INTERNAL ONLY VACANCY. This post is open to existing Leeds City Council employees only. Applications will not be considered from external candidates.
Job title: Strategic Library Manager
Salary: PO6 £51,356 - £54,495
Hours: 14.5 per week
Contract: Temporary – 12 months
Location: Across Leeds Libraries
Are you an experienced manager with a track record of managing teams to develop innovative programmes of activity?
Could you support Leeds Libraries to engage with customers and communities to contribute to the strategic direction of our future library services?
We are looking for a Strategic Library Manager within Leeds Libraries.
As part of the Libraries Strategic Leadership Team, you’ll play an important role in decision-making, as well as contributing to the development and implementation of the Library Service Strategy.
You will work closely with the Deputy Head of Customer Contact (Chief Librarian) and the other Strategic Library Managers (Delivery f/t and Communities p/t) to provide direction for library teams and services.
This role will temporarily (12 months) take over responsibility for a limited number of areas within the Strategic Library Manager (Communities) role; specific areas of responsibility will be allocated to the post based on the successful applicant’s skills and experience. The key areas of responsibility are outlined below:
- To be responsible for the development of a responsive community based library service, including the development and strategic management of stock, services and programmes of activity, ensuring the service is fully compliant with its statutory duty and the Universal Offers
- To lead on the co-ordination and promotion of all development activity and programming across the service, ensuring the library service delivers a comprehensive offer on all key corporate agendas
- To lead on the management and development of the School Library Service
- To be responsible for the marketing and communications strategies to ensure a high level of customer engagement with all sections of the community
- To ensure the creative development of specialist services both in Central Library and across the library network.
- Line management and leadership support for the following teams and specific areas of work: Audience Development, Children and Young People, Community Librarians, Digital, Health and Wellbeing, Reader Development, School Library Service, Support Services.
Within these areas you will build positive and productive external partnerships and support your teams to ensure partnerships are successfully cultivated and linked up at local and city-wide levels. You’ll champion ideas for continuous improvement, and ensure your teams contribute towards the future planning and development of services across community hubs and libraries.
Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our council valuesand ambitions.
About you
As a Strategic Library Manager, you will bring to the role:
Skills required
- You are a confident, skilled and experienced strategic manager with a proven record of successful management of staff teams
- You are able to demonstrate a passion for the role of public libraries and have the ability to advocate for the library service among key strategic partners
- You have high level influencing and negotiation skills; you are able to motivate, persuade and positively influence
- You are proactive in finding solutions to challenging situations involving staff, customers and / or partners
- You are able to analyse and evaluate performance and/or complex data and information in order to plan, develop and continuously improve services
What we offer you
We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:
- a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
- membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
- flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
- a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
- a range of staff benefitsto help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further
How to apply
Please complete an application form.
Read our guidancefor further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application.
If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact Richard Hart Richard.Hart@leeds.gov.uk.
We welcome applications from everyone and actively seek a diverse range of applicants from all backgrounds and cultures. We particularly encourage applications from, but not limited to, women, carers, veterans as well as LGBT+, ethnically diverse, disabled and care experienced people.
This role is based in the UK. Home Office guidance states that candidates must evidence their right to work in the UK prior to commencing employment, either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa.
If you do not have the right to work in the UK, you must consider your own eligibility for sponsorship for a particular role through the Skilled Worker visa route before applying. To be eligible for sponsorship you'll usually need to be paid the standard salary rate of at least £41,700 per year or meet one of the other eligibility criteria. Ensure you are eligible before applying.
Job Description
Job Purpose:
To provide strategic leadership for Leeds Libraries ensuring the development and delivery of innovative services for the citizens of Leeds through:
- leading the development of and embedding the vision and direction of the service and driving the momentum for change
- managing senior staff and staff teams, leading on policy development, service planning, resource allocation, project and performance management
- developing and ensuring effective partnership working with a range of stakeholders including Community Hub colleagues, other Leeds City Council services and external partners to ensure continued relevance and connectivity of the library offer to key corporate, city, and regional agendas
This is a generic job description and you will also be expected to deliver on key service areas detailed below, working with the Strategic Library Manager (Communities):
Service Support
- To lead on all major service specific procurement exercises and be responsible for contract management across the service
- To be responsible for project management of key activities across the service
- To lead on commercial activity, including the development of sponsorship and fundraising opportunities
- To be responsible for resource allocation, ensuring sound budget management
- To be responsible for the development and implementation of the policy and procedure framework
- To lead on business planning across the service, including the development of partnerships, business cases and Service Level Agreements
- To be responsible for performance management across the service
- To lead on customer relationship management
- To be responsible for the management of the acquisitions and support teams
- To be responsible for ensuring compliance with statutory duties, e.g. compliance with GDPR and Information Governance, licencing, etc.
Service Delivery
- To lead on and ensure effective communications with Community Hub partners
- To ensure the effective implementation of library refurbishment programmes as part of the wider development Community Hub investment programme
- To provide strategic management for Central Library operations
- To ensure the alignment of the workforce planning programme with priority activity within the Business Plan and ensure effective delivery of the annual training program.
- To be responsible for the service wide volunteering programme
- To ensure effective delivery of core and development programmes of activity across the service.
Service Development
- To be responsible for the development of a responsive community based library service, including the development and strategic management of stock, services and programmes of activity, ensuring the service is fully compliant with its statutory duty and the Universal Offers
- To lead on the co-ordination and promotion of all development activity and programming across the service, ensuring the library service delivers a comprehensive offer on all key corporate agendas, e.g. 100% digital and Child Friendly Leeds
- To lead on the management and development of the School Library Service
- To be responsible for the marketing and communications strategies to ensure a high level of customer engagement with all sections of the community
- To ensure the creative development of specialist services both in Central Library and across the library network.
Responsibilities for Grade:
- You will be a member of the strategic leadership team for Leeds Libraries
- You will be responsible for ensuring the creative development and delivery of services
- You will have budget responsibility for the service, to be managed in accordance with LCC financial procedures and regulations
- You will identify and lead on funding and sponsorship opportunities
- You will lead and manage staff teams, including responsibility for managing attendance and improving performance, disciplinary and grievance issues (all in accordance with HR policies and procedures)
- You will lead on and manage major projects for the service and have excellent project management skills
- You will interpret complex performance information and identify trends to inform the future direction of the service
- You will produce strategic documents, reports, policies and briefings as appropriate
- You will have responsibility for safeguarding, information governance and data protection
- You will deputise for the Chief Librarian and carry out the role of duty manager as required, commensurate with grade.
- You will have service wide responsibility for Health and Safety
- You will work within multiple teams and at various sites as required, be flexible in working hours within your contracted hours and work evenings and weekends as required
- You will carry out duties in accordance with the Council’s Equal Opportunities Policy and other policies which respect the rights and needs of customers and colleagues
- This post involves direct work with the public in an open access setting, the post holder will need to display resilience to some demanding situations
The above list is neither exclusive nor exhaustive, and the service may require the job holder to undertake duties commensurate with the level of the role. The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters .
Qualifications
- You have a degree in Library and Information Science or a degree in a relevant field and / or be able to evidence substantial experience of library management at a senior level
PERSONAL SPECIFICATION: Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities: Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements
Skills Required
- You are a confident, skilled and experienced strategic manager
- You have a proven record of successful management of staff teams
- You are able to demonstrate a passion for the role of public libraries and have the ability to advocate for the library service among key strategic partners
- You are able to seek out and reflect best practise in the sector, initiate ideas and have a track record in developing and / or managing the implementation of high quality, innovative and creative services
- You have high level influencing and negotiation skills; you are able to motivate, persuade and positively influence
- You have well developed creative thinking skills
- You are proactive in finding solutions to challenging situations involving staff, customers and / or partners
- You have high level prioritisation and decision making skills
- You are able to analyse and evaluate performance and/or complex data and information in order to plan, develop and continuously improve services
- You have well developed digital skills and an ability to maximise the benefits of IT for both staff and customer service
Knowledge Required
- You are able to demonstrate an excellent understanding of the role that libraries play in society and have a good knowledge of library sector initiatives
- You have a good understanding of working within a local authority context
- You have a knowledge and understanding of the trends that will shape our work including the roles of key library partners and organisations (e.g. Arts Council, Libraries Connected)
- You have a degree in Library and Information Science or a degree in a relevant field and / or be able to evidence substantial experience of library management at a senior level
Experience Required
- You have substantial experience of working in the public library sector at a senior level
- You have significant experience of change management and are able to evidence a dynamic and innovative approach to change management to maximise positive outcomes
- You have excellent communication skills (verbal and written) and have experience of writing high level reports and briefings
- You have experience of working in a collaborative environment, with teams both within and outside the service
- You have a successful track record in managing and delivering complex projects / sustainable programmes of activity with strong business models
- You are able to evidence compliance with financial and performance targets through the use of management information
- You have experience of evaluating and reporting the impact of service / project work
- You have good business acumen; you are able to identify funding and sponsorship opportunities and manage budgets effectively
- You have extensive experience of managing conflicting priorities
- You have experience of working in and developing mutually beneficial partnerships with other agencies and organisations
Behavioural & other Characteristics required
- You will be adaptable and flexible to changes in workloads, locations and hours
- You will be fully committed to Leeds City Council values
- You will abide by the Council’s Equal Opportunities and Health & Safety Policies
