Director of Finance & Resources

Contract: permanent

Salary: c£70k per annum (incl LW) plus benefits

Hours: 35 hours per week

The London Library is the largest independent lending library in the world and one of the UK’s leading literary institutions. It opened in 1841 and immediately became a resource not just for enthusiastic readers but for writers of all kinds, including some of the most celebrated names of their day - Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf - to name but a few! It remains a vital source of inspiration and support for the writers of today and tomorrow.

We are looking for a driven and proactive Director for Finance and Resources to deliver effective leadership across the Library.

The Director of Finance and Resources is responsible for the management of the Library’s Finance, HR, IT and Building & Facilities functions and will play a key role in the Library’s future success. You will provide sound management and administration of the Library’s financial affairs while planning and implementing the changes needed to reflect its new strategic priorities. As a member of the Executive team, you will work closely with senior staff and Trustees (especially the Treasurer), and deal at senior level with external contacts such as auditors, bankers, investment managers and other professional advisers, as well as leaseholders and tenants. You will also act as Secretary to the Trustees of the Library and to the Trustees of its Staff Superannuation Fund.

The successful candidate will be CCAB qualified and be able to demonstrate:

  • Proven experience in a leadership role within a charity or membership organisation;
  • Ability to work in collaboration with Trustees and colleagues;
  • Understanding and experience of strategic risk management, finance audit and internal controls

This is an exciting time to join The London Library as we continue to implement our long term strategic plans. In short, we want to become much more widely known and used and to share our incredible collection and all the other benefits of the Library membership with as many people as possible. This will be crucial in enabling us to establish a sustainable operating model for the Library and ensure that the Library continues to inspire and support many future generations of readers, writers and thinkers. The Director of Finance and Resources will have a vital part to play in developing and leading the implementation of the initiatives that will deliver these goals.

The London Library is an exceptional and much-loved place. If you are excited by the challenge of leading the development of the world’s largest independent lending library, and one of the UK’s foremost literary institutions, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Further information and applications are invited through Allen Lane

Deadline for applications: Monday 25 October (by 9.00 am)