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Backstage Library Works provides guaranteed, personal solutions to assist libraries and archives with preserving, organizing, and describing collections to enhance discovery and user access.
POSITION TITLE: Product Manager – Collection Management Services
DIRECT SUPERVISOR: President
DIRECT REPORTS: Operations Managers (one for Metadata, one for On-Site), who in turn lead teams of project managers, catalogers/technicians and team leaders
SALARY SCALE: $66,664 to $88,192, commensurate with experience
LOCATION: Provo, UT or Bethlehem, PA; regular travel is expected
POSITION TYPE: Full-time, in-office exempt (40 hours/week, salaried)
Position Overview
Backstage Library Works is looking for a cataloging-minded leader to own and elevate our Metadata and On-Site Services department on behalf of the libraries, universities, and historical societies we serve. This is a role for someone who lives and breathes bibliographic quality. You can look at a MARC record or a backlog and immediately see where the standards, the workflow, or the people need attention.
You will be responsible for the full scope of cataloging and on-site work: original and copy cataloging, metadata enrichment, and the day-to-day production standards that keep our reputation for quality intact. You will also lead the people who lead the work. These are your two Operations Managers and, through them, our catalogers and technicians working out of the Provo and Bethlehem offices and on-site at libraries across the world.
Our processing goals and quality standards are strong today, but they are not static. If you lead with curiosity, hold the line on quality, and are not afraid to push the department in new directions, you will fit right in for this role.
Responsibilities
- Cataloging quality & standards. Own the quality bar for original and copy cataloging and metadata enrichment across both sites and all contractor teams.
- Production performance. Monitor daily, weekly, and monthly production and quality metrics across Metadata and On-Site, identify bottlenecks, and set targets that stretch the team without breaking quality.
- People leadership. Manage and mentor two Operations Managers, helping them grow as leaders and helping their teams succeed.
- Contractor program oversight. Steward our contractor cataloging program, including world-language and specialized-subject contractors, ensuring consistent quality, throughput, and communication.
- Department structure. Shape how the Metadata and On-Site teams are organized, how work flows between Provo and Bethlehem, and how the two departments coordinate as we scale.
- Stakeholder communication. Keep consistent, clear communication with library partners and clients on cataloging projects, timelines, and quality outcomes.
- Budget ownership. Manage expenses against budget for both departments – working within existing plans and building out future budgets as you take full ownership of departmental financials.
- Goals & standards. Set and steward cataloging and production goals, holding the line where it matters and refining targets based on similar projects produced in the past.
- Innovation with an eye on scale. Pursue improvements in cataloging workflow, tooling, and training at every level, always weighing near-term scalability and long-term quality.
- Sales & marketing partnership. Collaborate on initiatives, quote generation and presentation, collateral, and pricing for Metadata and On-Site services.
Qualifications
Deep cataloging expertise. You know MARC, RDA, and classification, and can speak it with those who also know and translate for those who may not. You are comfortable owning production and quality numbers and using them to drive decision – not just tracking time.
- Significant professional cataloging experience, including original cataloging and copy cataloging.
- Experience leading or managing teams, especially across multiple sites or a distributed/contractor workforce.
- A track record of setting and improving production standards without sacrificing quality.
- Strong, steady communication skills with both internal teams and external partners.
- Comfort balancing hands-on cataloging judgment calls with longer-term departmental planning.
Preferred
- MLIS or equivalent library science background.
- Familiarity with library systems and metadata tools used in a production cataloging environment.
What Success Looks Like (First 6-12 Months)
- You understand the cataloging and onsite workflows deeply and have a clear picture of where the opportunities are.
- Your two Operations Managers feel well-supported and are growing into stronger leaders.
- Cataloging quality and production are measurably tighter, with documented improvements you can point to.
- Partners and stakeholders consistently hear from us proactively on cataloging and on-site projects.
- You have gained a better idea of which markets to focus on and help direct our marketing efforts towards those clients.
Benefits
Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, 401(k) matching, and annual profit sharing.
Please submit a resume and cover letter/email to Nate Cothran, President, at nate@bslw.com with subject line “[Applicant Name] – Product Manager Application, CMS” to apply.
Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.
