UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX. 1 Advertisement Ref: 861

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1 UNIVERSITY OF SUSSE 1 Advertisement Ref: 861 Head of Content Delivery and Digital Strategy Permanent, full time Salary range: starting at 47,328 and rising to 54,841 per annum. It is normal to appoint at the first point of the salary scale. Expected start date: As soon as possible The University of Sussex provides a high-quality, innovative, effective and intuitive information service that supports the learning, teaching and award-winning research of the University community. Driven by the University s values of innovation, inspiration and excellence, our services aim to deliver an enhanced user experience through creative contribution to learning, teaching and the student experience, research, enterprise and external engagement. We are offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced and enthusiastic individual to join the Senior Management Team at the University of Sussex in this stimulating and challenging new role. Leading teams in Technical Services, Systems and Technical Development, the post-holder will oversee the delivery of efficient and progressive collections and the development of innovative systems and technical solutions. Reporting to the Librarian, you will be responsible for developing strategy and policy in all matters relating to technical services, systems and technical development. Key Responsibilities To make a major contribution to the strategic management of the as an active member of the s Senior Management Team To lead, motivate and direct the teams in Technical Services, Systems and Technical Development to ensure delivery of an efficient and effective service To ensure that the s resources and IT budgets are allocated and spent within agreed expenditure levels and in accordance with University financial regulations To provide strategic direction for the s management systems including its discovery and digital asset management services (including Primo, Sussex Research Online and the Talis Aspire Reading Lists system) as we transition to a predominantly digital library environment To liaise and collaborate with IT Services and other University units as appropriate in relation to planning strategic technological developments in the It is essential you have a degree or equivalent qualification, substantial recent experience of working in a similar or transferable role, an understanding of issues affecting Higher Education, experience of managing and leading staff and projects and excellent communication and presentation skills. For an informal discussion about this post, contact Kitty Inglis, Librarian (tel ) or Jane Harvell (tel ). Closing date for applications: 2 November 2014 Expected interview date: 26 November 2014 For full details and how to apply see The University of Sussex is committed to equality of opportunity

2 2. Senior leadership and management The Vice-Chancellor (Professor Michael Farthing) is the senior academic officer and, as Chief Executive, is responsible to the University Council for management of the University. He is supported by an executive group which includes the three Pro-Vice-Chancellors, the Registrar and Secretary, the Director of Finance and the Director of Human Resources. The Heads of the Schools of Studies at Sussex report to the Pro-Vice-Chancellors. The Registrar and Secretary heads the Professional Services of the University. In addition, under the University Statutes, the Registrar and Secretary is Secretary to the University Council. The Director of Finance reports to the Vice-Chancellor. The Director of ITS reports to the Registrar and Secretary, and the Librarian reports to one of the Pro-Vice-Chancellors. 3. The University The is at the heart of the campus in a listed building designed by Sir Basil Spence. Since it was opened by the Queen in 1964 it has been extended three times and now has 1,250 study spaces and over 180 PCs with laptop facilities and wireless coverage throughout. The materials in the reflect the wide range of the University s teaching and research. There are over 780,000 books and journals in its main collection, as well as e-books and online journals. Additional collections include government publications, audio visual materials, Archives and Rare Books. The employs approximately 95 full and part-time staff and has an active staff development programme. Lending Services is responsible for organising and staffing all the front line service points and ensuring the efficient circulation and availability of library stock. Staff from this section are also responsible for membership, book retrieval, fines and reservations. The Learning and Teaching Support team deliver high quality innovative information and enquiries services to meet the needs of members of the University community. They liaise with both academic and other library units to promote services, and develop the library s collections through the provision of reading lists. They also provide access to and instruction in the use of information resources through the development of innovative learning and teaching facilities. The Research Support section provides dedicated support to research faculty and research students in the University. The team works in close collaboration with the Learning and Teaching Support team and the Doctoral School delivering high quality, innovative information and managing research enquiries to meet the needs of members of the University community. The Technical Services Team is responsible for the acquisition, cataloguing, processing, relegation and withdrawal of online, printed and audio-visual material held in the and for the processing of reading lists. The section is also responsible for inter-library loans and document supply. The provides access through its journal and database subscriptions to over 30,000 online journals, as well as over 50 databases. The Technical Development team is responsible for the delivery and support of the s online and web based services. The University s valuable collections of archives, manuscripts, rare books and art works are held in the Special Collections department of the, based at The Keep. They include the papers of Leonard and Virginia Woolf, the Rudyard Kipling Archive and the Mass Observation Archive as well as over sixty other collections in fields of 20th and 21st century literature, political and social science. See: for further information

3 4. Job Description UNIVERSITY OF SUSSE Job Description for the post of: Head of Content Delivery and Digital Strategy Department Section / Unit / School Location Content Delivery and Digital Strategy Grade 9 Responsible to Responsible for The Librarian Technical Services Team Systems Team Technical Development Team Purpose of the post: The Head of Content and Digital Strategy will lead the teams in Technical Services, Systems and Technical Development to deliver efficient collections provision, effective systems and innovative IT projects. The Head of Content Delivery and Digital Strategy will be an active member of the s Senior Management Team, contributing to the overall strategic management of the. Key Responsibilities: 1 To make a major contribution to the strategic management of the as an active member of the s Senior Management Team. 2 To lead, motivate and direct the teams in Technical Services, Systems and Technical Development to ensure delivery of an efficient and effective service. 3 To ensure that the s resources and IT budgets are allocated and spent within agreed expenditure levels and in accordance with University financial regulations. 4 To provide strategic direction for the s management systems including its discovery and digital asset management services (including Primo, Sussex Research Online and the Talis Aspire Reading Lists system). 5 To liaise and collaborate with IT Services and other University units as appropriate in relation to planning strategic technological developments in the. Specific Duties Content and Digital Strategy: 1 To take strategic responsibility for metadata management in support of effective resource discovery. 2 To take strategic responsibility for relevant vendor relationships including licencing and procurement as appropriate. 3 To take strategic responsibility for the procurement of materials, ensuring value for money and efficiency. 4 To take strategic responsibility for the identification of innovative methods for the effective delivery of content, including monitoring and advising senior colleagues and those in Academic Services on current national and international developments in this area. 5 To oversee the s support for copyright, including providing advice and

4 guidance at institutional level. 6 To contribute to, and lead, national and international debates around Scholarly Communication and the delivery of academic resources. 7 To have a strategic overview of the delivery and support of ICT applications and infrastructure throughout the including the website and its services. 8 To develop and deliver a Digital Preservation Strategy in close collaboration with colleagues in Special Collections. General: 1 To deliver the Strategic Plan and have oversight of operational objectives. 2 To hold overall responsibility for staff recruitment, development, welfare and deployment within Technical Services, Systems and Technical Development. 3 To represent the within the University and externally as appropriate. 4 To take account of opportunities for innovation and new developments and integrate them into service provision wherever appropriate. 5 To be a budget holder and authorised signatory as delegated by the Librarian and in accordance with University and procedures and guidelines. 6 To use received management information to inform policy decisions. 7 To delegate authority while retaining overall responsibility and accountability for outcomes. 8 To assist the Librarian with preparation for the annual planning round. 9 To set standards and targets for activity and to measure and publish performance. 10 To liaise with appropriate and University colleagues to ensure that they are kept fully aware of service-led priorities at all times. 11 To represent the Librarian as required. This Job Description sets out current duties of the post that may vary from time to time without changing the general character of the post or the level of responsibility entailed. 5. Person Specification UNIVERSITY OF SUSSE Person Specification for the post of: Head of Content Delivery and Digital Strategy SKILLS / ABILITIES Demonstrable strong management and leadership skills Excellent written and oral communication skills, presentation and negotiating skills Proven project management skills KNOWLEDGE Evidence of a detailed grasp of the issues relating to the delivery of content in a higher education environment at a national level Evidence of a detailed understanding of the impact of current and future digital innovation in a HE environment. An understanding of the role of metadata in support of effective resource discovery across all resources Evidence of an understanding of the current laws of copyright that relate to the delivery of services

5 EPERIENCE Experience of working in a senior management role Demonstrable experience of the strategic management of multiple systems Clear understanding of digital information, management and technologies and their relevance to learning, research and libraries Practical experience of planning and managing large budgets effectively and efficiently Practical experience in supporting research in an academic environment Experience of delivering Digital Preservation strategies Experience of working closely and collaboratively with other units across institutions, in particular IT and finance Demonstrable experience of working with external suppliers on large contracts QUALIFICATIONS Degree or equivalent with postgraduate qualification in information studies, records and archives management or other relevant discipline or comparable experience or Degree in Information Studies or another relevant discipline PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES AND CIRCUMSTANCES Strong team ethos with demonstrable evidence of building successful teams, and motivating high performance individually and collectively Advanced analytical and problem solving skills Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, to meet deadlines, to set priorities, and to deliver high quality outcomes Flexible approach to work, including occasional out of hours work Commitment to a service ethos and customer service