Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Library & Knowledge Services Lead

The closing date is 23 July 2025

Job summary

We are looking for a motivated and experienced person to lead Northumbria Healthcare Library & Knowledge Services.

The service has 5 physical libraries across a wide geographical area and provides resources and services to all staff and students on placement through these libraries, online and outreach.

Applicants must have excellent people skills and extensive library and staff management experience with high quality customer service and users at the heart of everything they do.

This role is a part-time job share with the current postholder who has recently partially retired.

Main duties of the job

To lead Northumbria's Library & Knowledge Services (LKS) Team strategically andoperationally, in the delivery of a wide portfolio of services and resources for all staff andstudents to underpin the delivery of evidence based care and support education andlearning.

To continue to develop Northumbria's access to high quality information recognising therole this has in the achievement of evidence based care and the Trust's strategic prioritiesand objectives.

To lead the strategic development and operational management of evidence-based clinical guidelines and point of care information for staff and students at Northumbria.

About us

We manage three major locality hospitals at North Tyneside, Wansbeck and Hexham, plus a number of smaller community hospitals and clinics from Tynemouth to Berwick on Tweed, covering one of the largest geographical areas of any NHS trust in the country. Leading in innovation and quality - opening a state of the art Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital, the first of its kind in England. Do you want to work in one of the best performing NHS organisations in England? Work in an organisation that supports its staff and focuses on staff experience as much as it does the experience of its patients? You can live and breathe in an area that has the cleanest air, cost effective living, great nightlife, some of the best schools with a wealth of history available on your doorstep. Sound too good to be true? Well it isn't, this is what you get when you work for Northumbria Healthcare, this is the Northumbria Way! Please read 'applicant guidance notes' before submitting your application.

Details

Date posted

15 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

319-7302592JN

Job locations

Northumbria Health & Care Academy

Northumbria way

Cramlington

NE23 6NZ


Job description

Job responsibilities

The LKS Lead will act as the professional subject specialist in this area and as a senior manager in Northumbria, actively support the achievement of objectives within the wider education, health & well-being learning and leadership programmes which best reflect best practice and advance a learning culture.

Ensures the library service and clinical guidelines conform to legal requirements regardingcopyright, data protection and other regulatory requirements.

Responsible for the implementation of new services and products which enhance the library and information provision within budget and staff resource; establishes priorities inservice provision and to market and promote library services to all users.

Regularly reviews current library services in the light of organisational, service andtechnological developments.

To be responsible for the recruitment, management and continuous development of librarystaff and support the education and development of all staff and students through theprovision of learning spaces and resources at the 5 main sites and online access for staffacross the organisation.

Keeps abreast of developments having an impact on library and information services atnational, regional and local level and manages and implements changes to serviceengendered by national policy and local organisational reconfiguration .

Responsible for completion of the NHS KLS service improvement accreditation.

Responsible for the collection and timely submission of the annual NHS Library Services Statistics.

Committed to own professional continuous professional development and developing other people.

Job description

Job responsibilities

The LKS Lead will act as the professional subject specialist in this area and as a senior manager in Northumbria, actively support the achievement of objectives within the wider education, health & well-being learning and leadership programmes which best reflect best practice and advance a learning culture.

Ensures the library service and clinical guidelines conform to legal requirements regardingcopyright, data protection and other regulatory requirements.

Responsible for the implementation of new services and products which enhance the library and information provision within budget and staff resource; establishes priorities inservice provision and to market and promote library services to all users.

Regularly reviews current library services in the light of organisational, service andtechnological developments.

To be responsible for the recruitment, management and continuous development of librarystaff and support the education and development of all staff and students through theprovision of learning spaces and resources at the 5 main sites and online access for staffacross the organisation.

Keeps abreast of developments having an impact on library and information services atnational, regional and local level and manages and implements changes to serviceengendered by national policy and local organisational reconfiguration .

Responsible for completion of the NHS KLS service improvement accreditation.

Responsible for the collection and timely submission of the annual NHS Library Services Statistics.

Committed to own professional continuous professional development and developing other people.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters level qualification in relevant subject area or equivalent experience in libraries and information services
  • Professional qualification in library & information science or equivalent library & knowledge services experience.
  • Chartered member/fellow of Chartered Institute of Library & Information professionals (CILIP)Librarian

Desirable

  • Management/leadership qualification or equivalent experience
  • Relevant vocational qualification - A1;V1/IQA

Experience

Essential

  • Proven track record of leading a library and information service within a large multi-site organisation
  • Highly developed specialist knowledge in libraries, information and knowledge management underpinned by theory and experience
  • Knowledge of healthcare libraries, medical education, facilities management (in an educational context) and learning & development in the NHS

Desirable

  • Experience leading a library & information service in a multi-site organisation

Other

Essential

  • It is an essential requirement of the role that the post holder has a valid driving license and is either a car owner and able to use the car for work purposes, or has a Trust personal lease vehicle which may be used for the role. However, the Trust would consider making reasonable adjustments to the role, if necessary, to enable a disabled person to undertake the role
Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

  • Masters level qualification in relevant subject area or equivalent experience in libraries and information services
  • Professional qualification in library & information science or equivalent library & knowledge services experience.
  • Chartered member/fellow of Chartered Institute of Library & Information professionals (CILIP)Librarian

Desirable

  • Management/leadership qualification or equivalent experience
  • Relevant vocational qualification - A1;V1/IQA

Experience

Essential

  • Proven track record of leading a library and information service within a large multi-site organisation
  • Highly developed specialist knowledge in libraries, information and knowledge management underpinned by theory and experience
  • Knowledge of healthcare libraries, medical education, facilities management (in an educational context) and learning & development in the NHS

Desirable

  • Experience leading a library & information service in a multi-site organisation

Other

Essential

  • It is an essential requirement of the role that the post holder has a valid driving license and is either a car owner and able to use the car for work purposes, or has a Trust personal lease vehicle which may be used for the role. However, the Trust would consider making reasonable adjustments to the role, if necessary, to enable a disabled person to undertake the role

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Additional information

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

Employer details

Employer name

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Northumbria Health & Care Academy

Northumbria way

Cramlington

NE23 6NZ


Employer's website

https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Northumbria Health & Care Academy

Northumbria way

Cramlington

NE23 6NZ


Employer's website

https://www.northumbria.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Library & Knowledge Services Lead

Jackie McGuire

jackie.mcguire@nhct.nhs.uk

Details

Date posted

15 July 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 8a

Salary

£53,755 to £60,504 a year pro rata

Contract

Fixed term

Duration

12 months

Working pattern

Part-time, Flexible working

Reference number

319-7302592JN

Job locations

Northumbria Health & Care Academy

Northumbria way

Cramlington

NE23 6NZ


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust's privacy notice (opens in a new tab)