Our Values

It’s great to know that you are interested in working with us at Coventry City Council. As a prospective employee, it is important that everyone who works for us is committed to our One Coventry values and shares our commitment to becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation. 

Our Values are:

About the team we are recruiting to

Coventry City Council’s Library and Information Service is a public facing service operating for the benefit of local communities and the wider city.   
Providing services from the central library and 16 local libraries (3 of which are community led) Coventry libraries provide a unique 'cradle-to-grave' service bringing individuals and communities together.   
Public libraries acquire, organise and provide access to a range of information and reading resources to meet the diverse needs of a community.  We actively support independent learning and encourage reader development, also providing information on areas such as:

• Local and national government services, 
• Learning opportunities,  
• Leisure activities, and  
• Local community news and events  

We also play an important role in providing access to computers and the internet for those who are digitally excluded.   
The Library Service works in partnership with local, regional and national organisations to provide a full and wide-ranging service offer.  Partners include: 

• Arts Council England 
• BBC  
• Department for Culture, Media and Sport 
• Libraries Connected  
• Public Health England, and  
• Reading Agency 

Libraries are uniquely placed to change lives for the better. They are busy and vibrant open spaces, not only providing access to books but also helping people to help themselves and improve their opportunities. By providing practical support and guidance, libraries play a critical role in enabling and empowering people to realise their potential, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

What is the job role?

Coventry Schools Library and Resource Service provides a specialist library and learning resource service for all Primary and Secondary schools. Our loan services allow schools to keep their book stock up-to-date and enhance teaching and learning across the curriculum for minimal cost. We also provide many additional services to support reading engagement including quizzes, the Coventry Inspiration Book Awards and author events. All of these services are about providing exciting opportunities for all children and young people in the city that celebrate books and reading.

We are a small and friendly team who are enthusiastically dedicated to getting children to enjoy reading and supporting our schools in delivering the best curriculum they can. Because we are a small team, we are flexible and dynamic giving everyone a chance at trying a wide range of tasks.

Coventry Schools Library and Resource Service is an educational traded service which means that we generate our income from Service Level Agreements with schools. This role is a vital part of the team as it covers all of the financial administration of the Service. We are looking for someone with experience in finance as well as being able to support the delivery of the Service Level Agreement and additional services.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• To prepare and monitor service level agreement contracts directly with school customers, raise invoices, negotiate queries and complaints. 
• To assist the Head of Service in monitoring the budget and financial transactions and liaise with Council finance staff when necessary to ensure all expenditure and income is correct.
• To be responsible for ordering and taking receipt of SLS resources and operational supplies, liaising with contractors as required.
• To support SLS services including short- and long-term loan collections of resources to schools and other organisations.
• Support the Head of Service in the administration and delivery of SLS events including quizzes, Coventry Inspiration Book Awards, author events etc.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for a solutions-focused individual to join our friendly and passionate team.  You will often be the first line of contact with our customer schools, and you will be vital in supporting the smooth running of the service.

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a background in financial administration looking for a flexible part-time (18.5 hours) role (1-year fixed term contract).  

Salary will be pro rata to the number of hours worked.

You will need to demonstrate a good understanding of financial/accounting software and have good ICT and numerical skills. The ability to prioritise and organise workloads to ensure that our service commitment to schools is fulfilled. As a traded service the focus on customer support is paramount requiring excellent interpersonal skills. The successful candidate should have the ability to work under their own initiative as well as being a team player willing to get involved with whatever we have to deliver during the year.

For full details on the application process please read the attached document labelled 'Coventry City Council Application Process'

Interview date(s): 13th/15th December 

About Coventry

Coventry has a proud, innovative and creative spirit that throughout its history has seen communities come together to tackle problems and bring about real social change.

We are cutting-edge, challenging, youthful, vibrant and diverse.

At Coventry we are committed to excellence in everything we do. With around 4800 staff from a range of different backgrounds, our aim is to recruit and develop talented people who will focus on our customers, take responsibility, work together and find better ways of doing things.

To deliver the best services to our residents, we need the best people working for us to make a difference to our communities.

If you join us, we will provide a fantastic rewards & benefits package which includes:

• Flexible working arrangements
• Generous annual leave allowance starting at 27 days and rising to 32 days
• Pay progression through multiple increments
• Opportunity for Salary Match
• An outstanding local government pension scheme
• Great opportunities to develop with access to accredited courses.
• Access to an award-winning Occupational Health Service
• Salary Sacrifice Scheme

Coventry City Council