Job Description

About the role

Are you ready to lead our flagship Central Library-- at the heart of a dynamic network of libraries --and play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of public library services in Cambridge?

We are seeking a dynamic, people-focused operational leader to champion Cambridge City Libraries. From the flagship Cambridge Central Library to our branches in Arbury Court, Barnwell Road, Cherry Hinton, Milton Road, and Rock Road, you'll lead a service that is dedicated to achieving the council's vision of a creating a greener, fairer and more caring Cambridgeshire. You'll play a vital role in promoting culture and creativity, supporting community health and wellbeing, expanding access to trusted information and digital services, and inspiring a love of reading through engaging and inclusive programmes.

About the role:

This is more than a management role -- it's a chance to make a real difference. You'll lead a diverse team across multiple sites, ensuring our libraries are inclusive, inspiring spaces for everyone. Whether you're overseeing daily operations, developing local partnerships, or shaping strategic plans, your work will directly impact how our communities access knowledge, culture and support from local services.


You'll be based at Cambridge Central Library, but you'll also work across our network of branches. This is a varied, hands-on role that blends operational leadership with membership of the Library Leadership Team, working directly with the Head of Libraries, Archives and Culture. One day you might be managing a project or planning a community event; the next, you could be building partnerships, leading team meetings, or supporting recruitment and staff development.


What will you be doing?

Why we need you:

We're proud of our libraries and we have a reputation for excellence as a sector-leading library service -- but we know there's always more we can do. We're looking for someone who can think creatively, spot opportunities, respond to local needs, and lead with empathy and enthusiasm. Your leadership will help us build a stronger team, better services, and more effectively meet the needs of local residents.


One of your first priorities in the role will be to oversee the successful operation of our brand new EverySpace at Central Library. You will also make an important contribution to projects such as the redevelopment of Barnwell Road Library and refurbishments to Central Library in 2026. You will be the operational lead for our UKVCAS contract commissioned by Libraries Connected and manage our relationship with Cambridge City Council to deliver the Clay Farm Centre Library and Cherry Hinton Hub.


About you

What's in it for you?

This is a role where you'll see the impact of your work every day. Working in a fast-paced and rewarding environment, you'll contribute to library strategy and be part of a supportive, forward-thinking team. You'll also benefit from flexible hybrid working, ongoing professional development, and the chance to shape services that truly matter to our communities.

About you:

You're a natural leader -- someone who brings people together, builds trust, and gets things done. You've managed teams before, ideally across multiple sites, and you know how to balance operational demands with long-term vision. You're confident using data to inform decisions, and you're comfortable navigating change.


You don't need to have worked in libraries before, but you do need to understand what excellent public service looks like--and be committed to helping deliver a high-quality, cost-effective library service that responds to the needs of local communities. If you've got experience of leading a team in a customer-focused environment and you're passionate about making a difference, we'd love to hear from you.

For a full list of the requirements of the role, please refer to the attached & Person Specification.

When completing your supporting statement, please emphasise how your knowledge, skills and experience meet the job description with a focus on:

Awareness of current issues, challenges, developments and opportunities in the library sector. Evidence of a range of leadership qualities and skills necessary to recruit, build, motivate, lead and manage the performance of a large team of staff. Excellent interpersonal skills with staff and volunteers, including active listening, problem solving, patience and understanding. Ability to implement and realise corporate priorities/strategy, taking account of political and external influences, and to use influencing and negotiating skills. Demonstrate ability to make effective use of Microsoft Office 365 suite, especially Teams, Excel and PowerBI. Proven ability to interpret key performance indicator data to inform decision making. Ability to present and report on data in a clear and concise manner.

Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service.

We're committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Want to know more?

For an informal chat about the role, contact Gary Porter, Head of Libraries, Archives and Culture, at gary.porter@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or 07770227096.

Join our virtual information session via Microsoft Teams

on Wednesday 30th July from 18:00-19:00, hosted by the incumbent District Library Manager, Christopher Waters.


If you wish to attend, please contact christopher.waters@cambridgeshire.gov.uk or call 07391730796.

Interview arrangements:

Interviews are expected to take place on Wednesday 20th August at Cambridge Central Library.


About us

Cambridgeshire is a great place to work and live with a diverse population, an urban centre in Cambridge, historic Isle of Ely, Huntingdon and St Ives as well as more rural landscapes.


Our four values are central to our culture, driving everything we do.


We are proud to serve the diverse communities of Cambridgeshire and want our workforce to be reflective of this diversity, which we firmly believe benefits our colleagues, the organisation and our communities. If you don't meet every single requirement in the job role but think this could be you, please don't be put off. We are committed to building a workplace that is compassionate and inclusive as well as diverse, so if you think you could be a good candidate for this role please consider applying and speak to the recruiting manager if you have any questions.


Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, along with our employee network 'IDEAL' and self-organised peer support groups help us to foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment where people feel valued, respected, and empowered. We collect relevant diversity data for monitoring as part of the recruitment process to understand the diversity of our applicants and monitor any trends throughout the recruitment processes so that we can take meaningful action.


We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We fully support providing reasonable adjustments throughout our recruitment process, as well as when you join us, and we encourage candidates to contact the Hiring Manager, whose details can be found in the advert, to discuss any adjustment needs. Some examples of adjustments could include additional time to complete an assessment or printing a document on pastel coloured paper with larger font size and line spacing. We would value talking about what might be possible to enable you to join us and thrive, so if there is something that would help you to do your best during your journey with us, please get in touch.


Visit our jobs and careers section to find out more about our wide range of learning and development opportunities; apprenticeships; our wellbeing package; staff benefits; our commitment to equality, diversity and Inclusion.


https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/council/jobs-and-careers


Our benefits

We value our colleagues in Cambridgeshire County Council and have developed a number of benefits in addition to the basics like annual leave, sick pay, pension and mileage...

A comprehensive

wellbeing package

to cover

all aspects of wellbeing

, both in and out of work, which can also be accessed by your family Buy up to

4 weeks additional annual leave

(pro-rata) through our salary sacrifice scheme Take your bank holidays

flexibly

to better suit

your personal circumstances

Make

Additional Voluntary Contributions

(Shared AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings Access to

development opportunities

, apprenticeships and qualified coaches to support

your personal and professional growth

Paid volunteering hours

each year so you can make a

positive impact on our community

during your normal working day Access to

Peer Support Groups

through our IDEAL staff

equality, diversity and inclusion

network Opportunities to nominate and receive

Employee Recognition Awards

An

Our Cambs Rewards

account, giving you access to in-store and online

discounts

as well as our

Car Lease

and

Cycle to Work

schemes

Take a look at our Employment Benefits Brochure attached to this advert to find out more.