Executive Director : Libraries

Full Job Description

UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN

UCT LIBRARIES

The University of Cape Town invites applications for the permanent position of Executive Director: UCT Libraries. UCT Libraries is a critical part of the University’s academic and knowledge infrastructure, enabling teaching and learning, research and internationalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and societal and social responsiveness. Operating across multiple campuses and library locations, the Libraries brings together physical and digital environments, scholarly collections and information resources, research and learning services, publishing and open scholarship, Special Collections, and technology-enabled services to support UCT’s students, academics and researchers.

Reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching & Learning, the Executive Director will provide visionary, strategic and executive leadership of this complex and resource-intensive institutional portfolio, with accountability for its people, significant financial resources, collections and knowledge assets, digital systems and technologies, and physical facilities and infrastructure. The role will lead the continued development and transformation of UCT Libraries, including strategic resource and infrastructure planning, service innovation, responsible digital transformation, governance, risk and long-term sustainability. As a member of UCT’s senior leadership, the Executive Director will also contribute to institutional strategy and governance and position UCT Libraries to respond to the changing nature of scholarship and an increasingly digital, data- and AI-enabled higher education environment.

Requirements For The Position:

• A Masters degree (NQF Level 9) in Library and Information Science (LIS); OR a Masters degree (NQF Level 9) in a relevant subject discipline, together with a Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Science. A doctoral qualification would be advantageous.

• A record of scholarship or significant professional contribution in academic librarianship or a related field is expected.

• At least 10 years’ recent and relevant experience in a complex academic or research library, or comparable knowledge-intensive environment, including substantial senior-level leadership experience with accountability for strategy, people, resources and organisational performance.

The Successful Candidate Will Have The Following Competencies:

• Demonstrated strategic and organisational leadership at senior level, including strategy development and implementation and leading significant organisational change;

• Proven experience leading multidisciplinary professional teams, including performance and talent management, leadership development, succession planning, and managing complex staffing and employee relations matters;

• Demonstrated experience managing substantial financial and institutional resources, including significant budgets, collections, digital and technological resources, physical facilities and infrastructure, with accountability for governance, risk and resource stewardship, and fundraising;

• Demonstrated leadership of contemporary academic and research library services, including teaching and learning and research support, scholarly communication, open scholarship, digital services, and creative publications;

• Proven experience leading digital transformation, including the responsible application of emerging technologies, including AI;

• Demonstrated experience leading service innovation initiatives that improve service delivery, user experience, operational effectiveness, and responsiveness to evolving stakeholder needs;

• Demonstrated ability to engage and influence at senior institutional level, including working with executive and academic leadership and governance structures, and developing significant institutional, national and/or international partnerships; and

• Experience leading transformation and inclusive organisational practice, including equity, diversity, inclusion and employment equity.

Key responsibilities

• Providing strategic direction for UCT Libraries and aligning its strategy, priorities, culture and resources with the University’s institutional and academic priorities;

• Leading the Libraries’ contribution to teaching and learning, research and internationalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and societal and social responsiveness;

• Providing executive leadership of the Libraries’ people and senior management team, including organisational capability, transformation, talent and leadership development, performance and succession;

• Providing strategic oversight of collections and knowledge assets, scholarly information resources, research and learning services, scholarly communication and publishing, digital systems and physical and digital library environments;

• Leading service innovation and responsible digital transformation, including the strategic adoption of AI and emerging technologies to enhance access, discovery, research and learning support, and user experience;

• Exercising executive accountability for financial and resource planning and stewardship, including significant budgets, facilities and infrastructure, technology investment, governance, compliance, risk, resilience and business continuity;

• Building strategic relationships and institutional, national, African and international partnerships, professional networks and collaborations, including appropriate funding and partnership opportunities;

• Providing thought leadership and representing and advocating for UCT Libraries within relevant University leadership and governance structures and national and international academic, professional and scholarly forums.

The 2026 annual cost of employment, including benefits, is appropriate to the Senior Management level.

To apply, please visit the UCT Jobs Site (www.jobs.uct.ac.za ). View (For Internal Applicants) and View (For external applicants) to create a candidate profile and to submit your application.

Please complete and attach the following to your profile before submitting your application:

• A motivation letter which addresses the above criteria, including a statement on your potential contribution as Executive Director;

• Your full curriculum vitae with the names and contact details of three referees;

• The HR204 application form for Senior Executive Posts available at: http://forms.uct.ac.za/hr204.doc.

• Please declare your use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of any documents related to your application.

An application which does not comply with the above requirements will be regarded as incomplete and might not be considered.

Shortlisted candidates will be required to deliver an open presentation and undergo assessments. References may be requested by UCT at any stage of the selection process.

The appointment procedures are available at:http://www.hr.uct.ac.za/hr/recruitment/exec_appointments/exec_directors

Telephone: 021 650 1673 Website: www.uct.ac.za

Reference number: xxx Closing date: 23 October 2026

UCT is a designated employer and is committed to the pursuit of excellence, diversity, and redress in achieving its equity targets in accordance with the Employment Equity Plan of the University and its Employment Equity goals and targets. Preference will be given to candidates from the under-represented designated groups. Our Employment Equity Policy is available at https://uct.ac.za/oic/employment-equity

When you apply for a position at UCT, we collect your personal information to assess your application, communicate with you, and coordinate interview logistics. Information such as race, gender, nationality, and disability status is used to support our Employment Equity obligations. We also verify your references, qualifications, conduct criminal and, for certain roles, credit checks. For more information about how the University of Cape Town uses personal information and your rights, please email popia@uct.ac.za.

The University reserves the right to extend the closing date for applications if deemed necessary and reserves the right to make no appointment.

• A Masters degree (NQF Level 9) in Library and Information Science (LIS); OR a Masters degree (NQF Level 9) in a relevant subject discipline, together with a Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Science. A doctoral qualification would be advantageous.

• A record of scholarship or significant professional contribution in academic librarianship or a related field is expected.

• At least 10 years’ recent and relevant experience in a complex academic or research library, or comparable knowledge-intensive environment, including substantial senior-level leadership experience with accountability for strategy, people, resources and organisational performance.

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