Senior Specialist Copyright and Information Policy

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How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume or CV as one file (because of system limitations). In your cover letter, please let us know how this role aligns with your skills by highlighting one or more examples in which you have contributed to the development, interpretation, or application of policy in areas such as copyright, privacy, accessibility, technology, or another area relevant to memory organizations.

For questions about this role or accommodation requests, contact [email protected].

Job Summary

HathiTrust is an international partnership of academic and research institutions offering a collection of 19+ million titles, in 400+ languages, digitized from libraries around the world. We are administratively based at the University of Michigan Library and our staff are employees of the University.

We are looking for a Senior Specialist, Copyright and Information Policy, who has experience with copyright law, accessibility matters, and policy analysis and development in a higher education or GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) setting, and an interest in contributing to our mission of preserving and making accessible the record of human knowledge.

Reporting to the Executive Director, this new role at HathiTrust will support our mission, services, and business processes by developing clearly articulated policies and principles based on law (e.g., copyright, privacy, contracts, terms of service, ADA/Title II), emergent community norms, and best practices, and our values.

What You'll Do

Policy Development and Governance

• Analyze and advise on the application of relevant public policy and legal matters and recommend courses of action.
• Develop and/or document clearly articulated policies and principles for HathiTrust services based on law (e.g., fair use and other library exceptions to copyright, ADA, privacy, contracts, terms of service) and our values.
• Create and apply frameworks and timeframes for policy review and development.
• Support the development of policy documentation for projects, initiatives, and services by consulting with stakeholders and other experts.

Legal and Strategic Advising

• Analyze relevant contracts and/or draft, or contribute to the drafting, of contracts among HathiTrust and other entities, including its members.
• Advise on the legal, policy, and ethical issues when making the collection available for analysis and processing (e.g., language model training, natural language processing, AI, etc.).
• Work closely with University of Michigan legal counsel on the legal underpinnings for HathiTrust's strategic activities.

Strategic and Program Leadership

• Provide strategic guidance and communicate complex findings to leadership and other technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Oversee the copyright review program.
• Supervise one part-time staff member.
• Understand different perspectives and promote the use of best practices to foster collaboration and effective working relationships.

Required Qualifications*

• A J.D. degree or an equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience.

• Familiarity with current public policy and case law relevant to both GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) and emerging technologies.

• 5+ years of cumulative experience, including the following:

• Copyright, fair use, and policy analysis and development in a higher education or library setting

• Risk analysis from a legal perspective

• Managing and contributing to complex projects relevant to policy and copyright concerns

• Experience managing teams, whether as direct or indirect reports, and in influencing others for positive organizational change.

Why Work at Michigan?

The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous time off (24 vacation days per year, and 15 sick days per year).
• A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting.
• Professional development opportunities, including support for ongoing training and certification.
• Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses.
• Life insurance, long-term disability coverage, and more.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

On-site, hybrid, and remote options are available for this position as long as you reside full-time in the United States.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.