The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the Dr. C.C. and Mabel L. Criss Library seek a forward-thinking, innovative, and data-driven leader to serve as the University Librarian and Chief Knowledge Officer (UL/CKO). Reporting to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the UL/CKO serves as the senior academic and administrative leader of Criss Library and as the university’s executive leader for institutional knowledge strategy. As a member of the university’s senior academic leadership team, the UL/CKO plays a central role in shaping UNO’s academic, research, and digital future.
Broadly speaking, the UL/CKO is responsible for the development and implementation of a bold strategic vision that aligns the library’s priorities with UNO’s mission and vision as an urban, public-serving, research university. This includes serving as the university’s executive leader for institutional knowledge strategy, guiding how knowledge is created, organized, and accessed across the university. The UL/CKO provides leadership for scalable digital infrastructure, AI-enabled scholarship, and research data systems that advance interdisciplinary innovation, research growth, and student success. Through enterprise-wide approaches to information lifecycle management, open scholarship, and artificial intelligence literacy, the UL/CKO positions UNO as a national model for innovative knowledge stewardship and digital scholarship as well as an indispensable and future-ready academic partner for the campus community.
The UL/CKO is also charged with executive leadership over all aspects of library administration and operations with the goal of ensuring that the library offers both welcoming and functional physical facilities and also meets the needs of the campus community, advancing student success and retention, teaching and learning, scholarship, and engagement. The position is also responsible for oversight of library faculty and staff and for fostering collegial and collaborative working environment and supporting excellence in librarianship.
For additional information about the position including the full Leadership Profile, please visit the University Librarian and Chief Knowledge Officer webpage: https://www.unomaha.edu/academic-affairs/position-search-pages/university-librarian-search.php. Applications for the position must be submitted digitally through the UNO Employment website (https://unomaha.peopleadmin.com/postings/25278) and should include a) a letter of application describing the applicant’s interest in the position, relevant qualifications and experience, and vision of an academic library with a metropolitan mission like UNO’s, and b) a current CV that includes names and contact information for four (4) professional references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted by Friday, July 31, 2026. The review of applications will continue until the position is filled.
Located on the eastern border of Nebraska, near the Missouri River, the city of Omaha is a center of creativity, business, and philanthropy. This is where Fortune 500 companies, visionary nonprofits, award-winning arts and culture, and innovative start-ups flourish and attract a range of world-class talent—from entrepreneurs to artists.
Omaha is more than simply our location; the city truly functions as part of the UNO campus. With a population of more than 1.2 million within a 50-mile radius, Omaha is integral to what UNO is as a university and offers unlimited opportunities for collaboration. UNO and Omaha enjoy a dynamic, fruitful, long-term partnership with a shared goal: changing the lives of students and residents while enriching the global community.
External Job Ad
https://unomaha.peopleadmin.com/postings/25278
Additional information about the University Librarian and Chief Knowledge Officer search can be found in the Leadership Profile including information about the opportunity and the library as well as about UNO and Omaha. Applications must be submitted electronically via the UNO Employment website by July 31 to receive full consideration.
Inquiries about the opportunity should be directed to Jason Browning, Search Committee Chair at [email protected]. Candidate nominations are welcome and can be be submitted through the nomination survey. All inquiries and nominations will be held in the strictest of confidence.