Director, ONE Archives

Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis Director, ONE Archives

University of Southern California

POSITION SUMMARY

The University of Southern California (USC) Libraries (Los Angeles, CA) seek an experienced, dynamic, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as Director of the ONE Archives at the USC Libraries. Reporting to the Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections, the Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis ONE Archives Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the ONE Archives, including its archival collections, art holdings, and public facing programs. The Director oversees staff and daily operations across archival, curatorial and education initiatives, while supporting fundraising efforts, grant development, institutional partnerships, and community engagement. The Director also serves as a key public representative of the ONE Archives through outreach, media, and collaborative projects.

We value qualified candidates who are motivated to develop transformative library services and programs; who are invested in the future of librarianship; and who are creative in identifying and solving problems within a collaborative environment. The successful candidate must be knowledgeable of current relevant library and archival trends and practices and be able to apply this understanding to make a significant, positive impact on the USC community.

The ideal candidate will be a thoughtful and collaborative leader with a deep commitment to LGBTQ+ histories, building impactful research collections, and community engagement. They will bring experience working across archival, curatorial, and public programming contexts, with an ability to navigate both academic and community-based environments with care and integrity and they will be attentive to the ethical responsibilities of stewarding community archives. They will be both strategic and engaged in day-to-day operations, able to guide long-term vision while supporting staff and programs and will approach the role with a commitment to access, representation, and serving diverse audiences. They will uphold the unifying values of the University.

USC Libraries

USC Libraries faculty and staff work to advance consequential engagement with our academic and arts communities. We are committed to USC's unifying values of accountability, integrity, excellence, open communication, well-being, and community as we support the university's students, faculty, and staff. USC Libraries take pride in our Digital Library, the Sidney Harman Academy for Polymathic Study with its Ahmanson Lab, our data and visualization services, and the library's strong primary source collections including LGBTQ+ history and culture, particularly relating to West Coast activities and activism; the history of Los Angeles and Southern California; Cinematic Arts; and the Holocaust and genocide and exile studies. For more information on how our libraries support critical, creative, and ethical habits of mind at USC, visit the USC Libraries website.

Visit USC's website for information about our students, academic programs, campuses, and research.

ONE Archives at USC Libraries

ONE Archives at the USC Libraries is the largest repository of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) materials in the world. Founded in 1952, ONE Archives houses millions of archival items including periodicals, books, film, video and audio recordings, photographs, artworks, organizational records, and personal papers. ONE Archives has been a part of the University of Southern California Libraries since 2010.

The mission of the ONE Archives is to collect, preserve, and make accessible LGBTQ+ historical materials while promoting new scholarship and increasing public awareness of queer histories through programs, exhibitions, and collaborative partnerships.

For more information, visit the ONE Archives website.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

Reporting to the Associate Dean for Distinctive Collections, the Paul D. Lerner and Stephen Reis Director, ONE Archives will:

• Lead and manage the operations and collections of the world's largest LGBTQ+ archives and its collection of art and cultural objects
• Oversee the day-to-day administrative functions of the ONE Archives, including personnel and budget management
• Supervise archivists, librarians, and curatorial and support staff
• Oversee all research activities and initiatives, including the reading room, support for research projects, collection development, and exhibition development and production
• Collaborate with the University's Central Advancement team on fundraising and maintain and cultivate relationships with donors of both in-kind and monetary contributions
• Oversee and guide the public communications and social media and of the ONE Archives in collaboration with the Libraries Programs and Planning department
• Lead and participate in public programming, teaching, and exhibitions
• Collaborate with the Libraries colleagues on grant opportunities and grant writing
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with LGBTQ+ community partners, including the ONE Institute, and develop engagement with underrepresented communities
• Liaise with community partners, museums, and other organizations in efforts dedicated to exhibitions and programming
• Advance the integration of ONE within the broader USC community to enhance visibility, research, and teaching collaborations
• Serve on the Libraries' Curatorial Committee
• Regularly review and evaluate ONE's collection development policies and procedures
• Promote accessible teaching practices in the development and delivery of services and programs
• Contribute to learning, teaching, information literacy, and scholarship through the use of new technologies, digital pedagogy, and critical engagement with ONE's primary source collections
• Engage in professional and/or subject discipline organizations, research, or publishing that will have a significant, positive impact for the ONE Archives and advance the strategic priorities of USC Libraries and the University of Southern California

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum qualifications: MLS from an ALA-accredited institution OR equivalent advanced education and leadership experience in libraries, archives, higher education, or other complex information-centered organizations. In addition, candidates must possess:

• 3 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in academic environments, including demonstrated success in managing teams and fostering collaboration
• Demonstrated creativity in identifying and solving problems within a collegial and collaborative environment
• Success in fundraising, including events and donor engagement, and grant writing efforts
• Experience in teaching and research with primary source materials
• Knowledge of current professional trends, especially those relating to queer culture, LGBTQ+ histories, and social equity
• Familiarity with scholarship in gender and sexuality studies, LGBTQ+ history, and the intersectionalities of race, class, and gender, as well as feminist and queer theory
• Experience working with LGBTQ+ communities and organizations
• Experience with community archives and collection stewardship

Desirable qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a relevant field (e.g., history, art history, gender and sexuality studies, or related discipline)
• 5-7 years of demonstrated successful supervisory experience in libraries, archives, higher education, or other complex information-centered organizations
• Experience with strategic planning
• Advanced knowledge of archival theory and practice
• Experience with special collections librarianship

Faculty Appointment Rank and Salary

Librarians at USC have faculty status. This is a full-time, continuing appointment track position. Appointment to the continuing appointment track requires the potential to meet the University's criteria for granting continuing appointment-excellence in librarianship-which librarians achieve by having a significant impact on the development and/or implementation of high-quality collections and/or services. Additionally, librarians must demonstrate the expectation of continued excellence and growth in professional expertise.

Rank: Open Rank; commensurate with experience and qualifications.

This is a 12-month full-time position. The annual base salary range for this position is $90,250-138,000.

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate's work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

For information on criteria and qualifications for the appointment, promotion and continuing appointment of librarians, contact Ruth Wallach, Associate Dean of Faculty at the USC Libraries, rwallach@usc.edu.

Benefits

Benefits include a choice of retirement programs, 22 paid vacation days per year, university holidays, a choice of medical and dental plans, and tuition assistance (for employees and eligible dependents). For more information about benefits see: https://employees.usc.edu/benefits-perks/

Application Procedure

As part of the application, candidates must upload the following documents into a single PDF file:

a cover letter that addresses the qualifications for the position a curriculum vitae (including telephone and e-mail address) a list of at least three references that includes the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address for each referee

Closing date for applications: Open until filled; application review will begin on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.

For more information about this position, contact Marti Nye, Sr. Talent Acquisition Partner, USC Office of the Provost: martinye@usc.edu

USC is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance.

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