Information Specialist

Are you an information professional with a passion for teaching, fostering collaboration, providing expert guidance, and looking for a new challenge in Plymouth, Britain's Ocean City?

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Information Specialist to provide Library services in support of teaching, learning and research for the schools of Nursing & Midwifery and Psychology. The hugely varied role of Information Specialist is based within Library & Learning Services, a newly formed department within the Education Services Directorate. Information Specialists report to a Senior Information & Learning Specialist and work in collaboration with a wider team including Learning Developers, Lecturers in English as a Foreign Language, and a Learning Support colleagues to provide a comprehensive programme of skills development to our students, in support of their studies and future careers.

In this role you will plan, deliver and evaluate Information Literacy teaching for students and provide 1:1 literature searching support. To do this, you will be expected to liaise effectively with academic staff, to attend school meetings, to promote engagement with digital resources and tools that support teaching and learning, and to provide and promote suitable Library collections, resources and services. You wil also engage with researchers, advising on and advocating for an Open Research publication culture.

What we're looking for

You will:

• Have a qualification or accreditation in a relevant Library or Information Management field.
• Be able to develop and evaluate effective approaches to teaching Information and digital literacies. A teaching qualification is desirable.
• Have excellent communication, liaison and networking skills, and be able to work in partnership with your designated schools, and across the Education Services directorate, to gather intelligence and inform service development.

It would be an advantage to also have experience of working in an academic library or HE teaching environment, and knowledge of Open Research practices relating to research data management, OA publishing and policies, researcher profile tools and responsible metrics.

For more information about the job and the person specification, please refer to the job description.

About us

Our newly formed team brings together expertise in academic, information literacy, language, and digital skills. With a shared vision to create a comprehensive and inclusive skills development environment, this is an exciting opportunity to help shape a new service, team and culture.

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a permanent basis.

The role is based primarily on-campus in Plymouth. Flexible working from home can be accommodated within business needs. There will be occasional travel required to the Exeter and Truro campuses of the University.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role, please contact Chris Johns by email at

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Anticipated Interview Date: Week commencing Monday 1 December 2025

Our Offer

A successful external candidate for this position would be employed by the University of Plymouth Services Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of Plymouth. Employees of the University of Plymouth Services Limited work alongside the University of Plymouth colleagues in delivery of Plymouth's strategic vision, and will adopt the University of Plymouth's HR policies and procedures in full unless otherwise stated.

When joining us, you will receive:

• Generous annual leave: 25 Days Annual Leave plus Bank Holidays & Closure Days
• Generous pension scheme
• Cycle to Work & Electric Car Scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working
• Retailer discounts
• On-site nursery

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

Additional Information

The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages.