Applications are invited for the position of Director, Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI), located at the Royal Irish Academy (RIA).
The DRI is a national infrastructure for preserving and providing access to Ireland’s social and cultural digital data. The DRI is a CoreTrustSeal-certified trustworthy digital repository for the humanities, social sciences and cultural heritage. It also operates as a research centre for policy, advocacy, training, and best practice in digital preservation, digital archiving, FAIR data management and Open Science. The DRI is funded by the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and the Irish Research Council (IRC). See: https://dri.ie/(link is external)
The RIA is a predominantly publicly funded institution established for the promotion of learning in the sciences and humanities across the island of Ireland. The Academy’s latest strategic plan for 2019–23 is available here.
Key purpose of role
This is specified-purpose contract from 1 January – 31 December 2023 for a Director to cover a career break for the current DRI Director. The Director will assume the responsibilities of the current Director, who as chief executive has responsibility for DRI’s direction, leadership, management and ongoing service delivery. The Director leads DRI’s Management Team and is responsible to the DRI Board. As an employee of the RIA, the Director reports to the RIA Executive Director.
Key accountabilities
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Lead the development of plans to meet DRI’s mission and vision, providing oversight of the strategic, operational and budgetary imperatives of the DRI national research infrastructure for the humanities, social sciences and cultural heritage
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Ensure the delivery of DRI’s key performance indicators as outlined in the Service Level Agreement with DRI’s funders and maintain regular reporting to and communications with the funders
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Take the lead role in activities to widen the funding structure of the DRI, develop new funding sources to ensure the long-term sustainability and impact of the DRI, and secure additional funded projects that contribute to DRI’s strategic growth
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Ensure the continued implementation of good governance at the DRI, including reporting to the DRI Board, maintaining regular contact with the Chair and nurturing good relationships and trust with board members
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Maintain strong lines of communication and consultation between DRI partners (RIA, TCD, MU), including chairing the Management Team that provides oversight for DRI’s key operational decisions
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Serve as Principal Investigator on several of DRI’s research projects, ensuring that project milestones are met, and that the projects contribute positively to DRI’s strategic priorities
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Serve on the Core Oversight Committee and Grants Oversight Committees of the National Open Research Forum (NORF) and support the work of the DRI as the coordinating organisation for the NORF
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Take a visible role in advocacy on issues central to DRI’s mandate, and contribute to policy development at institutional, national and international levels
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Keep abreast of key developments in the field, maintaining active participation in national and international fora central to DRI’s strategic focus on Digital Preservation, Open Science and Digital Cultural Heritage
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Represent DRI to the general public, maintain effective working relationships with DRI member institutions and stakeholders, and build new connections within DRI’s designated communities
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Provide line management for seven direct reports at the DRI headquarters located at the RIA, and coordinate with DRI staff at TCD and MU