Information Assistant (Acquisitions) - Academic Services - 100236 - Grade 4

Position Details

Academic Services 

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full-time starting salary is normally in the range £27,546 to £29,171, with potential progression once in post to £32,595

Grade: 4

Full Time, Permanent  

Closing date: 21 September 2026

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university.  We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential.  With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working.  In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site.  On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham

Background

The post sits within the Acquisitions Team, part of the wider Collection Development Team. This team is part of the Collections, Discovery and Research Communications Division of Libraries and Learning Resources.  The division acquires and manages access to an extensive collection of information resources in a range of different formats in support of teaching, learning and research at the University of Birmingham.

Role Summary 

You will join a team that plays a key role in delivering one of the core purposes of Library and Learning Resources, which is obtaining content and making it accessible to the University community and beyond. The team obtains material in various formats, including print books, e-books, streaming content, and DVDs, and in a variety of languages. It resources reading lists created by academic staff to support their teaching and processes inter-library loan requests made by university staff and students. Working as part of the team you will undertake a range of operational duties in support of these activities. You will also provide accurate and timely information and advice to colleagues and resolve queries relating to the work of the team. In addition, you will have opportunities to contribute to the development and improvement of team tasks and processes, and to get involved in wider Libraries and Learning Resources activities and projects.

Main Duties

• Use library management systems and supplier databases to identify and order print and electronic library materials, to track orders, and to check and receipt newly purchased stock. Liaise with colleagues and suppliers as needed to resolve queries.
• Create, edit, and review university reading lists using library management systems.
• Use library management systems and external library catalogues to process and fulfil inter-library loan requests from university staff and students, including ordering, receipting and returning loaned items, monitoring progress of requests, and liaising with library users and suppliers to resolve queries.
• Work with spreadsheet reports to create orders, update library systems and collate information
• Act as a point of contact to provide accurate, timely information and advice to staff and library users on team processes, procedures, and content acquisition issues. Queries will be owned from initial contact to resolution. This will include recognising when queries need to be referred elsewhere.
• Process invoices in compliance with Library and University financial procedures in preparation for payment and accurately record details on the library management system. Check invoices for accuracy and refer any problems to a manager. Retrieve missing invoices from supplier platforms as required.
• Regularly communicate relevant information to colleagues, including senior team members and Library and Learning Resources managers, and content suppliers.
• Maintain working relationships with key stakeholders, such as library colleagues, university staff and suppliers.
• Provide training for new team members and other Libraries and Learning Resources staff.
• Review processes and tasks and proactively offer suggestions for improvement, sharing best practice as appropriate.
• Actively participate in wider Libraries and Learning Resources and University activities and projects as required.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the grade which may be reasonably required.
• Supports equality and values diversity, moderates own behaviour to avoid unfair discriminatory impact or bias on others.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• GCSEs to a minimum of grade C/4 in both English and Mathematics (or equivalent level 2 qualification)
• Strong numeracy and literacy skills
• Excellent communication skills including listening and questioning skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good level of IT literacy, including confidence in using a range of standard applications, e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, etc., and the ability and willingness to develop these skills further, and to learn and adapt to new technologies
• Experience of using and maintaining complex and specialist systems and processes, e.g., library management and discovery systems, supplier platforms and third-party databases
• Ability to work with accuracy to required standards and deadlines, and demonstrate attention to detail
• Good organisational skills with the ability to plan own work
• Demonstrable ability to work both independently and on your own initiative, and as part of a team
• Ability to work reliably and flexibly in a busy environment
• Experience of handling and resolving customer enquiries 
• Knowledge or experience of library work, the book trade or publishing industry is desirable
• Understanding of the importance of equality and diversity in the workplace
• Ability to identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant policies and procedures

Dimensions

You will not be required to line manage anyone in this role or manage a budget. You will provide training and guidance relating to your team’s activities to other Libraries and Learning Resources staff.

Planning and Organising 

Advice is available but most work is done independently. You will be expected to manage your own time, anticipating and prioritising your own workload to meet deadlines and ensure both the required standard and continuity of service. As part of this you will balance the need for accurate and professional work against the need to meet targets.

Problem Solving and decision making

You will be working under the direction of a senior manager, but with some autonomy to deliver the outputs required. You will be working within the framework of existing policies, processes and procedures for the University and the Department. You will, however, take day-to-day decisions on what advice to give and how to resolve queries that arise. You will be expected to refer queries on as appropriate.

Internal and External relationships 

You will establish and maintain constructive working relationships with other team members and colleagues across Libraries and Learning Resources, communicating professionally with colleagues at all levels. You will also be expected to liaise with wider University staff, students, and library suppliers with an expectation of maintaining good working relationships with all.

Informal enquiries to Andrew Loverock, email: [email protected]

View our staff values and behaviours here 

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is one of our values. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.