Position: Executive Director
Location: Baltimore County Public Library
Posted: MLA
Salary: $225,000.00 – $245,000.00

The Baltimore County Public Library Board of Library Trustees seeks a strategic, collaborative, and community-centered leader to serve as the next Executive Director.

Strategic Leadership and Governance

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.

Organizational Leadership and Operations

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.

Public Service, Access, and Community Impact

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.

Uses data, community input, professional knowledge, and emerging trends to assess service effectiveness, identify opportunities, and guide continuous improvement.

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.

Financial and Resource Stewardship

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.

External Relations, Advocacy, and Partnerships

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.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

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.

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