Stockholm University Library is an infrastructure unit within Stockholm University with broad operations and a diverse range of services that are cutting-edge in several areas – including open science. The operations are comprehensive and include: IT development, publishing, archives and records management, research data, bibliometrics, classical library services, communication, and publication services. Stockholm University is a leading actor in the transition to open science and provides relevant and high-quality research infrastructure with active work on national and regional collaboration in this field. Learn more about us at: www.su.se/enheter/stockholms-universitetsbibliotek
We need to strengthen our management team with a section chief. To work as a section chief at Stockholm University Library, you must understand and embrace our organizational structure.
The university library is built as an agile network organization with self-organizing groups, where the right competencies and capabilities are included with the mandate to drive the development of our services now and in the future. Within the organization there is also IT-supported development – an integrated process based on product management, with the aim of ensuring that the right things are developed, prioritized, and managed so that value is created over time.
For the management team, this means shared responsibility for the whole, but with individual employer responsibility for staff. In the organization, it is the working groups that have the mandate to drive operational development, where the manager's role is to enable, create direction, and provide the conditions for success. As a leader, you should have a coaching approach to your working groups and employees. The role of a manager in a flat and agile organization is very different from that in a hierarchical organization. Which working groups you will work with is not predetermined but sometimes shifts between section chiefs to meet the needs of the groups and the organization. Together, the management team creates distribution and responsibility based on conditions and competencies.
Duties
As part of the management team, you will work in an environment characterized by strong commitment and high ambition levels, while we also maintain a healthy work-life balance.
The management team currently consists of four section chiefs, one administrative manager, and is led by the chief librarian. The group takes overall responsibility for the organization and its strategic development. In the group, you represent not your groups but contribute from a holistic perspective.
To succeed in the role, you need good collaboration skills with sensitivity to different perspectives, be curious, and contribute to a creative and courageous environment. It is important to be able to see development opportunities in the organization and welcome both others' initiatives and your own. To succeed with development, we must be responsive and dare to test different ideas. Failure is not a mistake but important for organizational learning. Your most important ability is to create psychological safety and coach your groups toward self-organization for a creative environment that dares to question existing patterns to develop operations.
Qualifications
For employment it is necessary that you have:
- academic education in relevant areas
- leadership ability
- interest in organizational development and development issues to support education and research
- understanding of agile working methods
- good communication skills, both written and oral. You are expected to be able to communicate in Swedish and English
- good ability to listen to and coach your employees
- strong collaboration skills both with managers and employees
- several years of experience managing a larger staff group.
Meritorious:
- worked within public sector operations
- worked with a user-centered perspective.
As a person, you are self-driven, responsive, and service-oriented, and have a good ability to see wholes and connections. You find it easy to collaborate, can share your knowledge, and have good social competence. You need to be structured and efficient in your working methods and accustomed to prioritizing. Great emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.
About the Employment
The employment is on a permanent basis, full-time with a six-month probationary period. Stockholm University applies individual salary setting. Start in autumn 2026 or by agreement.
We Offer
With us you get the dynamics of the interplay between higher education and research that makes Stockholm University an exciting and creative environment. You work in an international environment and receive favorable conditions. The university is located in the National City Park with good connections to the city center.
Stockholm University is committed to being a workplace free from discrimination and provides equal rights and opportunities for all.
Contact
Further information is provided by Chief Librarian Wilhelm Widmark, phone 08-16 27 33, [email protected].
Application
You apply for the position through Stockholm University's recruitment system. You as an applicant are responsible for ensuring that your application is complete and submitted to the university no later than the application deadline.
Instructions for applicants can be found on the webpage: How to apply for a position.
Stockholm University contributes to the development of a sustainable democratic society through knowledge, enlightenment, and the pursuit of truth.Stockholm University Library is an infrastructure unit within Stockholm University with broad operations and a diverse range of services that are cutting-edge in several areas – including open science. The operations are comprehensive and include: IT development, publishing, archives and records management, research data, bibliometrics, classical library services, communication, and publication services. Stockholm University is a leading actor in the transition to open science and provides relevant and high-quality research infrastructure with active work on national and regional…