AV Supervisor

The role combines team leadership, operational management, technical expertise, and hands-on event support. Together, the two AV Supervisors provide management and technical oversight across a busy programme of activity, ensuring consistent service levels and effective support throughout the operational day.

The Knowledge Centre hosts events across extended operating hours, typically from 8:00am until 9:30pm, Monday to Friday, with occasional weekend events. To support these requirements, the two AV Supervisors work a coordinated shift pattern that provides continuous supervisory cover throughout the day and evening.

This position offers the opportunity to lead a skilled team of AV professionals while contributing directly to some of the UK's most prestigious cultural, educational, and commercial events.

Salary and Working Hours

Due to the operational nature of the role, AV Supervisors are required to work a combination of early and late shifts, including regular evening working and occasional weekend commitments.

In recognition of these extended and unsocial working hours, the role attracts an additional annual allowance payable on top of the advertised salary.

Working arrangements are coordinated between both AV Supervisors to ensure effective service coverage across the events programme.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership and Service Delivery

• Lead, motivate, and develop the Media (AV) team, ensuring a high-performing and customer-focused service
• Work collaboratively with the second AV Supervisor to provide effective operational leadership and consistent service delivery
• Allocate and prioritise workloads across technicians, freelancers, contractors, and external AV providers
• Ensure AV services are delivered professionally, efficiently, and in line with agreed service standards
• Foster strong working relationships across internal departments and external partners
• Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and professional development activities within the team
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and excellent customer service.

Technical and Operational Management

• Oversee AV operations across the British Library's event and meeting spaces
• Manage the installation and operation of temporary AV solutions for events and special projects
• Determine appropriate technical solutions and equipment configurations for a wide variety of event requirements
• Ensure all AV activities are undertaken safely and in accordance with relevant policies, regulations, and risk assessments
• Maintain oversight of AV equipment inventories, maintenance schedules, servicing, and replacement programmes
• Provide hands-on technical support for complex installations, event delivery, and fault resolution
• Monitor service performance and implement corrective actions where required
• Support the ongoing development and enhancement of AV infrastructure and technologies.

Event Delivery

• Support the delivery of a varied programme of public, commercial, educational, and corporate events
• Collaborate closely with Public Events, Commercial Events, Estates, Security, and Facilities teams
• Liaise with internal and external clients to understand event requirements and recommend effective technical solutions
• Attend planning meetings, rehearsals, and technical briefings as required
• Ensure events are delivered to the highest technical standards
• Provide expert support during live events, presentations, performances, broadcasts, and hybrid events
• Act as a senior point of contact for AV-related issues during event delivery.

Systems and Technology

• Maintain and support a range of technologies including:
  • Professional audio systems
  • Video presentation and display systems
  • Stage and event lighting
  • Digital conferencing and collaboration platforms
  • Streaming and hybrid event technologies
  • Control systems and user interfaces
  • Recording and content capture systems
• Identify opportunities to improve reliability, user experience, and operational efficiency
• Support the implementation of new technologies and service enhancements.

Training and Knowledge Sharing

• Develop and deliver training programmes for AV staff and users
• Provide coaching and mentoring to technicians and junior colleagues
• Maintain technical documentation, operating procedures, and user guidance materials
• Ensure the team remains current with emerging AV technologies and industry best practice.

About You

To succeed in this role, you will bring a combination of technical expertise, leadership capability, and a passion for delivering exceptional event experiences.

You will have

Essential:

• Significant experience delivering professional AV services within an events, conference, cultural, education, hospitality, or commercial environment
• Experience supervising or leading technical teams
• Strong technical knowledge of audio, video, lighting, conferencing, and control systems
• Experience supporting live events, presentations, conferences, and hybrid events
• Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Experience working with external suppliers, contractors, and freelance technicians
• A commitment to health and safety standards and safe systems of work.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting large-scale public events or performance spaces
• Knowledge of streaming and broadcast technologies
• Experience with digital collaboration platforms and conferencing systems
• Relevant AV or technical qualifications
• Experience managing equipment budgets and asset lifecycles.

Why Join the British Library?

This is a unique opportunity to work at one of the UK's most prestigious cultural institutions, supporting a diverse and ambitious programme of events that engage audiences from across the world.

In return, we offer:

• Competitive salary plus an attractive annual shift allowance
• Opportunity to work on a wide variety of high-profile events
• Ongoing professional development and training
• Access to industry-leading technologies and facilities
• A collaborative and supportive working environment
• Excellent benefits package.

Join us and help deliver exceptional event experiences at one of the world's great libraries.

About us

We are the national library of the UK and we are here for everyone.  Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day. Although our roots extend back centuries, we aim to collect everything published in the UK today, tomorrow and far into the future. Our trusted experts care for this collection and open it up for everyone to spark new discoveries, ideas and to help people do incredible things.

What we can offer you

• Access to a defined-benefit Civil Service pension scheme
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexi-time
• 25 days' holiday plus 2.5 privilege days
• Full details of employee benefits can be found on our Careers Benefits page.