Director of Libraries, Sport and Physical Activity & Communities

We believe everyone deserves a great Glasgow life and that starts with the people who work here.

Glasgow Life is a charity like no other. Our vision is to improve the lives of everyone in our city — and inspire every citizen and visitor to become engaged and active in a city globally renowned for culture and sport.

To help us deliver that vision, we’re looking for a Director of Libraries, Sport & Physical Activity & Communities to join our Senior Leadership Team.

Our teams focus on making a real difference through culture and sport in Glasgow. If you’re excited by the idea of being part of that, this could be the job for you.

Location: Hybrid. Our head office is based in Merchant city with excellent transport links and access to discounted car parking nearby.

What you’ll do

As Director of Libraries, Sport & Physical Activity and Communities, you’ll report directly to the Chief Executive and play a pivotal role in delivering our strategic vision. You'll lead a diverse portfolio of physical and digital services - from Glasgow Club gyms and our citywide Libraries to vital community learning and engagement programmes, and ensure they contribute meaningfully to the mental, physical, and economic wellbeing of Glasgow’s people.

You’ll oversee major strategic projects and transformational change, driving innovation, inclusion, financial sustainability, and service excellence across your portfolio. As a key member of our Senior Leadership Team, you’ll also help shape Glasgow Life’s future direction, strengthen our income base, and lead engagement with strategic partners locally, nationally and internationally.

Your leadership will make a visible and lasting difference through teams that:

• Support our communities
• Help people get active
• Create cultural and learning experiences
• Or work behind the scenes to make it all happen

Who you are

We’re looking for a strategic, inspiring and collaborative leader with a deep understanding of how culture, sport, libraries and community services improve lives.

You’ll bring strong business acumen, a people-focused approach, and a commitment to delivering public value in a complex, high-profile environment. If you can balance social impact with income generation and lead inclusively and authentically, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re looking for:

• A degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline, along with evidence of ongoing professional and leadership development
• Senior leadership experience in a large, complex organisation delivering customer-focused services
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to manage diverse and high-level stakeholder relationships
• A commercial mindset and excellent financial and budget management skills
• In-depth knowledge of challenges facing the delivery of culture, sport, libraries and community services in both public and commercial contexts
• A proven track record in leading successful organisational change and service redesign
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with experience of driving performance and continuous improvement
• Experience working across organisational boundaries, with a solid grasp of political, governance and decision-making frameworks
• An understanding of the wider public and third-sector landscape in Scotland
• A personal and professional commitment to Glasgow Life’s values — demonstrated through inclusive, values-led leadership

Download the Candidate Brochure to see the full list of essential and desirable criteria.

What we offer

At Glasgow Life, our work changes lives. As a charity, we bring communities together and support wellbeing through sport, culture, heritage, and learning.

Learn more about Glasgow Life in our 10 Facts video in the Further Information section on MyJobScotland.

We support you to live a great life. Inside and outside of work. Some of our benefits include:

Holiday

When you join, you’ll get 30 days’ holiday. Plus 6.5 public holidays if you’re full-time. This increases to 35 days after 5 years of service.

Fancy a bit more time off? You can buy extra holiday too!

Pension

Save for later life and join the Local Government Pension Scheme. Your future self will thank you. Our generous employer contribution will help you plan for the future.

Support

Sometimes we all need support and a listening ear. Our free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme can support your mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

Discounts

As a colleague, you can enjoy discounts on the things you love, from Glasgow Club memberships to our museum shops and our online store. We are also part of the cycle-to-work scheme, helping you stay active.

Flexibility and development

We are proud of our flexible and inclusive work policies, which help you balance work and life. We also offer support for learning, development and career progression.

Please note that Glasgow Life is an Arm’s Length External Organisation to Glasgow City Council. We are currently completing a Job Evaluation exercise and introducing a new pay and grading structure. This may impact current salaries quoted in job adverts. To learn more, visit - https://www.glasgow.gov.uk/jobevaluation.

What’s next

To get started, complete our short application form upload your CV and a Supporting Statement via MyJobScotland. Use the Candidate Brochure to shape your CV and Supporting Statement and show how your experience aligns with the job.

Important Dates:

The closing date for this job is 11.59pm on 28 September 2025 . First stage interviews are provisionally scheduled for late October, with final stage early November, in Glasgow.

If you still have questions about the role, please contact us at glrecruitment@glasgowlife.org.uk to arrange an informal chat. 

Who We Are

Our Libraries, Sport and Physical Activity and Communities services are at the heart of life in Glasgow.

From Glasgow Club gyms and Learn to Swim programmes, to Libraries offering digital access and lifelong learning, to community centres creating safe, local spaces — we support people of all ages and backgrounds.

• Learn more about Sport at https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/sport
• Learn more about Libraries and Communities at https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/libraries and https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/communities

Diversity and Fair Work at Glasgow Life

We’re working to build a team that reflects the rich diversity of Glasgow’s communities — where everyone feels valued, respected, and able to be their full, authentic selves at work.

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident and Carer Positive employer, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. Learn more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/the-small-print/an-inclusive-employer

We’re also committed to Fair Work First principles, including effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect for all our staff. Learn more about our approach to Fair Work First here: https://www.glasgowlife.org.uk/about-us/fair-work-first

We’re working hard to address underrepresentation in our workforce. We especially welcome applications from people with disabilities and from ethnic minority communities.

Ready to apply?

To apply, please click the 'Apply' button (above)

Once you apply, add noreply@myjobscotland.gov.uk to your safe sender list so you don’t miss important emails.

We’re excited to hear from you. Let’s shape a great Glasgow life — together.

Closing date is 11.59pm on Sunday 28th September 2025

Information is available in alternative formats, on request.