, take charge of situations, and offer opinions and directions to others. The ability to be cooperative with others, display a good-natured attitude and encourage people to work together.

o Building Coalitions:

The ability to negotiate, sell, influence and to persuade others. The ability to interact with others and establish personal connections with people.

Requested documents

Please ensure that all relevant documentation is attached to your application.

INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED!

A detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter. Copies of qualifications or proof of qualifications obtained (please provide the SAQA accreditation in the case of foreign qualifications). A copy of your identity document (SA ID or passport for foreign nationals). Proof of registration with a Professional Body (if required). A copy of your driver's license (if required). Confirmation of employment from current employer / last employer if unemployed (only applicable to external applicants).

Assumption of duties:

As soon as possible.

Closing date:

25 April 2025

Salary:

The salary is available on request.

Fringe benefits:

(Subject to specific conditions): pension scheme, medical aid scheme, group life insurance, housing allowance, leave and sick leave, service bonus and study benefits.

Enquiries:

For enquiries, please feel free to contact

051 401 9810

or email

MofoloNG@ufs.ac.za

or

Recruit@ufs.ac.za

. Additionally, kindly contact

051 401 2979

/

9814

/

9813

/

7659

/

9848

for assistance.

General:

The UFS is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups including candidates with disabilities. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at :

EEA13_EE Plan UFS 1 March 2022 (003).pdf

The University processes personal information in line with its obligations under the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and any personal information provided to the University will be treated as confidential and processed in accordance with the rights provided to data subjects under POPIA.

The University reserves the right not to fill the post. The UFS will only consider applications of candidates who meet all the inherent requirements of the position. Applications that are incomplete will not be considered. Communication will be limited to shortlisted candidates only. Should you not be contacted within six weeks of the closing date for applications, you may assume that your application was unsuccessful.

The UFS will only consider applications of candidates who meet all the inherent requirements of the position.