Library

Grade 5: - £22,417 - £25,941 per annum
Fixed Term - Full Time
Contract Duration: until 31/12/22
Contracted Hours per Week: 35
Closing Date: 16-Aug-2021, 6:59:00 AM

The closing date for applications is 15th August 2021 at midnight (UK Time).

When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

The Department and role purpose:

In November 2021 University Library and Collections will begin implementation of a new Library Management System and Discovery System, Ex Libris’s Alma and Primo VE. This is a substantial change management project for the department, involving review of policy, process and operations. The migration of data from the current system, Millennium, will be a key part of the project. Data to be migrated will include bibliographic records, items, patron records and loans, as well as administrative records relating to acquisitions of books and e-resources.

We are appointing a Project Manager to work with the Head of Research and Systems and the wider team on implementation of this system.

The Data Migration Co-ordinator will work with the Project Manager and staff with subject-matter expertise across the department to co-ordinate the specification, testing and signing off the various stages of data migration, including helping to determine location codes, patron categories, and other aspects of configuration.

The role will be required to:

• Run reports and analyse results to develop our understanding of the data.
• Work with colleagues to develop configuration and mappings tables for migrating coded fields.
• Verify data mappings and identify potential issues and their significance.
• Co-ordinate testing of the data migration.
• Provide a user-focused approach to testing the public and staff interfaces to the system and help to compile reports to be passed to the supplier.
• Other reasonable duties appropriate to the grade to assist the Project Manager.

About the department

In January 1833 Bishop William van Mildert donated 160 volumes to found the University Library, located on Palace Green. Today the University Library and Collections offers spaces, collections, expertise and services supporting education, research, the wider student experience and cultural and educational outreach. Collections and services operate across a wide estate of libraries, museums, galleries and exhibition spaces, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Palace Green. Our nationally and internationally recognised collections span early books, archives and manuscripts, museum objects and art, print and electronic materials and include a repository of digitised materials, research outputs and research data.

We are an ambitious and developing team with a focus on providing the best experience for our students, researchers and the wider community. We are valued partners working with students, professional services and academics across the University, and professionals and organisations regionally, nationally and internationally.

The University Library and Collections is made up of six sections: Collections; Customer Services; Education, Learning and Engagement; Research and Systems; Museums, Galleries and Exhibitions; and Finance and Administration. Staff work flexibly between the sections, enabled by cross-cutting groups, Education, Research, Collections and Engagement, and a Programme and Project Steering Group.

The Library’s Research and Systems Team, under the leadership of the Head of Research and Systems, provides services in two key areas of departmental activity. Our services are developing to support scholarly communications and the move to open research, advising on best practice in areas such as research data management and bibliometrics. Our systems underpin the core activity of the Library and University but extend to enabling innovation in education and research, particularly digital scholarship.

Core responsibilities:

• Act as more knowledgeable team member.
• Plan and organise own workload with or without involvement with project work streams.
• Resolve queries and requests for information and advice and escalate more specialist and complex queries or issues to more experienced team members. · Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience.
• Apply theory and practice, from academic and professional development and previous knowledge within a service team.
• Contribute to collaborative decision making within the team to deliver an excellent stakeholder experience in accordance with policy and procedures.
• Work collaboratively across the organisation and/or externally with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver a service.
• Provide guidance and advice to resolve problems and queries for a broad range of service users.
• Collaborate with team members to implement service alterations.
• Organise and schedule resources, activities and events.
• Identify priorities and monitor processes and activities to ensure success.
• Provide more in-depth independent research and analysis activities within the role.
• Provide demonstrations and instruction to others outside the team.
• Support the capture of business requirements from users and work with colleagues to translate these into recommendations for future service provision within the context of the new library management system.
• Liaise with contacts and participate in networks and communities internally and possibly externally (such as users of the new library system at other institutions), contributing to effective collaborative working.
• Advise others and make recommendations into work processes and procedures for consideration by senior management to improve services.
• Respond to stakeholder needs to deliver and shape an excellent stakeholder experience.

Role responsibilities:

• Deliver support services to ensure the effective and efficient running of business processes and systems.
• Monitor and evaluate service delivery to ensure compliance with regulatory and professional procedures and standards.
• Collaborate with colleagues across professional and administrative areas to ensure a strong user focus in service provision through the new library system interfaces.
• Provide training to team members on data handling, migration testing and recording test results, and on the use of specific aspects of the new library management system.
• Monitor data accuracy checks to identify anomalies and ensure the integrity of data and information.
• Collate and update data and information on systems, including system configuration tables and data mappings while communicating and informing service users and team members.
• Work with internal and external partners to deliver project work streams, including system configuration and testing.
• Work with internal and external partners to deliver the library management system migration and related activities.
• Analyse data and statistics and provide reports for higher level decision makers.
• Accurately record information and data and disseminate within the department and in particular the subject matter experts for each functional area of the library service.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of policy and procedures for the new library management system.
• Prepare written reports for consideration by management where required.
• Any other reasonable duties.

Specific role requirements

There may be a few key stages in the project timetable when taking extensive periods of leave will be restricted.

Working Arrangements

At Durham we recognise that our staff and students are our greatest asset and we want to support the health and wellbeing of all.  Hybrid working supports this ethos and provides many benefits to our colleagues, including empowering people, where their role allows, to work in a manner which is more suitable for them, whilst encouraging our commitment to environmental sustainability.

Depending on the needs of the business and the job role, Durham University is piloting hybrid working for all Professional Services colleagues in the academic year 2021/2022, which may include the opportunity to work both on and off campus and to flex working hours. If appointed to the post, your line-manager will discuss the specific arrangements with you. Any hybrid arrangements are non-contractual and may change within the pilot and when the pilot ends.

Interviews are anticipated to take place on or around w/c 30th August 2021.

Secondment

The post is full time, fixed term and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager.

Reward and Benefits

To support the delivery of the University's People Strategy to attract, retain and reward the very best, we offer a fantastic range of rewards and benefits to our staff, including:

• 27 days annual leave, plus 4 customary days and 8 bank holidays (pro-rata for part time) and the option to purchase additional leave;
• Automatic enrolment into a pension scheme;
• Corporate and local discounts;
• Wellbeing resources and discounted health benefits;
• Health discounts on sports and activities at Maiden Castle Health and Activity Centre;
• Reward and Recognition Schemes;
• Personal and career development;
• And SO much more, with further information available here

Recruiting to this post

In order to be considered for interview, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification. In some cases, the recruiting panel may also consider the desirable criteria, so we recommend you evidence all criteria in your application.

Please note that some criteria will only be considered at interview stage.

How to apply

We prefer to receive applications online. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement https://www.dur.ac.uk/ig/dp/privacy/pnjobapplicants/ which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data.

Information if you have a disability

The University welcomes applications from disabled people. We are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, adjustments will be made to support people within their role.

If you are unable to complete your application via our recruitment system, please get in touch with us on e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk.

What you are required to submit

1. A CV;
2. A covering letter which details your experience, strengths and potential in the requirements set out in the essential and desirable criteria;
3. Completion of the application questions, with examples of how you satisfy the person specification. Please ensure you give detailed examples of how you meet these criteria

Please ensure that you submit all documentation listed above or your application cannot proceed to the next stage.

Contact details

For further information regarding this post, please contact; please Matthew Phillips, Head of Research and Systems, m.e.phillips@durham.ac.uk

Contact information for technical difficulties when submitting your application

If you encounter technical difficulties when using the online application form, we prefer you send enquiries by email. Please send your name along with a brief description of the problem you’re experiencing to e.recruitment@durham.ac.uk

We will notify you on the status of your application at various points throughout the selection process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails.

At Durham University, our aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

As a University, we foster a collegiate community of extraordinary people aligned to the University’s values. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community that is supportive and inclusive and in doing so, recruit the world’s best candidates from all backgrounds and identities. It is important to us that all of our colleagues are aligned to both our values and commitment to EDI.

Person specification - skills, knowledge, qualifications and experience required

Essential Criteria

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
• Proven IT skills, including use of Microsoft Office.
• Five GCSE’s at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics (or equivalent experience).
• Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience
• Relevant library experience including working with patron and bibliographic data and running reports.
• Demonstrable ability to proactively work with team members to ensure the delivery of high quality services.
• The ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines without compromising on quality.
• Ability to solve problems as part of a team and resolve issues, plan solutions and make pragmatic decisions.
• Ability to effectively network and exchange advice and information for development purposes.
• A systematic approach to tasks requiring accuracy and attention to detail.

Desirable Criteria

• Evidence of personal development to maintain skills.
• The ability to anticipate problems with IT systems and to devise suitable tests to ensure robust and correct configuration.
• Experience of handling reports or spreadsheets, including filtering and combining data to identify records for further investigation.

Durham University

Our Characteristics: We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, in a unique and historic setting.

Our Values: We are inspiring, challenging, innovative, responsible and enabling.

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Business, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

It is expected that all staff within the University:

• Contribute to our learning culture by engaging in mentoring, training and coaching.
• Positively contribute to fostering a collegial environment; as well as demonstrating commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Have due regard to Health and Safety requirements appropriate to grade and role.

Family key attributes

Roles in this family provide a comprehensive service and deliver the efficient administration and governance of the University.

Overall family purpose

• Deliver direct and indirect services to stakeholders.
• Provide advice and answer queries as part of an enquiry-desk/help-desk function.
• Respond to and manage requests for information and resources.
• Deliver services to meet regulatory requirements and procedures.
• Plan and deliver a joined-up approach to University business and people services.
• Align business processes and services to meet operational and strategic policy objectives.
• Deliver business processes to ensure effective management, governance and the economic viability of the University.
• Encourage, collaborate and participate in the development of productive cross-institution relationships and working.
• Provide excellent professional services that meet strategic and operational goals and business needs.
• Carry out monitoring, analysis, development and planning to design new services and service updates for continuous improvement whilst meeting changes in regulations.
• Engage with specialist professionals, consultants, and suppliers to exchange knowledge and facilitate partnership working.
• Work collaboratively and network across the University with staff in other families to ensure a smooth, timely and high-quality delivery of service.
• Align and deliver programmes and activities to meet operational and strategic objectives to enhance the stakeholder experience.
• Engage and encourage participation with external professionals, schools, alumni and donors.

Link to key strategic plan

• An economically sustainable approach to delivering Professional Services across the University;
• A joined-up approach to University professional services, regardless of location or line management;
• A culture and practice of continuous improvement;
• Design services that meet business need;
• A stakeholder-focused orientation, offering satisfying careers to all staff;
• Support and facilitate programmes that offer intellectual challenge, cohesiveness and a strong sense of progression;
• Ensure that an increasingly diverse workforce is treated equally, fairly and with respect, and that all staff are demonstrably valued and actively engaged.

DBS Requirement: Not Applicable.