Senior Library Assistant, Other Library Services

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 36,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

West Midlands Pension Fund

Enhanced Holiday Entitlement – 30 days

My Rewards Scheme – discounts

Health and wellbeing support

Job summary

Birmingham City Council is seeking a Senior Library Assistant to support the Mobile Library Service across the city. The role involves supervising staff on a mobile library vehicle, ensuring excellent customer care, and coordinating with the Mobile Library Manager.

Based in Erdington with Gravely Hill base, the post is permanent, 36.5 hours per week, Grade B salary range £29,542–£35,570, and includes pension and benefits. Training and development opportunities are available.

Qualifications

• Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience engaging with children and young people.
• Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with customers and colleagues.
• Understanding of supervisory responsibilities and experience supporting or leading colleagues.
• Broad understanding of library services and the role they play within local communities.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a welcoming and professional service to library customers across Birmingham, main base is Gravely Hill, Erdington.
• Support the delivery of an effective and efficient mobile library service across Birmingham.
• Undertake day-to-day supervision of services from a mobile library vehicle.
• Supervise Library Assistants and Driver/Library Assistants, including assisting with timesheets and staff administration.
• Train and support new employees in library procedures and service standards.
• Respond to more complex customer enquiries and provide information and guidance as required.
• Assist with stock selection, stock maintenance and the overall presentation of library materials.
• Support services for all customer groups, including children, young people and adults.
• Participate in community engagement activities and help promote library services throughout Birmingham.
• Help maintain a safe, secure and welcoming environment for customers, staff and visitors.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Customer service

Communication skills

Diversity & inclusion

Job description

Senior Library Assistant (Mobile Library Services)

Permanent

Grade B - £29,542 - £35,570

Consultation grade - subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review

Working hours 36.5 a week

Location: Erdington

Are you an experienced library professional with strong supervisory skills and a passion for delivering high-quality community services? Birmingham Libraries is seeking a motivated and customer-focused Senior Library Assistant to support the delivery of our Mobile Library Service across the city.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys working with diverse communities, leading colleagues, and promoting the value of libraries to people of all ages. Working alongside the Mobile Library Manager, you'll help ensure an effective, welcoming and accessible service that reaches residents throughout Birmingham

About The Role

As a Senior Library Assistant, you will assist in the day-to-day operation of the Mobile Library Service, taking responsibility for supervising services from one of the mobile library vehicles on a regular basis. You will provide guidance and support to Library Assistants and Driver/Library Assistants, contributing to the efficient running of services and ensuring excellent customer care.

In the absence of the Mobile Library Manager and Assistant Mobile Library Manager, you will assume responsibility for the operation of the service as required

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver a welcoming and professional service to library customers across Birmingham, main base is Gravely Hill, Erdington.
• Support the delivery of an effective and efficient mobile library service across Birmingham
• Undertake day-to-day supervision of services from a mobile library vehicle.
• Supervise Library Assistants and Driver/Library Assistants, including assisting with timesheets and staff administration.
• Train and support new employees in library procedures and service standards.
• Respond to more complex customer enquiries and provide information and guidance as required.
• Assist with stock selection, stock maintenance and the overall presentation of library materials.
• Support services for all customer groups, including children, young people and adults
• Participate in community engagement activities and help promote library services throughout Birmingham.
• Help maintain a safe, secure and welcoming environment for customers, staff and visitors.

About You

• We are looking for someone who:
• Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience engaging with children and young people.
• Strong verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively with customers and colleagues.
• An understanding of supervisory responsibilities and experience supporting or leading colleagues.
• A broad understanding of library services and the role they play within local communities.
• A flexible approach to work and changing service requirements
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a busy customer-facing environment.

What We Offer In Return…

• Membership of West Midlands Pension Fund – with generous employer contributions
• Enhanced Holiday Entitlement – 30 days, increasing with length of service
• My Rewards Scheme – access to over 800 brands providing discounts and savings
• Health and wellbeing support – independent and confidential employee assistance and counselling

Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached

Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people.

We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application.

Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Birmingham City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our citizens and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. You can view our Corporate Safeguarding Policy | Birmingham City Council here.

Sponsorship is not available for this post. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK that does not require employer sponsorship for the duration of the appointment.

Job Description and Person Specification

Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city.

We welcome people from diverse and underrepresented communities and encourage applications from, those with caring responsibilities, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, neurodivergent, disabled and LGBT+ people. As part of our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, we are committed to promoting and supporting the physical and mental health of all our staff and removing barriers to improve inclusion. We are making significant strides to understand and continuously improve our employees’ experience and we are committed to implementing progressive diversity talent management.

Information for applicants with a disability

We are a proud Disability Confident Employer. We encourage applicants to disclose disabilities, so we can support them fully during our recruitment process and make any necessary reasonable adjustments. Please contact: 0121 675 7070 option 3 (lines open between 8.45am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday).

If you require an application in an alternative format, such as Braille or you are unable to complete an application form via WMJOBS, please contact [e-mail]. When you have completed your application form this can be returned to [e-mail] or for Braille applications these can be posted to, Recruitment Team, 2nd Floor, 10 Woodcock Street, B7 4BG.

The Council is a fantastic place to work. You will find an organisation that is both challenging and supportive; with a leadership impatiently adventurous in its pursuit of excellence.

There Is a Clear Vision Which Is Ensuring That The Council Is Working For Communities Today And Building For Tomorrow, We Focus Our Resources On Five Key Priorities

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through a focus on inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: through a focus on tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting and enabling all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: through a focus on making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: through a focus on tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: through a focus on street cleanliness, improving air quality, continuing the route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council’s role as providing strategic leadership – that’s being able to visualise a new future for the city and equipping others to share our vision. We want to ensure the provision of services for all, so we can support those least able to support themselves by working with partners and putting citizens and neighbourhoods at the heart of our decision‑making.

We are always looking for people who put the customer at the centre of their approach, with a commitment to excellence to help us achieve our vision. We will support you to develop and thrive in your role, building a pathway for long‑term success, with lots of development opportunities, such as apprenticeships.

In return, we offer you excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, well‑being support, annual travel passes and discounts at a number of city centre establishments.

Birmingham City Council is a Foundation Living wage employer - known as the Birmingham Living Wage. The Birmingham Living Wage, is determined by the Living Wage Foundation on an annual basis by the Centre of Research in Society Polity at Loughborough University. The current rate can be found at: www.livingwage.org.uk.

For the awards and support for our employees, please follow https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/homepage/169/job_vacancies

Company Info

Website http://birmingham.gov.uk/ Telephone [phone] Location Birmingham City Council

Birmingham

West Midlands

B2 2XU

United Kingdom