Deputy Director, Libraries & Collections

About us  

King’s Libraries & Collection’s strategy, Library Evolution, has been in place since 2018, delivering on goals to support King’s strategic vision for 2029. Library Evolution is re-shaping the role of the academic library, transforming access to collections, increasing research impact for King’s and supporting an interdisciplinary curriculum. Library Evolution is firmly pointed towards the Open Library, ensuring that information and knowledge is accessible to all. 

We are recalibrating what King’s needs from its libraries to deliver teaching and learning in the future; in particular, how we will use our physical spaces and services to support e-research, digital scholarship and research enhanced learning. Libraries & Collections have recently received investment in our systems and in our digitisation facilities in preparation for the enhanced delivery of accessible digital collections for the university. We are re-emphasising the value of our community and are prioritising initiatives that put our people front and centre of Library Evolution. We need a Deputy Director to help shape and plan the delivery of this work.  

Libraries & Collections support Education, Research and Scholarship at King’s via a range of services, facilities and world class collections. Libraries & Collections have six libraries across King’s four campuses, including the flagship Maughan Library on Chancery Lane, the Foyle Special Collections Library and King’s College London Archives. Libraries & Collections support nine faculties that span the breadth of Health, Arts and Science departments as well as providing services for both King’s College Hospital and Guy’s & St. Thomas’ NHS Trusts. 

About the Role

The Deputy Director is a key member of Libraries & Collection’s Senior Leadership Team and will assume responsibility for the library and its activities and operations in the Director’s absence.  

The Deputy Director works across all areas of the Libraries & Collection’s governance structure – Knowledge, Collections, and Environments, as well as more widely in the university with colleagues from across faculties and professional services, to bring together the required skills and resources that will keep us aligned to the university’s ambitions.  

They will manage the Associate Directors and Head of Collections Transformation to ensure cross service collaboration and coordinated prioritisation of workload and resources to deliver the annual Libraries & Collections operational plan, as well as assuring agreed levels of service quality via the Libraries & Collections service catalogue and associated KPIs.  

They will work with the Director to create a thriving Libraries & Collections community via the delivery of people-focused initiatives as part of the wider Students & Education Directorate.  

This is a fantastic opportunity for candidates looking to take on a leadership position in a large and complex organisation and who wish to use their skills and experience in developing, operationalising and delivering strategic plans. 

All Libraries & Collections staff are encouraged to take responsibility for their own performance and development, through agreeing clear objectives, maintaining professional awareness, and participating in professional networks. We expect all senior managers to adopt a positive, proactive, flexible, and committed approach that inspires and motivates others. 

The role is hybrid, spending time working from campus as well as from home.

This post will be offered on an indefinite contract. 

This is currently a full-time post, but we welcome applications from candidates seeking a flexible work pattern.

• Management of Associate Directors for Libraries & Collections and Head of Collections Transformation, including responsibility for recruitment and personal development.  
• With the Director and Associate Directors, work to shape the culture of Libraries & Collections in a newly evolving hybrid working environment, delivering people-focused initiatives, and continuing to deliver Library Evolution milestones.  
• With the Director and Associate Directors, ensure that Libraries & Collections can secure the required resources to continue to deliver Library Evolution.  
• With the Libraries & Collections Senior Management Team, working together to embed our values of openness and inclusivity.  
• With the Libraries & Collections Senior Management Team, working together to develop and deliver the Libraries & Collections annual operational plan.  
• Ensure that Libraries & Collections staff are equipped with the right skills and knowledge to support the ongoing digital transformation of services and collections. 
• Ensure service excellence across Libraries & Collections is maintained via oversight of the L&C service catalogue, reporting quarterly on KPIs and business data. 
• Partner with the university community and wider stakeholders to define, collaborate on and deliver shared strategic aims. 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Please clearly address how you meet the
essential criteria in your application, and where possible how you meet the
desirable criteria as well.

Essential criteria  

Relevant work experience and/or education: We think a wide range of different work and educational experiences could support you to be successful in this role. Relevant work experience would include at least five years spent at senior management level in a research library or archive holding significant physical and digital collections. Educational experiences should include being educated to first degree level and/or professionally accredited library/information/archives qualification. 

Ability to lead with authenticity and purpose, motivating staff, and experience of creating opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement that is evidenced by results. 

Experience managing large teams across a portfolio of responsibilities. 

Effective management skills that provide the support needed for senior managers to successfully deliver goals. 

Skilled in developing strategic plans and viable, data driven, business and project plans. 

Project management skills involving developing, leading, and completing projects within intended scope and timelines. Attention to detail. 

Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills and a demonstrated ability to work well with others in a team environment and exercise influence with wide range of stakeholders. 

Demonstrable knowledge of all aspects of academic library operations including knowledge of contemporary library practices, trends, and emerging technologies; Knowledge of and experience with outcomes and assessment of library services. 

Demonstrable personal commitment to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and library services. 

Desirable criteria

Experience of working on digital transformation initiatives within a research library setting.  

Experience of applying for research grants and working on fundraising campaigns.  

Please submit a personal statement when applying for this vacancy, clearly setting out how you meet the essential criteria, as this is how we shortlist applications. Learn more about how we recruit, including tips on writing your application and supporting statement on our website:  

https://jobs.kcl.ac.uk/gb/en/applying

If you are a student or alumni of King’s there are resources from King’s Careers & Employability to support you in your application and interview. 

Interviews will be held in person and will consist of competency-based questions linked closely to the essential and desirable criteria mentioned here. 

Although we have made improvements over the last number of years, our team is still under-represented in terms of staff from global majority ethnicities, LGBTQ+ identities, and from people with disabilities. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities.