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Reporting to the Board of Library Trustees, the Executive Director provides strategic, administrative, and operational leadership for Baltimore County Public Library (BCPL), working closely with the BCPL Board to advance the Library’s mission, vision, values, and strategic priorities; support effective governance, policy development, fiscal oversight, long-range planning, and public accountability; ensure responsive and equitable public library service across the system; steward public resources responsibly; lead the Library’s executive team; maintain constructive labor-management relationships; foster a collaborative and inclusive organizational culture; and serve as BCPL’s chief representative to staff, customers, community partners, elected officials, Baltimore County government, and the broader library profession.
Provides overall leadership for BCPL, including systemwide planning, operations, service delivery, organizational culture, financial stewardship, and community impact.
Works with the BCPL Board to develop, recommend, implement, and evaluate policies, priorities, strategic goals, and long-range plans that advance the Library's mission and serve the public interest.
Keeps the BCPL Board informed of significant operational, financial, personnel, policy, legislative, and community matters affecting the Library, and supports effective Board and committee work.
Establishes a clear vision for the direction of the organization and collaborates with staff, leadership, and stakeholders to translate that vision into goals, work plans, services, and measurable outcomes.
Directly supervises, evaluates, and supports the executive leadership team, including the Chief of Public Services Officer, Chief of External Affairs Officer, Chief Operations Officer, and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Leads through multiple layers of management, ensuring that goals, expectations, communication, accountability, and decision-making are clear across branches, departments, and administrative functions.
Oversees organizational operations, staffing practices, personnel, leadership development, performance expectations, and systemwide coordination.
Maintains constructive labor-management relationships and manages labor relations within the Library system in accordance with applicable laws, agreements, policies, and organizational values.
Ensures that library services, collections, programs, outreach, facilities, and technology respond to community needs and reflect BCPL's commitment to access, inclusion, intellectual freedom, lifelong learning, excellent public service, and equitable outcomes.
Works with senior leadership to evaluate and strengthen public service models, customer experience, community engagement, programming, outreach, communications, facilities, technology, and collections.
Supports systemwide efforts to identify and reduce barriers to library service, particularly for underserved communities, and to ensure that BCPL's resources are allocated in ways that reflect community needs.
Addresses concerns from the public, interprets policies and procedures, and ensures that customer and community concerns are handled thoughtfully, consistently, and in alignment with Library values.
Develops and submits the annual operating budget and related budget materials for BCPL Board review and approval and for submission through the appropriate County government processes.
Provides responsible stewardship of public funds, personnel resources, facilities, technology, collections, and capital assets.
Works closely with the BCPL Board on operating and capital budget priorities, long-range financial planning, and strategic investment in library services, and advocates effectively on BCPL's behalf when seeking budgetary support from Baltimore County.
Maintains a strong and productive relationship with the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library to support BCPL's visibility, community connections, philanthropic opportunities, and long-term success.
Serves as a visible and effective advocate for BCPL with elected officials, Baltimore County government, Maryland government representatives, community organizations, business and civic groups, educational partners, library leaders, and the public.
Builds partnerships that strengthen BCPL's visibility, impact, and responsiveness to community needs.
Participates actively in relevant regional, state, and national library organizations and professional associations to advance BCPL's interests, contribute to the profession, and remain current with emerging issues and best practices.
Stays informed about legislative, policy, funding, demographic, technological, and professional trends that may affect public libraries, local government, community needs, and workplace operations.
Demonstrated ability to lead a complex public library system with sound judgment, strategic vision, fiscal responsibility, political acumen, and a strong commitment to public service.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to work effectively with a governing board, staff, union representatives, public officials, community partners, customers, donors, and the public.
Ability to develop and implement strategic priorities, evaluate programs and services, use data effectively, manage change, and align people, resources, and operations around shared goals.
Knowledge of public library principles, ethics, and values, including intellectual freedom, equitable access, privacy, inclusion, community engagement, and responsive service.
Ability to foster a workplace culture grounded in trust, accountability, collaboration, equity, transparency, and continuous improvement.
Master's degree from a library school accredited by the American Library Association.
At least five years of experience as a professional librarian, including at least two years of experience in an administrative or supervisory capacity.
Must have, or be eligible to obtain and maintain, licensure as a Professional Public Library Director in the State of Maryland.
Residency within the Baltimore County Public Library service area is required within six months of date of hire.
Experience leading a multi-branch public library system or comparably complex public service organization.
Experience working with, reporting to, or supporting a governing board.
Experience managing through multiple layers of leadership, including senior managers, department heads, branch managers, or other systemwide leadership structures.
Experience developing, managing, presenting, or advocating for operating and/or capital budgets in a public-sector or nonprofit environment.
Experience working with elected officials, county or municipal government, community partners, donors, foundations, or other external stakeholders.
Experience working in a unionized environment, including labor relations, collective bargaining, contract administration, or constructive labor-management communication.
Experience leading strategic planning, organizational change, service innovation, or systemwide implementation of major initiatives.
Experience advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, intellectual freedom, and community-responsive service, particularly in support of underserved communities.
Experience building collaborative leadership teams, developing staff, strengthening organizational culture, and communicating effectively during times of change.
Active participation in regional, state, or national library organizations, professional associations, or public library advocacy efforts.
Ability to work in professional office and public library environments, use a computer for extended periods, travel throughout Baltimore County and the region, and attend evening or weekend meetings and events as required, with or without reasonable accommodation.
Reports to: Board of Library TrusteesDepartment: Administrative OfficesFLSA Status: Exempt
