ABOUT LIBRARIES WITHOUT BORDERS US

We are the American branch of the global NGO Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (BSF), based in Paris, France. Since 2007, BSF has installed pop-up libraries in 30+ countries: refugee camps in Jordan and Bangladesh, communities in Burundi, Haiti, and Colombia, and, most recently with Ukrainian refugees in Poland.

 

Since 2014, Libraries Without Borders US (LWB US) has gone where public libraries aren’t and to places where public libraries don’t usually go. We deliver information resources to underserved or unserved communities who, for various reasons, don’t have (or don’t access) their public library. We have partnered with organizations across the country to distribute books and technology and facilitate program delivery in trusted neighborhood institutions and small businesses – turning laundromats, houses of worship, community gardens, abandoned schools, and storm shelters into places for free unstructured learning.

 

Under the leadership of a new executive director, the organization seeks to scale nationally by partnering with anchor institutions, beginning with public libraries. We will draw on our experience and standardize our expertise to help bring library services to people where they already are – to deliver vital information and resources, and to turn previously underserved or unserved individuals into regular library patrons.

 

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

LWB US seeks a highly organized, strategic, adaptable, detail-oriented, and people-centered leader with a demonstrated commitment to racial and economic justice. We would prefer candidates with experience working in international, political, direct service, or labor organizations or public agencies serving under-resourced communities and/or communities of color.

 

The COO will be responsible for helping to lead a small team in a changing organization. This includes creating a culture of support, collaboration, accountability, and continuous growth – from staff meetings and retreats to one-on-one check-ins. The COO will work closely with the Executive Director to develop and implement strategies to scale the impact and increase the effectiveness of the organization. This will include partnership development as well as assisting with the manufacture of ed tech tools developed by Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (the Ideas Box, the Ideas Cube, and Kajou) for domestic deployment. With this person on the team, LWB US will be able to leverage its unique perspective and experience to help connect hundreds of underserved communities across the country to the information and learning resources that they need to thrive.

 

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION

LWB US is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We strive to be a workplace where people thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do their best work every day. We would like to see our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion reflected in the candidate pool for this position.

 

EXPERIENCE

• Management: proven success building, training, and maintaining high-performance teams.
• Program: direct service and management in primary education, out-of-classroom learning, literacy, ELL, and/or public libraries in the United States or abroad.
• Budget: management and development in a nonprofit setting, especially familiarity with QuickBooks.
• Partnerships: cultivation, management, and implementation of partnerships with nonprofit organizations, private sector firms or public agencies.
• Language: Spanish and/or French proficiency preferred but not required.

 

CORE RESONSIBILITIES

• Co-design and implement all programs, including maintaining legacy projects and new initiatives.
• Directly manage existing full-time program staff.
• With the Executive Director, develop and implement strategic initiatives aimed at increased organizational impact and growth.
• Ensure successful execution of future strategic partnerships and programs including but not limited to program design and talent recruitment.
• Support the monitoring of data, tracking program progress, and identifying benchmarks for success to advance and improve LWB US programs. 
• Assist in efforts to domestically manufacture and deploy ed tech tools developed by Bibliothèques Sans Frontières: the Ideas Box, the Ideas Cube, and Kajou.
• Oversee the daily management and administration of the organization including but not limited to budgeting, bookkeeping, and accounting.
• Represent the organization in public settings and private meetings with future partners and funders.
• Coordinate with counterparts at Bibliothèques Sans Frontières to share best practices, methodologies, strategies, and overall organizational goals.

 

KEY PERFORMANCE MEASURES

• Implementation of future programs, within budget.
• Effective management of existing programs, within budget.
• Professional support for current FTEs.  
• Recruitment of additional FTEs and contractors, as needed.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Salary: $85,000-$95,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications
• Benefits: Health insurance (including dental, mental health, vision)
• Vacation: 20 days of PTO, including sick days
• Professional development: generous annual stipend
• 401(k) plan with employer match

 

TRAVEL AND LOCATION

• The COO will be expected to travel 10% of the time domestically and, occasionally, overseas, to the Bibliothèques Sans Frontières headquarters in Paris, France.
• The position can be remote or based at the LWB US office in Washington, D.C. Some preference will be given to qualified individuals located in or near major urban centers in the Northeast, including but not limited to New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston.

TIMELINE

• Applications will be accepted until August 19, 2022. 
• Anticipated start date: September 2022

INTERESTED?

Please send an email with the subject line, “Chief Operations Officer” to jobs@librarieswithoutborders.us. Include the following information:

• Resume (1-2 pages)
• Cover letter (1 page)
• Contact information for 2-3 professional references
• LinkedIn (optional)

Apply online here

Submit specified application materials to jobs@librarieswithoutborders.us.