Princeton, NJ

Aluka is an initiative of Ithaka, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to accelerating the adoption of productive and efficient uses of information technologies for the benefit of worldwide higher education. Aluka’s mission is to build and support a sustainable, online database of scholarly resources from and about the developing world, beginning in Africa. This database is organized around themes, including African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes, Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa, and African Plants.

Aluka is seeking an energetic professional to take on the role of Collections Development Associate. The Collections Development Associate will initially support collection development for the Struggles for Freedom in Southern Africa collection. In the future he or she may assist in content development for other themes or regions of the world. The objective for the Struggles for Freedom collection is to document the liberation movements in five southern African countries by digitizing primary and secondary sources located at libraries and archives in Africa, Europe, and the United States.

This person is an experienced professional who will coordinate activities among Aluka staff and interact with government officials, scholars, directors of organizations, librarians, archivists, and other representatives of Aluka’s partner organizations. The position requires a high degree of initiative and flexibility in order to adapt to the rapidly changing environment of a start-up organization. He or she will initially report to the Executive Director but will also work closely with Aluka’s senior advisors. Organizationally, the person will be part of Aluka’s Collection Development team. This position will require both domestic and international travel.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of the Collections Development Associate include:
• Organize and coordinate lists of projects and tasks requiring follow-up, in support of the Executive Director Aluka’s advisors, and other Aluka staff;
• After initial contact with Aluka’s partner organizations or advisors has been established, ensure that all follow-up activities are accomplished in a timely and professional manner, including answering questions, problem solving, coordinating complex tasks among multiple parties, etc., so that projects meet deadlines and continue to progress and move forward;
• Prepare monthly reports summarizing outstanding tasks, and alert relevant Aluka staff when obstacles or problems arise;
• Help maintain open communication and feedback channels with Aluka’s partner organizations in Africa, and in general promote and maintain smooth working relationships with the many parties involved with Aluka on the Struggles for Freedom database;
• Be available to respond to unanticipated issues that may arise and require a response.

In addition to the core responsibilities described above, the Collections Development Associate will also contribute to the following activities:
• Help develop work plans and budgets for partner organizations in collaboration with Aluka staff;
• Work with Ithaka’s General Counsel and Rights Coordinator to obtain signed agreements from content rights holders and repositories;

• Help refine and streamline systems for moving materials through the content selection process;
• Conduct occasional research on the availability and/or location of scholarly materials and other research questions that may arise from time to time;
• Contribute periodically to written reports;
• Once the Struggles for Freedom theme is completed, support content development for other themes and/or regions.

Qualifications
The Collections Development Associate will have:
• At least a Bachelor's degree; an advanced degree in a related field such as international studies, history, anthropology, historic preservation, or museum sciences is preferred (a specific focus on Africa is a plus);
• Minimum 3-5 years experience and/or leadership in complex projects, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks;
• Experience with project management including excellent organizational skills and the ability to prioritize tasks;
• A demonstrated record of achieving major objectives within deadlines;
• Resourcefulness, creativity, flexibility and ability to adapt quickly to changing circumstances;
• Ability to anticipate, identify, and solve problems;
• Good cross-cultural communication skills and an ability to interact comfortably with scholars, government officials, and representatives of libraries, archives, and other international organizations;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
• Positive attitude, self-motivator;
• Experience working internationally and ability to travel independently to developing countries a plus;
• Knowledge of Africa and experience traveling and/or working in Africa a plus;
• Software experience: Microsoft Office applications;
• Fluency in English is required; Fluency in French, Portuguese, and/or Spanish is desirable.

Ithaka offers a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, and the opportunity to grow and expand your technology skills. If you want to join a high quality team, e-mail your resume, cover letter, and salary history/requirements to: Collections_assoc@ithaka.org. Please note that we will consider each response carefully, but only contact those individuals we feel are most qualified for the position. No telephone calls will be accepted. Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

Ithaka is an equal opportunity employer.