Part of a worldwide network, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni promotes French language and culture and encourages cross-cultural collaborations. Founded in 1910, and based in South Kensington in London, it comprises a Language Centre, a Cultural Centre, Ciné Lumière, a cinema with two screens, and a multi-media library, La Médiathèque.
La Médiathèque is one of the largest free access French libraries in the UK with extensive collections in French and about France, for all ages and language levels.
Supporting the Director of La Médiathèque & Culturethèque
- Planning and monitoring the library’s budget.
- Providing administrative support.
- Managing the reception and services of the adult & children’s libraries, schedules and shifts coordination, ensuring optimal service quality in the reception area and the efficient running of the library by all staff members.
- Ensuring the good visibility of the membership and its evolution.
- Programming and coordinating cultural events: the reading groups season, festivals (Night of Ideas, Beyond Words, South Ken Kids) and Open House, FR and UK publishers’ network.
Managing the Cinema and Graphic Novels sections
- Monitoring, selecting, and purchasing content relating to the cultural news and programming of the Institute.
- Cataloguing, weeding and classifying items.
- Promotion of collections.
- In charge of signage, information to users and organizing the presentation of documents in the multimedia library.
Public service and common tasks
- Reception of the public 12h minimum per week.
- Support for school visits: taking responsibility for presentations to groups.
- Supervising Saturday morning activities when needed.
- Participation in cross-cultural activities at the Institute.
- Training and orientation of library staff.
Necessary Qualifications
- Qualification (degree level or higher) in Library and Information management, Arts and culture management or significant experience in these fields.
- Professional experience in a similar function.
Skills
- Aptitude for communication, negotiation, listening and mediation techniques.
- Capacity to galvanise partners and team members.
- Methodical, able to demonstrate a high level of organization and with the ability to follow procedure.
- Ability to anticipate issues and report.
- Sense of public service, good interpersonal and pedagogical skills.
- Strong IT skills.
- High command of tools related to digital publishing (including familiarity with metadata entry).
- Punctuality, availability, versatility.
Languages
- Fluent English and French
One year renewable contract: 35 hours / week, from Tuesday to Saturday, occasional evenings and very rarely on Sundays
Monthly gross salary: £2,569
30 days paid holidays and 11 public holidays
Transport, pension and health insurance package
Workplace: La Médiathèque, 17 Queensberry Place, SW7 2DT, London
To apply, please submit your CV and covering letter here: floriane.laurichesse@institut-francais.org.uk
Only applicants with existing right to work in the UK will be considered.