DRAFT
About the Role
The Associate Director will lead the development and delivery of innovative, effective, relevant and cost-efficient library services to support learning and teaching, open research, scholarly communication and research data management. They will work in partnership with relevant stakeholders to develop strategies, plans and policies that set a coherent and achievable vision, directly contributing to the delivery of the University’s Education and Research strategy and the Library and Archives Strategy 2030.
The post holder will ensure the delivery of timely and actionable research output data to support executive level decision making. They will manage risk in relation to open access compliance and contribute to research assessment exercises.
About You
With extensive experience at a senior level in a library or similar, you will have a high level of understanding of the UK higher education sector and the key issues facing research led libraries.
With a strong customer focus you will be able to think both analytically and creatively and have experience of engaging both nationally and internationally in the field of library and information services.
A collaborative and effective leader, you will support and motivate staff, interacting strategically with senior colleagues across the academic and professional services community.
About the Department
The successful candidate will join the Library Senior Leadership Team alongside; the University Librarian, the Associate Director and Head of Learner Services and the Associate Director and Head of Collections and Discovery.
Nestled in the heart of campus, the University of Warwick library provides a place of study and vibrant, inclusive space, designed to support every stage of the student learning journey. Open 24/7 during term time, it offers flexible study zones to suit student needs, with over 1.2 million visitors per year. There are additional study spaces dotted around campus, with provision for specific student cohorts.
With access to over 1 million printed volumes and an extensive range of digital resources including e-books, journals, and databases, the Library empowers students to explore, research, and grow. The dedicated academic support team is on hand to help with everything from referencing to research skills, and the specialist subject librarians provide expert guidance tailored to each course.
About the University
Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We’re one of the world’s top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK*, with 92% of our research assessed to be ‘world leading or internationally excellent’**.
It has never been a better time to join the University, our careful financial management means that we are still investing and growing to deliver excellence in our teaching, learning and research and we are delighted that this has been recognised through our recent awards:
- 7 in The Guardian University Guide 2026
- 8 in the Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2026
- University of the Year in the Midlands
- Highly Commended Russell Group University of the Year.
Working on campus you will have easy access to facilities such as Warwick Arts Centre, one of the largest multi-artform venues in the UK and our world-class Sports and Wellbeing Hub. Our campus also has huge amounts of green space to enjoy, including lakes, woodland and open fields. Find out more about us on our website.
* QS World University Rankings 2024, **Research Excellence Framework 2021
What we Offer
We provide a comprehensive range of benefits, including:
- Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
- An attractive pension scheme.
- 30 days holiday plus University Christmas closure.
- Generous parental/adoption leave policy.
- Onsite childcare facilities.
- Excellent learning and development opportunities.
We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer access to flexible working arrangements, as outlined here.
How to apply
The University of Warwick has appointed SearchHigher as their recruitment partner for this campaign. Please apply by submitting a CV of no more than four pages and a Cover Letter of no more than two pages, in Word Document format using the form below.
Initial exploratory conversations will take place with the SearchHigher team, followed by a formal panel and presentation with suitable candidates, in person, on the University of Warwick site on Thursday 11th December or Friday 12th December. Please specify your availability in your application.
For an informal discussion, please contact Jayne Borondy on j.borondy@searchhigher.com Further information about the role, to shape your application, can be found in the Job Description and Person Specification here.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.