Head of Printed Heritage Collections

Location: St Pancras
Hours: Permanent – Full time
Grade: SB4
Salary: £51,188 per annum

This is an exciting opportunity to lead the team looking after one of the greatest collections of rare books in the world.

This role is based within the British Library’s Collections and Curation department, and will lead the curatorial team responsible for the management, development and promotion of the British Library’s heritage collections of Western printed books: all European and American collections printed up to 1850 and British and Irish collections published up to 2000, including three centuries of legal deposit. The Head of Printed Heritage Collections also serves as the main point of contact for advice and leadership for printed books across the Library’s collections. As a member of the Western Heritage Collections senior management team, you will contribute to the management of the department, as well as managing and leading the Printed Heritage Collections section of the European Collections section of over a dozen curators. You will play a leading role in developing these collections, and ensure a high level of collection management and stewardship of the collection. You will lead on internal projects and external partnerships, and will consider the allocation of staff to ensure that strategic objectives are met, sometimes against a background of conflicting interests and priorities. You will lead Printed Heritage Collections staff in developing innovative ways of engaging a wide and diverse public nationally and internationally with enjoyable and challenging cultural experiences based on the collection and new research insights, and in developing new approaches to uncovering underrepresented voices in this part of the nation’s cultural heritage.

The minimum requirements for this role include a first degree level qualification and experience in a discipline relating to the curation of British and European printed heritage, with a demonstrable knowledge of the history of the book in Britain, including its production, publication, distribution and use. You will have significant employment experience in a research library or similar environment. You will also have proven leadership and people management skills, including the ability to direct, motivate and develop a team of professional staff. You should have experience of printed heritage collection development, developing work plans and managing budgets.

As one of the world’s great libraries, our duty is to preserve the nation’s intellectual memory for the future and make it available to all for research, inspiration and enjoyment. At present, we have well over 170 million items, in most known languages, with three million new items added every year. We have manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, music scores, and patents. We make our collections and programmes available to all. We operate the world’s largest document delivery service providing millions of items a year to customers all over the world. What matters to us is that we preserve the national memory and enable knowledge to be created both now and in the future by anyone, anywhere.

In return, we offer a competitive salary and a number of excellent benefits. Our pension scheme is one of the most valuable benefits we offer, as our staff can become members of the Alpha Pension Scheme where the Library contributes a minimum of 28.97% (this may be higher dependant on grade. Another significant benefit the Library provides is the provision of a flexible working hours scheme which could allow you to work your hours flexibly over the week and to take up to 5 days flexi leave in a 3 month period. This is on top of 25 days holiday from entry and public and privilege holidays.

Closing date: 16 December 2024
Shortlisted candidates will be informed they have been invited to interview in early January 2025.
Interview date: 17 January 2025

We are unable to provide sponsorship under the UK Skilled Worker visa for this role, as it does not meet the eligibility criteria required for this immigration route.

Museum Website: https://ce0752li.webitrent.com/ce0752li_webrecruitment/wrd/run/ETREC179GF.open?WVID=5071482BMD