Senior Library Manager, Student and Academic Services

Advert Reference Number: 1688 |

Job Location:

Milton Keynes | Department:
Student and Academic Services | Salary: £47,389 to £56,535 (pro-rata for part time hours) | Closing Date: 7 July 2026 | Weekly

Working Hours:

24 | Contract Type:
Permanent | Fixed Term

Contract:

End Date:
Not Applicable | Welsh Language:
Not Applicable

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part‑time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education. Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to You Tube by clicking this link).

The Senior Library Manager (Student and Academic Services) provides a pivotal role within the Library, managing the relationship with one of our four faculties, and leading a key service area. We work in partnership with the whole OU community to design and deliver a Library service which continually improves to meet the needs of the University. Key to this is proactive relationship management with faculty colleagues to ensure we understand the needs of our community, and align our services appropriately.

Working within a matrix management structure, the Senior Library Manager collaborates on the provision of services to support the University. Alongside faculty relationship management, the post holder is responsible for the strategic leadership of a key service area. Key services include synchronous and asynchronous training, real‑time help and support, and embedding library content and skills into the curriculum.

• Initiate, build and lead strategic relationships with senior stakeholders within the designated faculty, to gain insight and understanding of strategic priorities and foster collaboration.
• Develop an understanding of faculty needs in relation to library content to ensure that the University obtains value for money for the collections to which it subscribes, and that these meet the changing teaching, scholarship and research needs.
• Work with Content, Licensing & Intellectual Property colleagues to ensure appropriate subscriptions and licensing arrangements are in place for faculty‑based collection development.
• Manage the Information Resources Budget (IRB) to respond to changing curriculum and research needs.

• Provide strategic leadership in specialist areas of expertise to support the development of innovative services.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Library to deliver a coherent joined‑up service in line with key priorities, ensuring team workloads are appropriate.
• Work with the team to identify and articulate the value and impact of the key service area.
• Clearly and quickly communicate decisions and keep people up to date with institutional and sectoral change and opportunities.

• Direct, inspire, motivate, engage and challenge the team to deliver responsibilities to agreed performance and quality standards, deadlines and budgets.
• As a member of the Extended Leadership Team contribute to strategy development, ensure a responsive and customer‑oriented approach to service development and delivery, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Create, manage and analyse data to inform decision‑making; working collaboratively with colleagues to exploit business intelligence to shape the strategic development of Library Services.
• Lead, performance‑manage and motivate staff assigned; including recruitment and annual appraisal, personal development planning and objective setting through the appraisal process.
• Participate in external networks, and otherwise to keep abreast of current and likely future developments, using this intelligence to ensure that the Open University Library is sector leading.

• Undertake any other duties which may reasonably be required.
• Take reasonable care of the Health and Safety of themselves and that of any other person who may be affected by your acts or omissions at work.
• Attend appropriate staff development events and undertake appropriate…