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Help shape the future of Warwickshire’s libraries and communities
These roles will be involved in the development of library services to meet the future needs of local communities within their area, particularly, introducing new ways of re-commencing services following recent library closures due to Government restrictions.
We are looking for candidates with strong leadership skills, particularly leading teams through uncertain times, a pro-active attitude and ability to work within an existing team structure. These roles will include budget responsibility ensuring the most effective use of council resources.
Warwickshire’s library service is known for high standards and an innovative approach to service delivery. Services that today’s customers want.
We want to recruit free-thinking, hard-working colleagues who are ambitious for themselves and the service. We want you to apply your knowledge and abilities in a place that matters to people and communities. This is an exciting time to be part of the council and we’ll give you the support and encouragement you need to succeed and help others around you.
In Warwickshire we respect libraries’ proud traditions and values, but we don’t dwell on the way things were done in the past - we are much more interested in the future. A key role for the service going forward will be community recovery from COVID19.
We seek applicants with the mindset and momentum to help drive our services forward. Our direction is clear - we’re making Warwickshire the best it can be for everyone. We know we must continuously improve to make this a reality and it’s our people who will make it happen. These are not jobs for the faint-hearted - we need ideas, innovation and impetus, as well as professional expertise. But if you are looking for a senior role in a cutting-edge service, to test your mettle, read on.
There are a number of managerial and leadership vacancies across three pay grades. We are recruiting two Delivery Leads (North and South), plus several Team and Hub Leaders:
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Delivery Lead Libraries (North)
HAY Grade F (£49,795 - £56,432)
The successful candidate will be responsible for a multi-million-pound budget and a large, dispersed workforce spread across four delivery teams:
You will also be a member of the Customer Experience Face-to-Face Management Team.
The role will involve partnership working with Commissioning Team Leaders to innovate service delivery capabilities, supporting the Service Manager and Delivery Lead (South), and developing/maintaining good working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders.
You will manage your teams to achieve the strategic objectives of the Libraries and Communities service, and the priority outcomes of the Council Plan.
Applicants will need to evidence business acumen, operational and people management skills, effective resource management and planning capabilities, organisational leadership and resilience, and the ability to undertake responsibility for performance, standards and statutory requirements. We also want someone who can really exemplify Warwickshire’s values and behaviours and bring our talented staff along with them.
Click on this link for more information and how to apply.
Delivery Lead Libraries (South)
You will be a member of the Customer Experience Face-to-Face Management Team.
The role will involve partnership working with Commissioning Team leaders to innovate service delivery capabilities, supporting the Service Manager and Delivery Lead (North), and developing/maintaining good working relationships with a range of partners and stakeholders.
Team Leaders (Libraries)
Scale J (£29,577 - £32,234)
The successful applicants will manage day-to-day operations in libraries to high standards and levels of customer satisfaction. It’s about keeping the doors open of course, but it’s so much more than that. We want you to apply your knowledge and abilities in a place that really matters to people and communities. The new Team Leaders will be responsible for ensuring the recently agreed Customer Experience Strategy is fully implemented.
As operational leads, the post-holders will manage their teams to achieve the strategic objectives of the Libraries and Communities service, and the priority outcomes of the Council Plan.
Applicants will need to demonstrate strong leadership, interpersonal and management skills, commercial awareness, a commitment to consistently high standards across a range of performance indicators, and the ability to build strong working relationships with staff and key stakeholders towards shared goals. We also want someone who can really exemplify Warwickshire’s values and behaviours and bring our talented staff along with them.
Hub Team Leaders
Scale G (£22,183 - £24,491)
These are new posts reporting to the respective Team Leaders. The successful applicants will supervise a team of Senior/Customer Service Assistants and volunteers at one of Warwickshire’s five hub libraries: Atherstone, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, Rugby and Stratford-upon-Avon. The post-holders will be responsible for ensuring consistently high standards of customer service in their hub - and other face-to-face outlets as appropriate.
Applicants will need to evidence commercial awareness, operational and people management skills, leadership qualities, and the ability to undertake responsibility for performance and standards in their area. The post-holders will manage their team to achieve the strategic objectives of the Libraries and Communities service, and the priority outcomes of the Council Plan.
Principal Librarian
Scale J (£29,577 - £32,234) per annum
18.5 hours per week - Permanent
The post-holder will lead and manage the Reading and Learning Team to meet the outcomes of the service delivery plan. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing, managing and implementing consistent policies and strategies for key priority groups (both adult and children) and for reader and audience development more widely.
The role will involve working in partnership with Commissioning Team Leaders and corporate partners and developing good working relationships with a range of key stakeholders including statutory partners, service providers, the voluntary sector and customers.
Applicants will need to demonstrate business acumen, and people, budget and operational management capabilities, along with skills in planning, research and resource management. They will need a good understanding of the statutory and regulatory context to be able to ensure the business operates safely, in compliance with appropriate regulations and legislation. We are looking for someone who can innovate and improve services to high performance standards, in line with the Council’s values and corporate vision.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
About Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a great place to live and work with plenty to do, see and enjoy. The county covers an area of around 760 square miles and has several large towns but no city. However, Coventry - City of Culture in 2021 - is approximately 10 miles from Warwick, and Birmingham - hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022 - is about 30 miles from the county town. The University of Warwick is located on the southern edge of Coventry, a few miles from the Warwickshire town of Kenilworth.
Warwickshire is a green county (64% rural) with a rich history and culture - from the industrial heritage of the north to Shakespeare in the south. The county has one of the fastest-growing economies in the country. The town of Royal Leamington Spa, in central Warwickshire, has been dubbed ‘Silicon Spa’ because of the number of computer games companies in the area. We have good schools, plenty of green public spaces, and a long list of world-famous attractions including Warwick Castle, the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, and Compton Verney Art Gallery. Being at the heart of the Midlands motorway network makes it is relatively easy to travel further afield.
About Warwickshire’s Library Service
Warwickshire’s Libraries and Communities are one of several universal, public-facing services - including One Stop Shops, Heritage and Culture and Registration. within Business and Customer Services in the Resources Directorate.
The service comprises 19 council-run libraries, mobile fleet, and Schools Library Service plus reading and learning, and digital and outreach teams. We also support a vibrant network of social enterprise libraries and are actively supported by around 800 volunteers.
Warwickshire is one of 21 libraries services that are part of the British Library’s Living Knowledge Network. We are well-supported by Arts Council England and have received a number of grants for reader development programmes and activities. The service will also have a crucial role to play in delivering the new Warwickshire Heritage and Culture Strategy 2020 – 2025 as well as the new Community Connects strategy.
Our libraries are well-supported by County Councillors and have made significant progress in recent years. We have opened makerspaces in three libraries during the past 18 months or so, and completed a major refurbishment of Stratford-upon-Avon Library, incorporating a new Registration Service. Eight more county libraries have been remodeled, all our IT equipment has been updated. We are about to build our third new library since the recession (Alcester, Southam and now Whitnash), and plans for a new £19 million Nuneaton Library and Business Centre - part of a wider town centre regeneration scheme - are taking shape.
Warwickshire Libraries also have a well established network of Community led libraries, supported by and working in partnership with the Council.
The County Council has shown real commitment to both the library service and its workforce. Our libraries provide a wider range of services such as blue badge, concessionary travel, and Police enquiries - but still have reading and learning at their heart. We face the future with confidence, optimism and enthusiasm.
This is the difference you make
Work with passion and purpose
At Warwickshire County Council, you’ll improve the county and see just how much of a meaningful difference you make to its people. Diversity is essential to our success and everyone has a role to play to make Warwickshire the best it can be. It’s a big responsibility that can be challenging at times, but this is what drives us to succeed and achieve. If you’re someone who is prepared to get stuck in, who wants to do the best job possible, who approaches everything with passion and purpose, then we want you to work for us. You’ll be able to apply your knowledge and abilities in a place that matters to people and communities. And simply put, you’ll enjoy working here because of that.
Explore and further your career
Being responsible for the diverse needs of the county means there are a variety of opportunities for you. The breadth of roles at Warwickshire County Council mean you can shape your own career, whether that’s becoming the best at what you do, progressing with your strengths and ambition, or exploring interests in other areas within the council, you’ll grow into who you want to be. Develop the career you want. Learn different skills. There is nothing stopping you from going a long way here and personally contributing to the county’s success. We trust and empower you to build relationships, take responsibility and make decisions, whilst leading by example at all times. We are not rigid in how or where we work. We’re flexible and know there are many ways to do a job well. We understand that people work differently so we ensure that you can work and grow in a way that suits you.
Improve at every opportunity
We’re proud of the care and service we deliver, but know that to progress, we too have to adapt. We’re determined to bring new ideas to the table, alongside what we already do well. Our direction is clear – we’re making Warwickshire the best it can be for everyone. We know we have to continuously improve to make our direction a reality and it’s our teams of dedicated people who will make this happen. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the council and we’ll give you the support and encouragement you need to succeed and help others around you – because we know a job done well, is a job done together.
Additional Information
Structure Chart
A Year in Warwickshire Libraries Infographic