Head of Academic Services

Location: University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB

About the College/Department

Our Library is one that supports our communities to realise their ambitions by opening up new areas of knowledge & understanding and through fostering applied creative thinking.

At the centre of our approach is a high-quality student experience, outstanding student outcomes and supporting an excellent research environment. With this in mind, our teams deliver against three core strategic themes:

• Community - The original missions of libraries were not about repositories of books or as gatekeepers to knowledge, but about fostering communities of scholars. With that in mind, our focus is on how the Library supports the wide range of communities we have, fostering connection and empowering academic culture.
• Confidence - There is a fundamental role for the Library to ensure all students become confident, independent learners and researchers. We shall support students to develop confidence and applied creative thinking through our academic skills provision and an industry relevant skills offer that enhances performance whilst at university as well as into their chosen future.

Content - Exploration and access to scholarly content is critical to the process of learning, teaching, research, and knowledge exchange. The Library plays a significant role provisioning scholarly content, working with our academic colleagues and students. We shall work to ensure that relevant content is delivered in a sustainable way and that we leverage technology and metadata expertise that enables our students and academics to explore and access the scholarly record. 

About the role

The University of Derby Library is seeking to appoint a Head of Academic Services, a critical role that helps us to deliver conspicuously against the University's purpose and strategic aims.

As Head of Academic Services, you’ll contribute to the leadership and development of the Library, leading strategic direction for the Library’s academic services, supporting research, learning and teaching. You’ll be responsible for the implementation of strategy through operational planning and performance monitoring. You’ll work collaboratively across the University, and as a member of the Library’s Strategic Group you’ll play a key role to ensure the Library’s vision, strategies and service align with the University’s strategic priorities.

About You

To be successful in this role you will be self-motivated and able to work collaboratively with a wide range of colleagues. You’ll leverage your experience in leading academic support services, utilising data, and evidence to inform strategic development, and demonstrate the ability to take a lead in the formulation and implementation of strategic change.

 Key requirements that we are looking for:

• A Level 6 qualification, such as an undergraduate degree, or relevant professional experience
• Experience of leading academic support services within a Higher Education context
• Knowledge of regulatory conditions, policy and practice in Higher Education teaching, learning and academic skills
• Knowledge of emerging trends, policy and practice in the research publication and practice landscape
• A proactive approach to the development of strategy, operational planning and processes, appropriate to the changing needs of the University

Key Contacts

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Benjamin Veasey, University Librarian via b.veasey@derby.ac.uk.

For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk 

For more information and to apply on-line, please click the above “Apply” button.

Advert Closes: 20/10/24

Advert information