Academic Enhancement Manager

at  University of Derby

JOB DETAILS

Department
Learning and Teaching
Responsible to
Head of Academic Services
Location
Kedleston Road, Derby Campus
Salary
£42,791 to £45,955 per annum (for exceptional performers, there is scope for further progression up to £61,235 per annum)
Closing date
Sunday 20 October 2024
Contract type
Permanent
Post type
Full-time
Adaptive working type
Hybrid
This role will be based on site, primarily in the named location with the opportunity to work remotely available in line with our Adaptive Working Framework.
Reference
0373-24
About the University
We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better.
The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region.
We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes.
Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.
About the College/Department
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.
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
As Academic Enhancement Manager, you’ll be responsible for the delivery of the Library’s academic enhancement services operational plan. You’ll work collaboratively to embed the Library’s support for learning, teaching and academic skills across the University. You’ll provide direction and leadership for a team of specialists and as a member of the Library’s Leadership Team, will ensure the Library’s strategic aims are realised.
About You
To be successful in this role you will be self-motivated and able to work collaboratively. You’ll leverage your experience in managing and delivering user-focussed services, delivering successful projects, and your ability to manage and motivate people to deliver services that align with the University’s strategic priorities.

Key requirements we are looking for:

• A Level 6 qualification, such as an undergraduate degree or relevant professional experience
• Experience of managing and delivering successful projects in a professional context
• Knowledge of regulatory conditions, Policy and practice in Higher Education teaching, learning and academic skills
• An understanding of the information requirements and discovery-seeking behaviour of students and researchers
• Ability to communicate highly complex information effectively to both specialists and non-specialists

Principal accountabilities

• Lead the development and management of the Library’s operational support for teaching, learning and academic skills, placing strong focus on continuous improvement to align with university priorities.
• Build and lead positive and effective relationships with academic colleagues in order to support the learning and teaching priorities of the University through Library service provision including, but not limited to, contributions to programme planning, curriculum design and delivery.
• Lead the Library’s design and delivery of pathways for nurturing and developing academic skillsets amongst the University’s students and learning & teaching staff, working collaboratively with colleagues to embed, where appropriate, within curricula and within institutional academic enhancement opportunities.
• Develop and implement operational plans associated with academic enhancement, ensuring effective measures and benchmarks are used to monitor progress.
• Lead the development, implementation and currency of an academic skills framework designed to enhance taught student confidence in their academic skillsets, collaborating with others to achieve this.
• Lead on operational liaison with internal and external partners in respect of academic enhancement and skills, representing the Library across the University and through external engagement, commensurate with the role.
• Oversee the capture and collation of data relevant to academic enhancement; analysing, interpreting and reporting conclusions to support recommendations that inform decision-making in service design and delivery.
• Maintain an understanding of the education regulatory and Policy environments, standards, best practice and developments of significance in the provision of academic enhancement and skills services, communicating, as appropriate, to relevant stakeholders.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance across the University in respect of academic enhancement and skills.
• Contribute towards the evaluation of scholarly content provision, with a particular focus on ensuring value and alignment with the University’s learning and teaching ambitions.
• Collaborate on reviewing, developing and implementing relevant University Policies and procedures relating to academic enhancement and skills.
• Collaborate to positively impact learning and teaching culture across the University with emphasis on promoting effective leveraging of the Library’s scholarly content assets, the use of resource lists as a pedagogical tool and academic skills development.
• Maintain awareness and understanding of copyright law in respect of its relevance in learning and teaching.
• Lead collaborative work to design and deliver academic enhancement contributions that further the University’s Access & Participation Plan and civic priorities.
• Provide line management to reporting colleagues, defining agreed objectives, securing effective performance management and fostering inclusive approaches to service development.
• Actively participate as a member of working groups across the Library and, where relevant, the wider University to develop and implement Policies and procedures, contribute towards decision-making, resolve issues and implement assigned projects.
• Lead and deliver projects aligned to the strategic priorities of the Library.
• Actively promote and support inclusion through operational activities undertaken through the role.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development in support of the role.
• Be flexible with working pattern and in working at different University sites and supporting other library teams, as required.
• Ensure compliance with relevant University policies and procedures.

Person specification

QUALIFICATIONS

• Level 6 qualification, such as an undergraduate degree or relevant professional experience

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of managing and delivering user-focussed services with an emphasis on continuous quality improvement.
• Experience in the design and delivery of pedagogical approaches to academic skills development.
• Experience of managing and motivating people, including identifying skills gaps and training needs, performance management and talent development.
• Experience of building positive relationships and working productively in collaboration with a wide range of colleagues.
• Experience of managing and delivering successful projects in a professional context.
• Experience of leveraging quantitative and qualitative data to inform decision making and drive continuous quality improvement.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES

• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion with the ability to role model, adhere to and advocate the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
• Knowledge of regulatory conditions, Policy and practice in Higher Education teaching, learning and academic skills.
• Knowledge of copyright law in respect of its relevance in learning and teaching.
• An understanding of the information requirements and discovery-seeking behaviour of students and researchers.
• Ability to critically analyse services and processes, utilising data and evidence to inform strategic development.
• Ability to plan, prioritise and organise work and people to achieve objectives on time.
• Confident and self-assured with the ability to communicate highly complex information effectively to both specialists and non-specialists adjusting the level to suit varying levels of audience.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to work across all University sites, as required.
• Ability to be flexible within the working pattern to meet the business needs, including working evenings, weekends, or extended hours.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Postgraduate or additional relevant professional qualification.
• Membership of relevant professional bodies.

EXPERIENCE

• Experience of working within an academic library.
• Experience of developing services in support of learning and teaching.

Skills, knowledge and abilities

• Knowledge of information literacy principles and skills relevant to academic success.
• An understanding of search strategies pertaining to academic literature.

Benefits

• Generous annual leave entitlement of 38 days inclusive of bank holidays and concessionary days (pro rata)
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Suite of holistic wellbeing benefits and support including family-friendly policies, generous sick pay provision and comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
• Access to a variety of staff discounts at high street retailers
• Discounted onsite gym
• Discounted access to Devonshire Spa
• Holiday trading
• Cycle to Work scheme
• A flexible working environment
• A commitment to personal and professional development

Find out more about rewards and benefitsFind out more about rewards and benefits
Key contact
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.
Apply today to invest in your career with University of Derby

• Lead the development and management of the Library’s operational support for teaching, learning and academic skills, placing strong focus on continuous improvement to align with university priorities.
• Build and lead positive and effective relationships with academic colleagues in order to support the learning and teaching priorities of the University through Library service provision including, but not limited to, contributions to programme planning, curriculum design and delivery.
• Lead the Library’s design and delivery of pathways for nurturing and developing academic skillsets amongst the University’s students and learning & teaching staff, working collaboratively with colleagues to embed, where appropriate, within curricula and within institutional academic enhancement opportunities.
• Develop and implement operational plans associated with academic enhancement, ensuring effective measures and benchmarks are used to monitor progress.
• Lead the development, implementation and currency of an academic skills framework designed to enhance taught student confidence in their academic skillsets, collaborating with others to achieve this.
• Lead on operational liaison with internal and external partners in respect of academic enhancement and skills, representing the Library across the University and through external engagement, commensurate with the role.
• Oversee the capture and collation of data relevant to academic enhancement; analysing, interpreting and reporting conclusions to support recommendations that inform decision-making in service design and delivery.
• Maintain an understanding of the education regulatory and Policy environments, standards, best practice and developments of significance in the provision of academic enhancement and skills services, communicating, as appropriate, to relevant stakeholders.
• Provide specialist advice and guidance across the University in respect of academic enhancement and skills.
• Contribute towards the evaluation of scholarly content provision, with a particular focus on ensuring value and alignment with the University’s learning and teaching ambitions.
• Collaborate on reviewing, developing and implementing relevant University Policies and procedures relating to academic enhancement and skills.
• Collaborate to positively impact learning and teaching culture across the University with emphasis on promoting effective leveraging of the Library’s scholarly content assets, the use of resource lists as a pedagogical tool and academic skills development.
• Maintain awareness and understanding of copyright law in respect of its relevance in learning and teaching.
• Lead collaborative work to design and deliver academic enhancement contributions that further the University’s Access & Participation Plan and civic priorities.
• Provide line management to reporting colleagues, defining agreed objectives, securing effective performance management and fostering inclusive approaches to service development.
• Actively participate as a member of working groups across the Library and, where relevant, the wider University to develop and implement Policies and procedures, contribute towards decision-making, resolve issues and implement assigned projects.
• Lead and deliver projects aligned to the strategic priorities of the Library.
• Actively promote and support inclusion through operational activities undertaken through the role.
• Undertake continuous personal and professional development in support of the role.
• Be flexible with working pattern and in working at different University sites and supporting other library teams, as required.
• Ensure compliance with relevant University policies and procedures