The University of Cape Town is seeking a visionary leader to fill the position of Executive Director: UCT Libraries. The successful candidate will provide strategic and executive leadership to the Libraries, enabling teaching and learning, research, and internationalization. UCT Libraries operates across multiple campuses, bringing together physical and digital environments, scholarly collections, and information resources to support students, academics, and researchers.
The Executive Director will report to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning and will be responsible for leading the development and transformation of UCT Libraries. This includes strategic resource and infrastructure planning, service innovation, and responsible digital transformation. The role requires a deep understanding of the changing nature of scholarship and the increasingly digital, data- and AI-enabled higher education environment.
To be considered for the position, applicants must have a Master's degree in Library and Information Science or a relevant subject discipline, together with a Postgraduate Diploma in Library and Information Science. A doctoral qualification is advantageous. The successful candidate will also have at least 10 years of recent and relevant experience in a complex academic or research library, including substantial senior-level leadership experience.
The Executive Director will be responsible for providing strategic direction for UCT Libraries, aligning its strategy, priorities, culture, and resources with the university's institutional and academic priorities. The role also involves leading the Libraries' contribution to teaching and learning, research, and internationalization, as well as providing executive leadership of the Libraries' people and senior management team.
The successful candidate will require demonstrated strategic and organizational leadership, experience leading multidisciplinary professional teams, and managing substantial financial and institutional resources. The role also demands leadership of contemporary academic and research library services, including teaching and learning and research support, scholarly communication, and digital services.
The 2026 annual cost of employment, including benefits, is commensurate with the Senior Management level. Interested applicants can view the job description and apply on the UCT Jobs Site. Applications must include a motivation letter, curriculum vitae, and HR204 application form, and must declare any use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of application documents.
Key points
- The University of Cape Town is seeking a visionary leader to fill the position of Executive Director: UCT Libraries.
- The successful candidate will require demonstrated strategic and organizational leadership, experience leading multidisciplinary professional teams, and managing substantial financial and institutional resources.
- Applications must include a motivation letter, curriculum vitae, and HR204 application form, and must declare any use of artificial intelligence in the preparation of application documents.
