Service Lead Archives and Collections

Job Description

About Us:At Westminster, we are passionate about the place and the people who live, work and visit here. We are home to more than 250,000 residents and 50,000 businesses, and 28.5m people visit Westminster every year. Westminster hosts some of the most vibrant communities in London which creates a place that is incredibly diverse, rich with culture, character and opportunity. Our City for All vision is simply to provide world-class services to the residents and communities we serve.Kensington and Chelsea is a vibrant and culturally diverse central London borough, home to places of great cultural importance, and attractive streets and squares. We have 160,000 residents and 56,000 daily visitors. Our Council priorities are keeping the borough a great place to live, work and learn; supporting and safeguarding our most vulnerable residents; keeping our streets healthy, clean and safe; and continuing to make it a place of culture to visit and explore. Following the Grenfell tragedy, alongside the NHS we will continue to support community recovery for as long as we need to. We are rebuilding trust with our communities by putting local people at the heart of our planning and decision-making.The Role:Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea are working closely together in a bi-borough agreement to transform and manage our Libraries & Archives to meet the diverse and changing needs of our communities and create the most inclusive library service in the UK. Westminster Archives is a nationally accredited service, while the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has a valued local studies collection that reflects the rich heritage of the borough.In this rewarding role, you will develop the service to preserve the archives and collections while also increasing access and engagement. Its an opportunity to explore and use the huge potential of these resources to connect the councils and their communities. Youll also be an active member of the Libraries Leadership Team, working across both councils to support their strategies and priorities, and deliver our purpose of helping people to read, learn and connect.About You:Innovative and inclusive, youll be committed to bringing our archives to life through deeper connection with our diverse communities. This will include digital as well physical and in-person connections. Youll have significant experience of managing archives and collections, and driving public engagement. Youll be used to building productive partnerships and relationships, as well as managing, coaching and developing a team. Strong communication skills will be essential to help you involve, engage and inspire across different communities, partnerships and organisational boundaries. The Council and its partners are committed to achieving diverse shortlists for all vacancies at Band 4 or above to support our desire to increase the number of staff from underrepresented groups in our workforce. If you are from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background (BAME) and would like to self-declare this to the hiring manager as part of our positive action commitments.What We Offer:We want Westminster to be a place you can make the most of your talents and thrive as an individual. Thats why were proud to have won Best Health & Wellbeing Initiative in the 2020/21 Business Culture Awards. By being the best you can be, youll help us adapt to the changing needs of our organisation and communities. As a progressive and innovative organisation, we welcome applications from candidates keen on working in an agile environment with flexible conditions.At Westminster City Council, we are passionate about our aim to be an inclusive workplace for all that reflects the communities we serve, and we believe everyone is valued. We particularly welcome applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, including BAME, LGBTQ+ and those with hidden or visible disabilities. Were committed to ensuring all our staff - regardless of gender, age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or disability - can succeed. We value diversity and appreciate that people work in different ways. So, as a Timewise employer we work to provide flexible working arrangements and an empowering environment that enables you to be your best, that is the Westminster Way.