Become our next Chief Executive
Welcome from our Chair
This is an exciting moment to join the British Library, and the Chief Executive will lead the organisation at a time of renewal, transition and opportunity.
The British Library is one of the world’s leading research libraries and a globally significant cultural institution, with collections spanning every conceivable format and encompassing most known languages.
The Library’s enduring mission is to make these collections available to everyone for research, inspiration and enjoyment. The Library recently refined its organisational strategy, with a renewed focus to the end of the decade on current and future research needs (including data infrastructure), user-centred 21st century digital services and developing inspiring and inclusive new methods of public engagement to underpin our relevance and value to the next generation.
This includes an emphasis on strengthening the Library’s core services and infrastructure to support the UK’s national research capability and a commitment to invest in advanced technologies to make collections more accessible, more discoverable and more inspiring for researchers and audiences of the future.
Alongside this, the major expansion of our iconic St Pancras site represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to double the footprint of the building and create new exhibition spaces, research services and opportunities to engage the wider public. The new building will transform the Library’s strategic partnerships locally, nationally and internationally—spanning the world-leading life sciences research at the Crick Institute to the diverse communities of Somers Town—and welcome millions of visitors arriving on our doorstep via Eurostar, HS1 and HS2. In West Yorkshire, a world-class passivhaus automated storage building will begin operations later this year, enabling efficient and fully sustainable collection management.
The Board is looking for an exceptional candidate to oversee this momentous new chapter in the evolution of the UK’s national library. Reporting to the Chair, the Chief Executive will be responsible for navigating the next phase of one of the world’s leading cultural and research institutions, balancing digital and physical transformation with new philanthropic and commercial partnership opportunities – all in support of our public duty and statutory responsibilities as an arm’s length body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
Inclusive and empathetic leadership skills are essential, and the Chief Executive will demonstrate the emotional intelligence to support, empower and develop staff and to build trusted and collaborative relationships with a wide range of partners, visitors and communities. The successful candidate will combine significant strategic and operational experience of leading change amidst complexity, an entrepreneurial mindset and a deep appreciation of the enduring value of libraries and research in the 21st Century.
Dame Carol Black, GBE