OAPEN and the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB) are looking for a Metadata & Systems Specialist to become part of the technical team. OAPEN works with publishers to build a quality-controlled collection of open access books and provides services for publishers, libraries, and research funders in the areas of hosting, deposit, quality assurance, dissemination, and digital preservation.
We are seeking a technically skilled and detail-oriented professional to manage and enhance our open infrastructures for books. This role is central to the operations of OAPEN and DOAB, focusing on metadata quality, system automation, and technical support to ensure the integrity and accessibility of our collections.
As part of our technical team, you will primarily contribute to the cataloguing of open access books and chapters for the OAPEN library, support the development and automation of metadata ingest workflows, and occasionally engage in projects as a technical expert. You will also provide technical support for PRISM (Peer Review Information Service for Monographs), work closely with publishers and support efforts to improve metadata quality and analyse usage.
Key Responsibilities:
- Metadata & Cataloguing Management:
- Perform cataloguing for the OAPEN library and occasionally for the Directory of Open Access Books (DOAB).
- Improve metadata quality, analyse usage data, and implement enhancements.
- Manage DOI assignments and other persistent identifiers.
- Systems Development & Automation:
- Contribute to the development and automation of the deposit and ingestion systems.
- Maintain and troubleshoot the DSpace repository platform.
- Provide technical support for PRISM (Peer Review Information Service for Monographs) and other services.
- Publisher Engagement & Support:
- Serve as a technical point of contact for publisher queries and onboarding.
- Manage data transfers and workflows via FTP servers.
- Project & Team Collaboration:
- Actively participate in and contribute to internal, external, and cross-functional projects.
- Utilise project management tools like Jira to track tasks and workflows.
Required Skills & Qualifications:
- Master’s degree or equivalent industry experience.
- Proven experience with cataloguing workflows in DSpace or other repository software, including metadata standards (Dublin Core, ONIX, MARC etc).
- Practical experience with scripting/coding languages such as Python and SQL, ideally for building or maintaining metadata pipelines.
- Strong data analysis skills.
- Proficiency in using the command line and familiarity with version control systems like GitLab.
- Experience with FTP server operations.
- Fluency in English (written and spoken).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Knowledge of accessibility standards as they relate to ONIX metadata.
- Work experience with Jira or similar project management tools.
We offer:
- An international and compelling working environment with dedicated and friendly colleagues embedded in a fast-growing and diverse community.
- Full-time position: 40 hours per week.
- Holidays allowance is 30 days per year.
- Payscale: Salary will be placed on scale 10 or 11 of the Collective Labor Agreement for Public Libraries in the Netherlands. The appropriate step on the salary scale will depend on skills and experience.
- Contract length: A 1-year contract will be offered initially. A permanent contract will be possible, depending on performance.
- OAPEN and DOAB have their offices in The Hague in the Netherlands, but the position is open to working remotely. However, for administrative reasons the applicant must reside in any of these countries: The Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, or Poland.
Starting date: As soon as possible.
Application deadline: 10 October 2025 at 10 AM CEST.
Contact: Niels Stern, Managing Director, [email protected].
About OAPEN and DOAB
OAPEN and DOAB promote and support the transition to open access (OA) for academic books by providing open infrastructure services to stakeholders in scholarly communication.
OAPEN staff operate three platforms: 1) the OAPEN Library – a central repository for hosting and distribution of over 40,000 peer-reviewed OA books, 2) OAPEN Open Access Books Toolkit – a public information resource, and 3) the Directory of Open Access Books – a discovery service indexing around 100,000 peer-reviewed OA books, governed in partnership with OpenEdition.
OAPEN and DOAB are both not-for-profit Dutch Foundations (‘Stichting’) founded in 2011 and 2019 respectively, and managed by a team of 12 people.