Area Library Manager

About the role

Are you a friendly, organised and proactive person who is ready to lead a team? Would you like a role where you can make a difference in your community?

Cambridgeshire Libraries provide a vital information service to local communities. Books are part of the service, but even more important is providing a warm welcome to a diverse range of customers. Our libraries are safe, non-judgemental community spaces where customers are supported to access the resources and information they need.

You will be responsible for running the day-to-day operations of Cambridge City libraries and supporting the District Library Manager to develop the district's library service according to the county-wide strategy and action plan.

Based at our flagship, Cambridge Central Library, you will also support our branches at Arbury Court, Barnwell Road, Cherry Hinton, Milton Road and Rock Road, as well as our partnership with Cambridge City Council at the Clay Farm Centre. You will have responsibility for Cambridge Central Library and two of the branch libraries, as well as the UKVCAS service point at Cambridge Central Library.

You will also have line management responsibility for our team of Community and District Library Assistants, shared with the other Area Library Manager.

This incredibly varied role blends team management with operational delivery, hands-on customer service and building management.

No two days are the same - you could be staffing our UKVCAS service point and co-ordinating a library event one day or recruiting a new team member and facilitating building refurbishments the next.

You will often be the first point of contact for external partners and contractors, and will assist the District Library Manager in managing staff, as well as supervising volunteers and buildings to ensure a healthy, safe and secure working environment.

Please note that library work is physically demanding; see the Job Hazards information for more details.

You might have supervised a team before or you might never have been a manager; either way you will be confident and excited to lead a team. You will be an empathetic and enthusiastic leader as well as a positive role model for our friendly team.

While your day will focus more on administrative and operational responsibilities than front-line service delivery, you will have strong customer service skills, an aptitude for conflict management and a flair for working with people.

We are looking for someone who is resourceful, reliable and excellent at juggling multiple priorities. Communication is key in this fast-paced role.

You don't need to have worked in libraries before, but you do need to understand what excellent public service looks like - and be committed to helping deliver a high-quality, cost-effective library service that responds to the needs of local communities. If you've got experience of working in a customer-focused environment, particularly in a supervisory role, and you're passionate about making a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

You must be able to travel across Cambridge as the ability to work at any of the libraries in the district is essential. You will need to work flexibly, with a requirement for some lone, weekend and evening working.

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please check out the Job Description & Person Specification.

We want to recognise and celebrate the diversity of our local communities and be responsive to their needs. We also want to ensure that we are a fair and equitable employer, striving to achieve a diverse and culturally competent workforce. We therefore encourage applications from all areas of our community.

For an informal chat about the role, contact Hannah Griffiths, District Library Manager (Cambridge City),  or .

Interview arrangements:
Interviews are provisionally expected to take place on Thursday 10th September at Cambridge Central Library.

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage...

• A comprehensive wellbeing package to cover all aspects of wellbeing
  , both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family
• Buy up to 4 weeks additional annual leave (pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme
• Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
• Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
• Access to development opportunities
  , apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support your personal and professional growth
• Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
• Access to Peer Support Groups through our IDEAL staff equality, diversity and inclusion network
• Opportunities to nominate and receive Employee Recognition Awards
• An Our Cambs Rewards account, giving you access to…