Job Description
Objective: The Department Head Youth Services is responsible for hiring, training, and coaching staff for delivering premium customer service, programming, story-times, collection maintenance and merchandising, reference and reader’s services, as well as engagement in meaningful community relationships. This position assists the Branch Manager with professional, managerial duties in branch operation, and may act on behalf of the manager. The role requires considerable independence, judgement, and initiative in all areas of responsibility.
Douglas County Libraries Brand, Culture and Values: It is an expectation of each employee that you will live and exemplify Douglas County Libraries, Brand, Culture and Values.
Position Specific Competencies:
Managing and Measuring Work – Clearly assigns responsibility for tasks and decisions; sets clear objectives and measures; monitors process, progress and results; designs feedback loops into work.
Developing Direct Reports and Others – Provides challenging and stretching tasks and assignments; holds frequent development discussions; is aware of each person’s career goals; constructs compelling plans and development plans and executes them; pushes people to accept developmental moves; will take on those who need help and further development; cooperates with the developmental system in the organization; is a people builder.
Decision Quality – Good at establishing clear directions; sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately; lays out work in a well-planned and organized manner; maintains two-way dialogue with others on work and results; brings out the best in people; is a clear communicator.
Essential Duties and Accountabilities:
Leadership:
- Serves as a member of the branch leadership team and as a leader for the district in order to advance library services in Douglas County.
- Cooperatively work with the Branch Manager to communicate and implement District strategies and goals
- Hire, train, and develop staff to become proficient, excel, and advance in their careers.
- Conduct quarterly side-by-side conversations with staff as well as a year-end conversation. Spend time with staff to ensure an appropriate level of performance and offer the ongoing opportunity for professional development.
- Assists the Branch Manager in preparing and maintaining yearly budgets for Youth Services staff, materials collections, and programs.
- Serve as Person-In-Charge on an as-needed basis in coordination with other branch leaders.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Operations
- Create and manage staff schedule, filling unexpected vacancies as they occur.
- Utilizes youth services expertise and passion for future thinking to develop and experiment with new ideas and services.
- Identify and assign staff to story-times, school outreach, projects, committees, events and activities, and community engagement.
- Set standards and coordinate collection maintenance, merchandising and displays for the youth services materials.
- Communicate regularly with Youth Services staff in order to share information about branch and district strategies and goals, activities and information needed to perform at a high level
- Maintain appropriate time management related to organizing and prioritizing work including, e-mail management, returning phone calls, and other general administrative duties.
Organizational Relationships:
- Work collaboratively with leadership staff throughout DCL to make continual progress fulfilling the strategic plan and other organizational goals.
- Engage in open communication with other Youth Services Department Heads and DCL Departments to ensure a level of consistency for organization-wide services and programs
- Serve on Department Head committees and DCL Leadership committees.
- Ensure branch staff understand and adhere to DCL policies and procedures.
- Actively participate at District Library Leadership meetings
Technical Performance:
- Maintain expert knowledge and use of computers, Microsoft Office Products, DCL information databases, and learning software. Learn new technology that is introduced in the industry and the organization, as needed.
Experience and Qualifications: Read, write and speak English required. Requires extensive knowledge of Youth Library services and materials for ages 0-18. Four years of library or related experience preferred. Leadership and customer service experience preferred. Bachelor’s Degree preferred. Master’s Degree in Library Science or related fields preferred. A combination of experience and education will be considered.
Physical Requirements: Must have the physical ability, stamina, mobility and manual dexterity to support a 7-day a week operation. Work at computer stations for extended periods. Participate in meetings and events at various locations and at varied times throughout the day. Ability to read as small as 8pt font.