5298430 – Library Manager in London

MAIN PURPOSE
To oversee the provision of an excellent and high quality customer focused service to agreed service standards. Responsible for managing the staff, services and all resources in a designated library or libraries. Responsible for managing performance within a designated library/libraries and drawing up team and other improvement plans. To continuously seek to improve, develop and diversify the service offer working with the libraries management team. To act as a main change agent for the service ensuring that frontline staff are well placed to embrace new ways of working. To use initiative in ensuring the smooth running of libraries particularly when lone working.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Responsible for recruiting, developing and managing staff to deliver a high quality, excellent and first class customer focused library service.
• Responsible for the recruitment, development, retention and deployment of volunteers in a designated library or libraries.
• Undertake appraisals and regular 1:1s for all staff. Draw up staff development plans and facilitate their achievement.
• Deploy staff, volunteers and security guards within your designated library/libraries to ensure the provision of a reliable and quality service. Support other libraries as required.
• Ensure adherence to all Council and library service policies and standards as well as Health & Safety and Audit requirements. Maintain up-to-date and accurate people and building documentation.
• Responsible for designated library buildings and ensuring that buildings are maintained to a high standard. Liaise with Facilities Management to ensure that any issues are reported and fixed in a timely manner.
• Be proficient in all organisational and service IT systems and conduct training for staff, volunteers and contractors as required.
• Proactively promote new technologies to customers and ensure that support is provided for customers in using various forms of technology internally and externally from library buildings.
• Contribute to the identification of improved working practices and support the implementation of these once agreed for the library service.
• Deal with verbal comments and complaints locally; draft responses for written complaints pertaining to your designated library/libraries and follow council guidelines on managing the complaints process.
• Contribute to library service planning representing issues specific to your designated library/libraries as well as taking collective responsibility for service improvements.
• Take responsibility for targets pertaining to your library or libraries, drawing up plans, cascading targets to staff, providing regular updates and identifying corrective action where necessary. Ensure that reporting takes place within given timescales and within the context of performance management guidelines set out corporately.
• Have a detailed understanding of the communities served by your libraries and draw this into a cohesive annual plan to achieve targets.
• Develop effective relationships with local communities and work collaboratively with local stakeholders in seeking to extend the service reach and offer.
• Promote national and local campaigns and support the delivery of key campaign messages. Deliver a broad range of activities in partnership with other organisations and volunteers.
• Ensure effective communication processes are in place for cascading information down from senior management, representing local issues to management and keeping all staff, volunteers and contractors informed within the library.
• Monitor assigned budgets and ensure that income targets are achieved.
• To be the main key holder with responsibility for emergency call outs.
• Any other duties commensurate with the post.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Knowledge
  Understanding of how libraries contribute to community and council priorities. Understanding of the national framework for libraries and the role that you and your team/s play in this. Understanding of developing and promoting services to meet local needs. Knowledge of library related managerial policies, practices and controls.
• Skills
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Excellent inter-personal and people management skills. Excellent customer care and the ability to be able to manage others to work towards a common goal. Ability to manage a busy environment or multiple sites whilst keeping sight of competing priorities. Ability to address priorities and meet deadlines both within a personal workload and for the team. Excellent planning and organisational skills. Take ownership and deliver projects and plans to set objectives. Ability to digest information and present it appropriately to different levels of people. Excellent IT skills and the ability to use multiple systems on a daily basis. Ability to manage and monitor budgets using computerised systems. Meticulous attention to detail to ensure that Service Standards are adhered to at all times. Ability to analyse data and apply findings to local plans. Solution focused with an ability to look at continually improving services and promote change that supports improvements. Ability to understand and work within a performance culture.
• Experience and background
  Public library experience or front-facing experience of working in a customer environment. Experience of managing people to deliver collective objectives.