arXiv Scientific Director - arXiv public wiki - Dashboard

"The Cornell University Library (CUL) seeks a Scientific Director for arXiv, a global repository of digital research papers in the sciences managed by the Library. The Scientific Director will collaborate with the arXiv Program Director in overseeing the service and work with arXiv staff and the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) in providing intellectual leadership for the operation. The Director should be a faculty member at a research university in one of the areas represented by arXiv, and will assume this position as a part-time (0.3-0.5 FTE) administrative position while retaining his or her underlying faculty position.

See the arXiv organizational chart for information about this position’s role within the arXiv team, especially the division of responsibilities with the arXiv Program Director: arXiv Organizational Chart and Governance Model .  The arXiv Operating Principles , describes the prospective roles of CUL, SAB, and Member Advisory Board  and delineates the editorial, governance, and financial tenets of the operation.

The arXiv team is located at the Cornell University Library in Ithaca, NY. Although proximity to Cornell is highly desirable, a telecommuting arrangement (with occasional on-site visits) while the incumbent retains a faculty position in her/his home organization will also be considered. This will be initially a one-year appointment with the goal of renewal after assessing the position and arXiv’s leadership needs.

Specific duties include:

• Provide intellectual and scientific leadership by serving as facilitator of the SAB, which acts as an advisory board in setting policies and criteria for submission, moderation and administration, in collaboration with the SAB chair;

• Serve as the final arbiter for complex moderation decisions (e.g., when moderators disagree or if there is an author dispute);

• Contribute to strategic planning process representing the scientific communities served by arXiv, including serving on the steering committee of the next generation arXiv (arXiv-NG);

• Participate in setting system development (IT) priorities with a focus on submission and moderation processes and arXiv-NG;

• Work closely with the SAB members and subject advisory committees to ensure smooth moderation processes, such as assisting them in recruiting moderators;

• Liaise to arXiv’s Member Advisory Board (MAB) on scientific and SAB matters;

• Advocate arXiv’s role in open access and represent arXiv in disciplinary or scientific communication forums;

• Contribute to the arXiv team’s grant writing and fundraising efforts."