Director, Library Services and University Librarian

University of New England; Armidale; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

On-campus parking

Salary packaging options

Up to 17% superannuation

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

University of New England (UNE) invites a senior library leader to serve as Director, Library Services and University Librarian. This role shapes UNE's scholarly infrastructure, connecting students to knowledge, researchers to impact and communities to intellectual life.

The position requires strategic vision to evolve the library as a platform for learning and regional engagement. You will lead teams, oversee budgets, and make hard resourcing decisions while ensuring accessibility for distance

Qualifications

• Experienced library leader who designs services around learner and researcher needs.
• Ability to lead strategic changes and manage budgets within a large university library.
• Proven record of building partnerships with schools, academics and community organisations.

Responsibilities

• Shape UNE's scholarly infrastructure and knowledge commons.
• Drive evolution of the Library as a strategic platform for student success and research impact.
• Lead teams, manage budgets, and make resourcing decisions.
• Champion equitable access and digital-first scholarship across regional communities.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Vacancy Supporting Documents

Reference Number225331 - Director, Library Services and University Librarian

Student Journey

• Fixed term full-time-5-year contract (Current Staff: In taking up this appointment, please be aware your current fixed-term or professional role will cease the day prior to you taking up this position.)
• Attractive salary package, including up to 17% superannuation.
• Salary packaging options available
• Armidale based role
• Relocation assistance available
• Free on-campus parking
• On-campus state of the art sporting and athletic facilities (Sport UNE)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and wellbeing support
• Diverse and supportive workplace with UNE Ally Network, Equity Committee, Queer Space
• Applicant must have appropriate full-time Australian work rights for the duration of this position (UNE will not provide sponsorship for this position)

About the role

The Director, Library Services and University Librarian is a senior professional leader who shapes UNE's scholarly infrastructure and knowledge commons in service of its unconventional mission. This is not a role of institutional maintenance. It is a role for someone who sees the Library as a strategic platform - one that connects students to knowledge, researchers to impact, and communities to the intellectual life of the University - and who can drive its evolution in that direction.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will be an experienced library leader who sees the university library not as a collection, but as a strategic platform for student success, research capability and digital fluency. You bring a track record of designing services around learner and researcher needs, championing equitable access for distance, regional and First Nations communities, and building genuine partnerships with Schools, academics and community organisations. You are energised by innovation - digital-first access, open education resources, AI-informed scholarship - and you understand how to position a library at the leading edge of what a regional university library can be.

You are equally comfortable with strategy and operations. You know how to lead teams, manage budgets, and make hard resourcing decisions while keeping people safe, supported and motivated. You build credibility through honest feedback loops, visible action, and a willingness to challenge institutional convenience in favour of genuine accessibility. Above all, you care-deeply about reducing educational inequality and extending the scholarly commons beyond the campus - into schools, communities and the region.

About Library Services

UNE Library Services delivers a comprehensive suite of resources and services that underpin learning, teaching, and research across the University. Our collections span millions of digital and physical resources - including journals, databases, eBooks, and specialist research materials - providing students and staff with access to world-class information regardless of where they are located.

Beyond collections, our Library teams provide expert research support, information literacy training, and academic skills development - equipping students with the capability to find, evaluate, and use information effectively across their entire degree. Our librarians work directly alongside academic teams to ensure resources are curriculum-aligned, current, and accessible. We also manage UNE's institutional repository, research data management support, and copyright advisory services - making us a critical partner in the University's research enterprise as well as its teaching mission.

Underpinning all of this is a commitment to equitable access. As a university that serves a predominantly online and regionally dispersed student cohort, our Library must ensure that distance is never a barrier to academic success. That means investing in digital infrastructure, responsive virtual services, and systems that work for every student, every day.

Enquiries

To discuss this role please contact Tanya Pelle, Interim Executive Principal, Student Journey, phone: [phone], email: [e-mail].

If you require any adjustments or support to fully participate such as an alternative format for the application form please contact your Talent Acquisition Consultant at [e-mail] or on 02 6773 3705.

If you have a disability and would like a confidential conversation about working at UNE, you are welcome to contact our Health, Safety and Wellbeing Team .

For further information about this position, please see the Position Statement below.

About Armidale

Armidale is an attractive and vibrant city that combines all the features of a bustling regional town centre with the tranquillity of rural living. It boasts gourmet restaurants and cafes, boutique shopping, quality schools and sporting facilities. Surrounded by mountain gorges, waterfalls and national parks, Armidale's natural beauty and distinct seasons make it an ideal place to live and thrive. To find out more, visit https://www.visitarmidale.com.au/experience .

Moving to Regional NSW? Introducing The Welcome Experience. The Welcome Experience is a free service for essential workers and their families considering or moving to regional NSW. Obtain free, personalised support for a range of services such as housing, education, partner job opportunities, and community integration. Learn more and register for the program here www.nsw.gov.au/welcomeexperience . Please choose Southern New England (Armidale and Tamworth) for the location.

UNE: A Diverse and Inclusive Workplace

At UNE, we believe our strength comes from the diversity of our people and the unique perspectives they bring. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where everyone is valued and empowered to contribute their best.

We warmly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, individuals with lived experience of mental health or disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQIA+.

About Our Process

At UNE, we are committed to employing individuals who meet the requirements of this role and align with our values: Be Bold, Be Kind, Be Accountable, Be Connected. All applicants will be contacted and advised of an outcome.

Preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment checks prior to commencing in this role, as indicated in the position description. This includes providing a National Police Check, Gender Based Violence Declaration and, a Working with Children Check prior to an offer of employment being made. Please note that people with criminal records are not automatically excluded from applying for this position, unless a specific legal requirement applies. For more information, see UNE's Pre-Employment Check Webpage .

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