Change your career, change lives

The Open University is the UK’s largest university, a world leader in flexible part-time education combining a mission to widen access to higher education with research excellence, transforming lives through education.

Learner and Discovery Services (LDS) is an award-winning unit of The Open University responsible for the production and delivery of the University’s curriculum; it also has a central role in the design of learning materials.

The role

We work in partnership with the whole OU community to support learning, teaching and research, by providing advice and guidance on the access to and use of Library content, resources and services.

The role of Library Assistant (Accessible Content) will provide proactive and efficient administration, to support the Student Experience and Learning Adjustments (StELA) for the Library, in partnership with relevant colleagues.

The post holder will work closely with the Senior Library Assistant (Accessible Content) and the wider Library Assistants in the team. They will be responsible for maintaining high standards of quality in the provision of Library content in an accessible way, supporting and contributing to process improvements.

Part of the role will be providing frontline Library enquiry services; supporting OU students, staff and visitors in their use of the Library services, content and resources.

They will also provide proactive and efficient administration to support the services delivered by various Library Services teams including the Library’s Student and Academic Services Team, Content and Licensing team and associated colleagues.

Skills and experience

• Educated to A level standard or equivalent, or equivalent professional experience
• English and Maths at GCSE level C or equivalent
• Advanced level skills in Microsoft Office 365, particularly Excel for data analysis and presentation, as well as Outlook and Word
• Evidence of strong team working with the ability to work co-operatively, building good relationships and contributing to the team through constructive feedback
• Excellent communication skills: both oral and written, with effective presentation techniques and the ability to explain policies and processes clearly to a variety of audiences.
• Attention to detail, displaying a high degree of organisational ability and resolving problems
• Experience of data collection and analysis. (Demonstrating organisational ability, as well as good numeracy and accuracy skills)

More information can be found in the Job Description here.

If you would like to discuss the application or recruitment process before making an application, please contact Sally Siveter at Resourcing Hub on 01908 655544 or [email protected] quoting the reference VRF 20834.

What you get in return

We have a strong commitment to providing training and development in and beyond your current role. This includes thorough induction into the organisation and regular reviews of your training and development needs.

We also offer a great range of benefits that support our employees and their families for the long term. Staff Benefits include an attractive pension proposition and 30 days holiday per annum pro rata, plus Bank Holidays and Christmas closure days.

How to apply

Unless otherwise stated in the advert, all applications are completed online via the OU Job’s page and following the instructions below and clicking the “APPLY NOW” link below. Applications submitted via 3rd party websites will not be considered.

Access details for disabled applicants are available from the Resourcing Hub, telephone: 01908 655544, quoting the vacancy reference above.

To apply for this role please submit the following;

• CV
• Personal statement, up to 1,000 words, you should set out in your statement why you’re interested in this role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the required competencies for this role as detailed in the job and person specification.

The above documents will need to be submitted as one attachment during the application process, please include the personal statement followed by the CV in this document.

To ensure your file is uploaded to our system correctly, please make sure your document is saved with the following file name as appropriate to the vacancy you are applying for: reference, surname, first initial.

You will need to have your documents ready ahead of submitting the electronic application.

Closing date: 10 April 2023, 12 noon

Interview date: 20 April 2023 online

You will receive updates regarding your application from [email protected]. Please ensure this email address is added to your list of trusted senders. Please also keep an eye on your junk folder to ensure you do not miss any important updates regarding this role.

You can view your application communications on the Candidate portal.

Please note: If you have not heard from us within 2 weeks of the application closing date, please assume that on this occasion you have not been selected for interview, however we thank you for your interest in The Open University and encourage you to apply for future positions.

Find out more about us and our mission by watching this short video (you will be taken to YouTube by clicking this link).

The Open University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion which is reflected in our mission to be open to people, places, methods and ideas. We aim to foster a diverse and inclusive environment so that all in our OU community can reach their potential. We recognise that different people bring different perspectives, ideas, knowledge, and culture, and that this difference brings great strength. We strive to recruit, retain and develop the careers of a diverse pool of students and staff, and particularly encourage applications from all underrepresented groups. We also aspire to make The Open University a supportive workplace for all through our policies, services and staff networks.

We offer a range of inclusive employment policies which include family and carer friendly flexible working arrangements and have many supportive staff networks and wellbeing services. We also endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity. Our Staff Benefits page under Employment provides further links and information.