The starting salary for this full-time, permanent position is £45,680 per annum based on a 36 hour working week.
We are excited to be hiring a new Area Lead to join our fantastic Library Service, overseeing operations in the south of the county.
Rewards and Benefits
- 26 days' holiday (prorated for part time staff), rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 30 days after 5 years' service
- Option to buy up to 10 days of additional annual leave
- An extensive Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
- Up to 5 days of carer's leave per year
- Paternity, adoption and dependents leave
- A generous local government salary related pension
- Lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, shopping and many more
- 2 paid volunteering days plus 1 team volunteering day per year
- Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
About the Team
With 52 branches, Surrey Libraries hold a unique place in communities and is one of the UK's busiest library services. This is an exciting opportunity be part of the team leading a transformed service and deliver real improvements to the lives of people who live, work and study in the county.
About the Role
This role will oversee our operational service in 10 branches in the South of the County, leading staff to engage successfully with their communities and grow the service whilst providing customer excellence. The role holder is also the income lead for the Library Service, working with senior managers to define plans to maximise income generation as well as setting and monitoring income targets.
The successful candidate will work as part of the Extended Libraries Leadership Team to help define and deliver our strategic approach to service delivery, including business planning as well as acting as an ambassador and advocate with a range of internal and external partners.
We are seeking an ambitious and dynamic leader to:
- Take responsibility for the frontline operational side of the service across 10 Libraries ensuring value for money through a service offer that meets the needs of diverse communities
- Work alongside the other members of the Extended Libraries Leadership team to support the vision and direction of achieving the service strategy
- Lead a team of Group Managers to promote customer service excellence, collaborate with their communities and to improve and grow their libraries
- Lead and manage the income generation for the service including setting targets and monitoring income, managing the items for the resale budget as well as line managing a Support Officer
Shortlisting Criteria
To be shortlisted to interview for this position your application will clearly evidence:
- Degree and/or relevant professional qualification and experience, or considerable experience of working within the service area. Experience and understanding of working at a management level in a public sector environment
- Extensive knowledge of the provision of a library service with a good understanding of change management
- Strong written and oral communication and interpersonal skills with high level negotiation and influencing skills, and the ability to build effective relationships
- Experience of budget management and monthly monitoring and reporting
- Ability to be able to set performance targets related to income and interpret, understand, and report to senior managers on how well the library services is achieving its income targets
- Ability to analyse data and write clear reports for presentations to senior managers and members
- Wide and proven experience in successful leading, motivating, coaching, mentoring and developing staff
Contact Us
Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.
For an informal discussion contact Simon Harding on
The job advert closes at 23:59 on 18/08/2024 with interviews planned for the week of the 19/08/2024.
Our Commitment
Surrey County Council is proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. A guaranteed interview will be offered to all disabled applications where:
- The candidate has evidenced the minimum criteria for the role through their application
- The candidate has chosen to share that they have a disability on the application form
Our application form and onboarding process will provide an opportunity to request any reasonable adjustments for the interview and/or the role.
We want to be an inclusive and diverse employer reflecting the community we serve and particularly welcome applications from all underrepresented groups.