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Senior Library Manager - Knowledge and Information Management

The Open University -
Milton Keynes

Job details

Full-time
£47,389 - £56,535 a year

Qualifications

Organisational skills
SharePoint
AI
Communication skills
Welsh

Full job description

Senior Library Manager - Knowledge and Information Management

Advert Reference Number: 1622

Job Location: Milton Keynes

Department: Library Services

Salary: £47,389 to £56,535

Closing Date: 21 June 2026

Weekly Working Hours: 37

Contract Type: Permanent

Fixed Term Contract: End Date: Not Applicable

Welsh Language: Not Applicable

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

About the Role

This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a central role in shaping the future of Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) at the OU. You will be at the forefront of embedding Knowledge and Information Management as a service across the entire University—helping to design, influence, and implement consistent and effective approaches to managing information and knowledge as a strategic asset. As part of this work, the role will also explore and support the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools and automation to enhance information discovery, classification, search, governance, and knowledge‑sharing practices. Working within the Knowledge and Information Management team and reporting to the Associate Director, you will lead the operational delivery of Knowledge and Information Management services while shaping the long‑term operational model, frameworks, and culture that will influence the University for years to come.

Take a tour of our Open University Library Building by watching this short video.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic & Developmental Responsibilities:

Shape and embed the OU’s emerging KIM service model, helping define best practice for information governance, records management, and knowledge‑sharing across the organisation.
Contribute to KIM strategy, policies, standards, and frameworks, including those relating to the responsible adoption of AI and automation in information management.
Act as a champion for cultural change, supporting colleagues in adopting digital, data‑driven, and AI‑enabled ways of working.

Operational Leadership:

Lead, manage, and support the KIM operational team, ensuring the delivery of a high‑quality and customer‑focused service.
Oversee information and knowledge governance enquiries, and routine operational workflows.
Ensure consistent, timely, and accurate KIM advice is provided across the University.

Information Governance, AI & Compliance:

Provide expert advice on information governance related to Knowledge and Information Management, AI‑assisted information handling, and responsible use of AI tools.
Support information risk management activities, including risk assessments and mitigation planning relating to AI‑generated content and automated processes.
Prepare reports, metrics, and insights for governance groups and audits.

Knowledge Management Capability

Support the Associate Director (Knowledge and Information Management) to develop and implement knowledge management strategy, governance and performance metrics.
Develop a network of Knowledge Management champions across the organisation to support operational delivery.
Design Knowledge Management advocacy activities to gain cross-institutional endorsement and support.

Systems, Tools & Digital Improvement:

Work closely with IT, Information Rights and Digital Services to enhance the use of M365, SharePoint, Teams, and AI‑enabled features such as automated classification, intelligent search, and metadata enrichment.
Support training and communications to help staff adopt new tools and responsible AI practices.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Build strong relationships with faculties, directorates, projects, and services, acting as the primary point of contact for KIM.
Ensure KIM support is contextualised, meaningful, and accessible to diverse business needs.

About You

Essential criteria:

Experience delivering Knowledge and Information Management, Information Governance, or Records Management services.
Developing and implementing the practice of Knowledge and Information Management in a complex organisation.
Strong understanding of information legislation, governance, and information lifecycle principles.
Experience leading teams and delivering services in a complex environment.
Ability to influence, guide, and support cultural change.
Strong communication skills with the ability to support non‑specialists.
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
Awareness of emerging digital and AI opportunities and risks in knowledge and information management, including responsible and compliant use.

Desirable criteria:

Experience working in higher education or public‑sector contexts.
Knowledge of M365 information governance features.
Experience contributing to policy development or supporting audits.

Support with your application

If you have any questions, or need support or adjustments relating to your application, the recruitment process, or the role, please contact us on 01908 541111 or email [email protected] quoting the advert reference number.

What's in it for you?

At The Open University, we offer a range of benefits to recognise and reward great work, alongside policies and flexible working that contribute towards a great work life balance. Get all the details of what benefits we offer by visiting our Staff Benefits page (clicking this link will open a new window).

Flexible working

We are open to discussions about flexible working. Whether it’s a job share, part time, compressed hours or another working arrangement. Please reach out to us to discuss what works best for you.

Working Location: It is anticipated that a hybrid working pattern can be adopted for this role, where the successful candidate can work from home and the office. However, as this role is contractually aligned to our Milton Keynes Office, it is expected that some attendance in the office will be required when necessary and in response to business needs. We’d expect this to be 1 day per month (on a rota basis) as well as other ad hoc on campus meetings as and when required. Full-time working based from our Milton Keynes site is also supported if this is preferred by the candidate. Expenses associated with travel to our Milton Keynes site are not reimbursable.

Next steps in the Recruitment process

Interviews dates have not yet been confirmed.

Early closing date notification

While most roles will remain open until the advertised closing date, applications may be reviewed on an ongoing basis. In some cases, vacancies may close earlier if a sufficient number of suitable applications have been received and equality impacts have been appropriately considered. All roles will remain advertised for a minimum of one week before any early closure is implemented.

If you have started an application or were in the process of applying when the advert closed, we encourage you to get in touch. We are committed to understanding individual circumstances and can offer further support where needed, including reasonable adjustments for applicants with protected characteristics.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit the following documents:

CV
A Supporting Statement of up to 1000 words. You should set out in your statement why you are interested in the role and provide examples of where your skills and experience meet the essential criteria for this role as detailed above.

You can view your progress and application communications when you are logged into our recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folders if you do not receive associated email updates.

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