Director – Hennepin County Library (MN)

The Hennepin County Library (MN) seeks a leader with a combination of confidence and humility, vision and curiosity, and a demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as its next Library Director. Consistently rated one of the top public library systems in the country, Hennepin County Library serves 1.3 million residents over 611 square miles, including the city of Minneapolis, through its 41 libraries, outreach services, and website.

Hennepin County is the largest county government in Minnesota and the Library is one department within the Resident Services line of business. Hennepin County and its departments have organized themselves strategically around reducing interconnected disparities that separate our residents who are thriving from those who are not. The Library Director will work closely with other departments to leverage library programs and services to improve life outcomes for all residents.

The Director will be responsible for the $71.9 million operating budget along with strong support from local government, area partner organizations, and the expertise of talented library staff (535 FTE). Hennepin County Library’s highlights include the popular and engaging Mary Ann Key Book Club, its work in countywide disparity reduction, a longstanding commitment to excellence in services to youth, and participation in the Metropolitan Library Services Agency.

With 100+ lakes and the Mississippi River, the Twin Cities metro area offers an unparalleled quality of life that includes diverse communities, exceptional school districts, distinguished universities including the University of Minnesota, a vibrant arts/theater/music community, easily accessible natural resources, and six professional sports teams. The region is a foodie’s delight with a booming restaurant scene full of James Beard award nominees, including some of the country’s top Black, Native, Hmong, and Latino/a/x chefs and restauranteurs.

As the most populous county in Minnesota, Hennepin has all the amenities of a large metro area.  With ten Fortune 500 companies, the county is home to public and private institutions that reinvest in their communities. In recent years, the area has received accolades for the top 5 best park systems in America (The Trust for the Public Land, 2022), the top 3 happiest states in the US (WalletHub, 2022), and the most vibrant art communities in America (National Center for Arts Research, 2022).

Responsibilities: The Director’s responsibilities include but are not limited to meeting the expectations of patrons and communicating customer focus to the organization; providing effective leadership to direct reports and the organization as an experienced, visionary leader; establishing trusting and respectful relationships with others; communicating a compelling and inspired vision and sense of core purpose; developing relationships with partners on the county, regional, state and national level; establishing effective relationships with labor organizations, communities, advisory boards, and elected officials; fostering commitment and building support for a diverse and inclusive organization that reflects the residents we serve; and managing a broad spectrum of resources including staff, financial and capital projects, and technology.

Qualifications: Candidates must meet one of the following criteria for consideration:

• Master’s degree in library science from an ALA-accredited school and seven years of management or administrative experience
• Master’s degree in a related field and seven years of management or administrative experience
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and nine years of management or administrative experience

The ideal candidate will have experience leading through cycles of change; an understanding of and ability to communicate and engage with a broad diversity of individuals; experience inspiring an organization’s leaders to dream confidently; and demonstrating a strong social and emotional awareness as a leader.

Compensation: The targeted salary range is $190,000 – $213,562 (with placement negotiable dependent on experience and qualifications) and an excellent fringe benefits package.

For further information, contact Bradbury Miller Associates. Apply via email with a meaningful cover letter and your resume as Word or PDF attachments to Karen Miller (karenmiller@bradburymiller.com). This position closes on June 4, 2023.

View the most up to date version of this announcement in its entirety along with accompanying links at https://bradburymiller.com/job/hennepin/.

Submit specified application materials to karenmiller@bradburymiller.com.