Service Manager, Education Library Service

Hours: 37 Hours Per Week

Interview Date: 17th March 2025

Closing Date: 24th February 2025

Salary: Hay Band C (£42,708 - £47,754 FTE)

Are you a dynamic business development professional looking for a new challenge? We’re seeking a service manager with vision and drive to lead and develop Inspire’s Education Library Service.

As Service Manager you will play a vital role in leading and implementing operational and managerial changes for the service ensuring the ongoing provision of a high quality, customer focused schools library service. This key role will focus on increasing the customer base and maximising revenue while ensuring the service’s vision to support schools inspire children’s love of reading and learning is delivered.

Reporting to a member of Inspire’s leadership team, you will identify opportunities for growth and transformation, develop and implement strategies to gain new customers, identify and develop new income streams and accompanying business plans, be able to analyse data to inform your decisions, represent, promote and advocate for the service at conferences and events and build strong links and relationships with external partners and stakeholders. You will also provide leadership, support and direction to a small, committed team. We’re looking for a dynamic, resilient strategic thinker with a proven track record in business leadership, resource and operational management.

Possessing excellent interpersonal, communication, networking and negotiating skills with a passion for children’s literature and literacy, an awareness of the current National Curriculum for England and a clear understanding of the role of reading in improving children’s life chances. Proven ability to manage teams within operational delivery and drive organisational performance, in addition to excellent time management, ICT, problem solving, and organisational skills are essential.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives on challenges and who wants to work as part of a supportive and expert team to develop the Education Library Service ensuring its long term sustainability. The post is part of Inspire’s senior management team and contributes to the development of Inspire. Working 37 hours per week, the postholder will be based at Inspire HQ in Nottingham, with home working supported. The ability to travel across the county by your own means is essential.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and we expect all staff to share this commitment and undergo appropriate checks.  As such, this post will be subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

For an informal discussion about the role please contact Carol Newman, Director of Culture on Tel: 0115 804 4335.

For more information about Inspire and ELS please visit – www.inspireculture.org.uk

Job Description

Job Title: Service Manager Education Library Service

Grade: Hay Band C

Job Purpose

To lead and manage the strategic planning, delivery and development of the Education Library Service as a traded business service.

To ensure the provision of relevant high quality customer focused reading and library services to schools. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational and strategic management of the Education Library Service as a traded business service.
2. Seek new customers, opportunities and income streams to encourage business retention and development.
3. Review and update the service offer to meet needs of customers.
4. Provide effective leadership, direction and management of the ELS team.
5. Delivery of business plan, setting service objectives and performance targets.
6. Market and promote services to ensure long term sustainability.
7. Efficient management and deployment of budgets and resources.
8. Build and maintain strategic links with internal and external partners and stakeholders.
9. Represent Inspire and the Education Library Service with external organisations and stakeholders.
10. Responsible for ensuring the service provides the highest quality specialist advice to teachers and other staff on matters relating to school library organisation and development, stock selection and promotion.
11. The post holder will work in accordance with all Inspire policies and procedures, Inspire Brand guidelines, contractual requirements, and professional best practice.
12. The post holder will perform any duties or tasks assigned by management required to meet service needs as appropriate to the role.
13. The post holder will assume the role of Appointed Person and/or First Aider as required.

Education and Knowledge Required for the role 

1. Graduate/postgraduate qualification in relevant field e.g. management, business, library and information studies.
2. Awareness of the current school curriculum especially regarding progress and attainment in literacy with an interest in/knowledge of children’s books
3. Good working knowledge of the principles and practice of people, performance, risk and service management

4. Knowledge of working to educational, statutory and legislative standards.

Skills and Experience 

1. Experience of planning and delivering services, leading staff, and managing resources and performance
2. Experience of monitoring budgets and providing financial data and reports
3. Experience of customer focused service delivery in a library, school, retail or business environment
4. Experience of working with partners to deliver services
5. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
6. Excellent organisational, management, delegation and problem-solving skills
7. Ability to innovate, to think strategically and creatively
8. Willingness to travel to venues and possession of full clean driving licence and use of vehicle. 

Role Dimensions

1. Be accountable for the operation, delivery and development of the Education Library Service as a traded business service
2. Actively seek by a range of methods to increase the customer base and service income
3. Manage a team of 7.72 fte including 81 fte direct reports.

1. Monitor and establish budgets totalling approximately £600,000, to include undertaking complex reporting processes, reconciling across a number of budgets and reporting regularly to senior management. 
2. Ensure compliance with health and safety including safeguarding. 

Inspire Competencies

Customer Service (Competency Level 4) 

1. Demonstrates effective customer service skills – in person, online, email or on the phone - identifies and satisfies customer needs, adjusting their style with a friendly and professional approach as appropriate for the customer, respecting confidentiality, equality & diversity and prioritises the customer over tasks where appropriate
2. Responds positively to customer concerns, acts to resolve or reassure customers as needed, agrees solutions with the customer or hands over to an appropriate colleague
3. Responds positively to any complaint or suggestion and seeks to resolve it within limits of their authority or hands over to a more senior manager as appropriate
4. Monitors, analyses and acts upon customer service data to maintain and/or improve the service. Considers the impact on customers when implementing change

Deliver the service offer (Competency Level 4) 

1. Knows and/or accesses information to advise and promote the Inspire Service Offer to all customers – to meet their immediate needs and other services that could be of interest or benefit them
2. Embraces any changes to the offer and any associated changes to processes or working practices positively, takes responsibility for their own development and engages with and makes the most of development opportunities provided
3. Shares feedback about the Inspire offer with their line manager and contributes to meetings, discussions and related activities to ensure service delivery and/or improve our offer
4. Leads work to develop, enhance or create new elements of the Inspire service offer and where appropriate ensure there is an integrated customer offer and journey

Communicating well (Competency Level 4) 

1. Communicates clearly and effectively in person, on the phone and in writing respectfully and in a style appropriate to the person and situation and uses and engages with Inspire’s online communications
2. Communicates effectively in a meeting or other group situation, respectfully and in a style appropriate to the group and situation with a solutions-based / can-do approach
3. Debates, positively challenges and/or discusses issues with colleagues and line manager, sharing views and acknowledging and respecting the views of others, seeks to reach agreement and respects the final decision made
4. Communicates complex information concisely and clearly using the most effective means, negotiates effectively across teams, services or with external partners and reaches agreement with all affected parties 

Working together (Competency Level 4) 

1. Adopts a friendly, helpful, supportive and respectful manner when working with others
2. Acts in a way that shows they are trustworthy, reliable and transparent in their dealings with others, respecting privacy and confidentiality as appropriate
3. Forms positive and effective working relationships, makes and implements decisions fairly, using good judgement and with integrity, in line with Inspire values and role modelling Inspire management and leadership behaviours
4. Forms and maintains effective internal and external working relationships across the organisation, with external partners, stakeholders and funding organisations, motivated by achieving the best for our customers and in the best interests of all concerned

Managing others (Competency Level 4) 

1. Effectively supervises and supports the day-to-day activities of a colleague(s) to enable them to perform their duties, planning and co-ordinating the activity of colleague(s) to deliver tasks or activities over time to meet service demand effectively and efficiently
2. Manages and reviews performance and attendance of individuals effectively, setting goals, agreeing targets, and organises training as needed, tackling poor performance or attendance if required using Inspire policies
3. Manages their team and indirect teams effectively, empowering them to perform well, monitoring group performance against service targets and acting proactively and positively in response to performance data to ensure service delivery targets are met
4. Conducts investigations in the event of discipline or grievance fairly and respectfully, communicating findings and making recommendations ethically and in the best interest of all parties

Leading the way (Competency Level 4) 

1. Incorporates the spirit of Inspire’s mission, vision and values in the work they do with customers, colleagues and stakeholders, plays their part in implementing Inspire policies and procedures and management decisions
2. Articulates and shares Inspire’s mission, vision and values to enthuse and focus the efforts of colleagues
3. Contributes to the decision-making process, stands by decisions made and owns them when implementing them
4. Makes decisions in the best interest of Inspire, its customers, staff and stakeholders that are sound, ethical, socially responsible, shares rationale for them, implements them and stands by them

Working efficiently and cost effectively (Competency Level 4) 

1. Uses Inspire resources and their time effectively to meet service demand, objectives and/or targets
2. Plans ahead, making best use of time and resources available to achieve service delivery, maximising the use of technology available, minimising unnecessary travel or waste, prioritising work and working within spending limits
3. Resolves competing or conflicting demand for resources and time effectively to meet the needs of themselves, colleagues and customers
4. Manages a budget, forecasting activity and required spend, monitors service activity and actual spend and takes pro-active action to ensure budget target and/or savings targets are met

Skills and qualifications (Competency Level 6) 

Experienced Qualified (3 years or more): Degree (service related) or Degree + post grad service specific qualification