Advocate jobs in west malling, kent

Join a small commercial team with big ambitions for the public library sector.  We see libraries as part of the solution for some of the biggest challenges in society, and one of the ways we want to bring the reach and strength of the library sector into these discussions is through contracted delivery of national services through the local library networks. 

We are seeking a Business Development Manager to help us realise our plans to secure a menu of commercial contracts that all of our 175+ member library services can choose to benefit from, according to the skills and assets of their service, their focus and strategy and of course the needs of their communities.

This is a great opportunity to be part of a bold vision of community driven social change with public libraries - and the communities they serve - at the core. 

Our Commercial Team

Currently we hold a single commercial contract worth around £3m per year delivered through 12 libraries. Our aim is to reach a point where we have a menu of commercial contracts that all of our 175+ member library services can choose to benefit from according to the skills and assets of their service, their focus and strategy and of course the needs of their communities.

In the current funding climate for local authorities and local government services, these contracts are not just about the income and the services they can provide, but about demonstrating nationally the power of the library sector, and how national services can be delivered locally through library services and the communities they serve.

This is a long term aim of ours – we are seeking to build the commercial team with this role and while it is initially a 12 month contract, our hope is that with the role in place we can generate the income to sustain and build on it.

Main purpose of role: 

• Support the delivery of commercial projects across the library sector
• Lead the bidding process for new contracts and services
• Manage the mobilisation and setup of contracts and services
• Manage the ongoing delivery of commercial contracts and services including management reporting and contract / service optimisation to increase benefit to the libraries and sector
• Support the development of commercial skills and capacity across the library sector
• Contribute to the growing commercial awareness and understanding within the organisation, its partners and its members.

Please see the attached job description for a full description of the role, including person specification. 

Frequent travel within the UK will be required for the role.

About Libraries Connected 

We are an independent charity that supports, promotes and represents public libraries. Our work is driven and led by our membership, which includes almost every library service in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man).  

Across the areas we serve there are 176 individual library services with around 3,000 library branches serving over 61 million people. 

Our unique approach is to bring these services together to share experience, expertise and evidence – driving innovation and impact across the public library sector.

While senior library leaders sit on our board and committees, we work with library staff at all levels.

As well as providing practical support, training and advice to libraries, we represent them to government and raise their profile in the media. We also develop and lead national library projects with cultural, academic and corporate partners.  

We work to a strategic plan that runs until 2027, organised around four themes: drive, grow, connect and engage.  

We generate income from membership subscriptions, commissioned services, events and grants. As an Arts Council Investment Principle Support Organisation, part of our core funding in England comes from the Arts Council to help embed their Investment Principles across the library network.   

Our values 

• We are supportive. We respond to the varied, emerging needs of our members and their communities to enable libraries to learn from each other, and other sector leaders, so that they can safeguard and improve their services.  

• We are inclusive. We work with our members and partners to design and deliver our work and to determine our strategic priorities because we are committed to representing the diverse communities and libraries which we serve.  

• We are open. We are in constant communication with our members and partners on all levels to learn from their experiences, reflect on our practice and develop our services. We welcome challenge and new directions for our work.  

• We are ambitious. We believe that libraries are an essential part of the solution to a range of society’s needs. We promote innovation and collaboration to ensure that libraries are recognised locally and nationally.  

Working at Libraries Connected 

We are a friendly, collaborative team of around 20 staff based all around England and Wales. 

We value diversity and are committed to promoting an inclusive working environment. We strongly believe that inclusive and diverse organisations are not only better places to work, they are more innovative, make better decisions and are more successful. We value people who bring unique perspectives and knowledge to our team. 

We want to make our recruitment process as fair as possible. To reduce bias, we shortlist candidates based on their responses to up to six application questions. These are designed to tell us about your values, experience, attitudes to work, and transferable skills. We do not ask for a separate cover letter or supporting statement. 

We offer flexible working as standard, helping work fit around family and caring responsibilities. Many of our staff work their hours in different ways, including flexi time and compressed hours. We are open to discussing what would work for you and be possible for the role. 

All roles are remote and are open to applicants who live anywhere in the UK. We provide staff with a home office set-up including laptop, monitor and phone. There is the option to work from our central London office or use a co-working space if it is not possible to work from home. 

We welcome requests for adjustments to our standard recruitment processes for anyone who needs them. 

The role is responsible for ensuring the charity operates within a robust governance framework and complies with all relevant statutory, regulatory, and internal requirements. This role requires the ability to operate, and pivot, between subject matter expert, strategic partner, advisor and team member - with hands-on delivery, supporting the Board of Trustees, senior leadership, and staff to embed a culture of good governance, risk awareness, and ethical practice across the charity.

The role line manages a small team (including two administrative assistants), and oversees the use of external experts to provide advice.

Programme Delivery Director

Homebased within UK with regular travel to MAG’s Manchester office and programme countries

Starting salary for this position is £76,535 per annum (plus contributory pension)

This is an exciting time to join MAG as we implement our new five-year strategy and strive to increase our impact and extend our influence through our lifesaving programmes .  In this newly created role, the Programme Delivery Director will be responsible for managing our team of Regional Directors to ensure the successful delivery of MAG’s high quality, high-impact programming across our global portfolio.

About MAG:

MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is an international humanitarian organisation based in Manchester, UK, and working in 32 countries. We remove landmines and unexploded ordnance to release safe and productive land for communities, and work to reduce the threat of armed violence by supporting governments to safely manage weapons and ammunition. In 1997, MAG was a co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for our work campaigning for the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

About the role:

You will work closely with our regional and country teams to ensure contract delivery in line with objectives, and overall compliance with donor and MAG requirements. Reporting to the Director of Programmes, you will directly support on day-to-day incident management, as well as acting as a focal point ensuring coordinated, timely, and appropriate support to programmes from other departments. You will ensure effective management oversight on business planning objectives, and on occasion on the delivery of strategic projects. You will work closely with our Regional Directors to develop new programme activities, including supporting assessments, planning, and project mobilisation.

About you:

You will be a senior humanitarian professional with significant experience working in an NGO with a focus on international programme management and delivery across multiple country contexts. You will be experienced in the critical assessment, development, and implementation of management structures and systems designed to improve overall delivery of activities. You will be an excellent communicator, with significant experience coordinating programme delivery and support functions including human resource management, logistics and procurement, finance and compliance. You will be a strategic leader with strong interpersonal skills and the ability to negotiate and influence to drive change. You will be ready to travel internationally, including to insecure and conflict-affected areas, and have a solid understanding of geopolitical dynamics and their security impact. Ultimately you will be proactive, tenacious, pragmatic, and committed to MAG’s mission, values, and approach.

Further information and how to apply:

For the further information on the role, the application pack and details of how to apply, please visit the MAG website by the closing date of Sunday 31st August 2025.

Please note that as part of MAG's commitment to safeguarding, this post is subject to background checks before an offer of employment is confirmed. For more information on MAG’s approach to safeguarding and background checks please visit our website. You can also find more information in the candidate information pack, available on our website.

MAG is committed to the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. If you think you would be suited to one of our roles we would welcome your application regardless of your background. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all employees feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential.