About Jersey City and the Jersey City Free Public Library (JCFPL)

JCFPL is the largest municipal library in the State of New Jersey, with ten locations and growing, and a collection comprising over 2.5 million print and digital items. Our staff of nearly 120 dedicated individuals serves the residents, students, and workers of Jersey City: the largest city in Hudson County, N.J., and the second-largest city in New Jersey.

The staff of JCFPL reflects the cultural and linguistic diversity of Jersey City, which is consistently ranked as the most diverse community in the United States. Collectively, our staff speaks over 16 languages, including English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog, Gujarati, Marathi, Igbo, Portuguese, and others.

JCFPL is committed to building on our strong foundation and expanding our ability to meet the needs of Jersey City’s growing and increasingly diverse community.

About the Position

The JCFPL is seeking an outgoing, self-motivated, highly dependable individual to actively develop the Library’s youth services and programs throughout the Library system’s ten locations. They will coordinate ongoing system-wide efforts to significantly increase outreach efforts, participation, and grant funding for youth (ages 0-17) services and programs.

Under the direction of the Engagement Director, the Youth Program Coordinator will be responsible for driving the Library’s efforts in the increasing participation, recruitment, cultivation, retention and stewardship of our young patrons and their families. This role includes significant responsibility for building new administrative processes to support current and future youth programming and services. The individual in this role will work closely with Library leadership and staff, including the Communications & Marketing Department, the Adult Program Coordinator, the Business Office, as well as branches and other public-service departments. The Youth Program Coordinator will also serve as the primary Library liaison for partnership opportunities (regarding our youth community and their families) with local city departments and organizations.

The ideal candidate will have a facility with and enthusiasm for youth services and programming; a willingness to learn and grow as a member of a team; courtesy, flexibility and a sense of humor.

* Please note, this vacancy announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required for the employee for this job. The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as an illustration of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

Specific Job Duties:

• Develop, plan, and present innovative and engaging programs for children (up to age 17) and families including regular weekly and monthly offerings, special events/programs to build skills in basic literacy, STE(A)M, the maker movement and new emerging technologies
• Plan and present engaging and age-appropriate Summer Learning programming across the library system
• Create a welcoming, pleasing, creative, vibrant and dynamic space for children, parents, teachers, caregivers and teens across the library branches, with the support of branch staff
• Coordinate youth services staff; assign tasks and projects to staff and volunteers; review and evaluate staff, including themselves, with continuous assessments to ensure growth; proactively help resolve staff complaints and conflicts; communicate with leadership on issues regarding staff and patrons; help recruit, interview, and onboard new hires; train and evaluate staff; counsel and motivate staff; develop staff skills; foster and maintain a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible work environment
• Cultivate and maintain partnerships, provide programs, and introduce library services to local schools, childcare providers, and other youth related organizations to promote reading and digital literacy; play a role in library’s community engagement efforts; identify library and literacy outreach opportunities for local youth; stay informed of activities and services for children and families within the community; serve as liaison to youth organizations, and coordinate visits and programs outside of the library such as school visits, book talks, and book clubs; assist with social media accounts
• Actively pursue self-development in library services and programming for children and youth; stay current with emerging technologies and how they relate to trends in youth programming (e.g. coding, Minecraft, STEAM, etc.) and libraries in general; attend conferences and workshops, and read professional literature to stay informed on issues related to youth library services and creative learning activities; actively use Internet resources
• Develop, maintain and monitor annual service or program budget to achieve established goals and utilize library resources in an efficient and effective manner.
• Assist with the oversight of projects, programs, vendors, and committees to support and achieve service or program initiatives and goals
• Prepare and submit reports relating to department activities, including statistical reports, timesheets, cash reports, and monthly reports; attend meetings and serve on committees as needed; submit timesheets correctly and on time
• Promote good customer service; participate in public speaking, including tours and teaching library skills to small groups; effectively handle patron complaints; develop and maintain a positive, helpful and professional approach to the overall community as well as individual library customers
• Network and collaborate with Engagement department, educational entities, City departments, and other service agencies to promote services, activities, and goals of the library
• Stay up to date on trends and innovations in the fields of technology management and administration
• Perform other duties as assigned

Core Competencies: The incumbent in this role:

Support Library Mission and Initiatives

• Assists with initiatives to execute enterprise-wide deliverables by monitoring individual department-level operational plans, encouraging strategic use/coordination of resources and eliminating operational obstacles
• Performs a variety of responsibilities inherent in managing system-wide services and staff including timely and quality decisions, process management, conflict management, motivating and developing staff, and policy development and implementation
• Understands the nuances of local politics and how to work with mayors, city managers, and other elected officials

Communication/Collaboration

• Communicates effectively using a variety of methods
• Effectively communicates relevant and timely information to appropriate stakeholders
• Develops and maintains effective relationships with others to achieve common goals
• Works effectively on teams with strong team-building skills and attitudes
• Applies effective strategies to manage organizational politics, conflict and difficult coworker behaviors
• Communicates effectively with a variety of audiences and individuals from diverse backgrounds
• Selects and applies the most appropriate and effective communication means to meet situational needs

Customer Service

• Contributes to and models customer service standards that enhance the user experience
• Models standards and practices for the delivery of quality internal and external customer service
• Applies customer service skills to enhance the level of user satisfaction
• Applies effective techniques to address difficult situations with users and staff
• Understands and acts in accordance with the basic values and ethics of library service

Leadership

• Aligns efforts with the vision and direction of the organization
• Demonstrates leadership qualities and behavior, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills
• Employs sound project management principles and procedures in the planning and implementation of programs and services
• Anticipates and adapts to change and challenges effectively
• Develops and maintains effective relationships with others to achieve common goals
• Works effectively on teams with strong team-building skills and attitudes
• Applies effective strategies to manage organizational politics, conflict and difficult coworker behaviors
• Demonstrates critical thinking and problem-solving abilities
• Uses leadership skills to provide vision and guidance to library staff, board members and the community
• Contributes effective strategies and decisions regarding library services and resources
• Embraces change and fosters understanding and acceptance by all stakeholders
• Contributes to a productive workforce through effective recruitment and selection
• Leads and empowers employees to deliver effective, high-quality library service
• Establishes effective strategies for performance management
• Leads work teams with clear direction and effective communication
• Monitors and evaluates projects and adapts as needed
• Performs ongoing evaluation to gauge the success of division and enterprise-wide initiatives, programs, and services

Professional Development

• Manages the development of one’s own learning and ongoing improvement of skills and knowledge
• Uses creative and innovative approaches
• Establishes strategies and long-range initiatives to create a learning environment within the division and the library
• Plans for and supports staff career development opportunities
• Contributes to the development and implementation of a culture that embraces ongoing learning

Community Engagement

• Demonstrates the impact and value of the library to the community through ongoing evaluation and assessment of library services
• Maintains positive public relations through communication and promotion of the library’s values, services, accomplishments and needs to all stakeholders
• Builds relationships and support for the library with community organizations
• Contributes to creating a welcoming and user-friendly physical environment that encourages all community members to use library services

Technology

• Performs basic functions of email, calendar applications, and task management
• Understands and uses basic computer hardware, peripherals, software, and operating system functions
• Demonstrates information literacy and understands common security protocols related to Internet use

Required Experience:

• At least three (3) years’ experience in library or education setting with at least one (1) of those years in a supervisory role.
• A Master’s degree in Library Science or MLIS.
• Experience working with community organizations and building partnerships.
• Experience coordinating system-wide events at multiple locations/ working in a multisite environment.
• Comfortable representing the library to outside organizations and providing excellent customer service.

Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of management techniques.
• Ability to manage and administer a library program.
• Ability to analyze, comprehend, and utilize approved public library standards, methods, techniques, budgeting systems, and classification and pay plans.
• Knowledge of Jersey City’s population, geography, and/or local government.
• Facility in a non-English language spoken in Jersey City (such as Spanish, Hindi, Arabic, Tagalog, etc.).

NOTES:

This vacancy is associated with a N.J. Civil Service job title; the New Jersey Civil Service Commission requires all incumbents to possess and be prepared to verify the minimum experience and skills required for the associated Civil Service job title.

This position is subject to residency requirements as set forth in the New Jersey First Act

Apply online here