Principal Librarian

Are you self-motivated with excellent teamwork and communication skills?

Do you have experience of active participation in library initiatives and activities?

Are you an expert in forging impactful partnerships to identify potential opportunities for service development?

We are looking for a Principal Librarian to be a part of our close-knit library service and it could be you

Our libraries deliver essential community-based support, promoting the benefits of reading for everyone, offering a quality, trusted information service, bridging digital inclusion through supporting safe access to online resources, and curating a programme of events and activities that meet the needs of targeted audiences.

Our library staff and volunteers change people’s lives for the better every day, and being part of the service offers huge job satisfaction.

Salary : £38,626 to £41,511 per annum

Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract until January 2026. The final end date will be confirmed with the successful candidate.

Working Pattern: Full-time/Part Time (up to 37 hours per week) (Flexible Working)We’re open to discussion regarding the amount of hours for this role. We would expect the successful candidate to work at least 30 hours per week.

Location : Power Place Chichester, 2 Terminus Rd, Chichester PO19 8UE with countywide travel.

Interview Date : 09 December

You will work Monday to Friday with occasional Saturdays. You’ll work in line with the libraries core hours (08:30am to 5:00pm). You will need to be able to travel independently around the county, including to areas that may not be easily accessible by public transport. Pool cars and pool bikes available. Final arrangements will be confirmed with successful candidate.

Internal candidates wishing to apply for this role will be considered for a secondment position. Please can you therefore discuss and agree this with your manager before applying for this position.

The Opportunity

In this role, you will have the important responsibility of overseeing the day-to-day delivery of a vital area of library services throughout the county, enriching the lives of children, young people, and families.

Our work in libraries is diverse and any given day can often feel quite different from the next There will be some key responsibilities likely to feature in a typical week, including:

Assisting with the coordination and delivery the Summer Reading Challenge across all West Sussex Libraries Contributing to library development and refurbishment projects Helping to deliver the Bookstart programme for early years. Coordinating and delivering social media content. Managing relationships and partners within West Sussex County Council and externally Coordinating a range of events for children and young people at libraries across West Sussex Training and supporting the team and staff in libraries in library services for children and young people.

For more information on the Key Skills as well as the Qualifications and/or experience required, please refer to the Job Description attached.

About You

The ideal candidate will be a passionate advocate for libraries and the significance they play in the lives of children, young people, and families.

You will be able to demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills, communicating on several different levels with multiple stakeholders and adapting your style accordingly.

We are looking for individual who is a chartered Librarian/qualified librarian or working towards ACLIP with degree level qualification or equivalent.

You will strong judgment skills that enable effective performance management of Families and Wellbeing team members, fostering individual skill and experience development.

Alongside this, you will have keen attention to detail, be comfortable working independently and be at ease in agile environment with project work, sustaining a workload and manging priorities to meet deadlines.

If you thrive on becoming a subject matter expert and using your skills to deliver transformational outcomes for the Families and Wellbeing Team, then this is the perfect role for you

Rewards and Benefits

From flexible working (where possible) to access to our Employee Assistance Programme, we are committed to providing a healthy work life balance.

We think libraries are great places to work, where you can make a difference to local communities every day. Find out more about the variety that comes with working in a library and hear first-hand from some of our library staff here:

A laptop and mobile will be supplied if applicable to your role. You will benefit from 27 days annual leave, rising to 28 days after 5 years’ service plus the opportunity to buy additional leave, an excellent  local government pension scheme as well as a range of discounts giving our staff access to hundreds of offers.

For more information about the wide variety of benefits you can take advantage of please visit our Rewards and Benefits page.

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