Executive Director
About Manchester Community Library
Nestled in the southwest Green
Mountains just three hours north of Boston and four hours from New York City
& Montreal, the Manchester Community Library (MCL) is the central gathering
place for community education and civic life in an idyllic town known for its
renowned cultural institutions, outstanding schools, and year-round recreation.
Operating as a 21st Century library with a state-of-the-art collection,
technology, and facilities, MCL is a resource hub for residents of Manchester
and surrounding towns in Bennington County.
The Library’s tagline – \“Meet you
at The Library\” – speaks to the essence of small-town character. MCL’s chief
ambition is to connect residents with one another by providing a welcoming and
comfortable place where they can access tools and information and enjoy
compelling programs for kids and adults of all ages.
Its current 18,500 square foot
facility was built in 2014 as the latest public iteration of the town’s Mark
Skinner Library, originally founded in 1897. With a Board of 13, staff of 10,
and dedicated team of volunteers, the library hosts 1,000 programs and 58,000
visitors each year with an operating budget of $1M and an endowment of $5.6M.
For more information on Manchester
Community Library, please visit our https://mclvt.org/. You can learn more about the Town of
Manchester here.
The Opportunity
Manchester Community Library seeks a
passionate leader, advocate, and fundraiser to inspire the next chapter of
MCL’s impact and sustainability.
The Executive Director will be
responsible for strategic oversight of the library, including developing and
executing a strategic plan, designing and implementing all fundraising and
development activities, supervising staff, and working collaboratively with the
Board of Trustees to ensure the organization's financial integrity and
accountability.
Reporting to the Board of Trustees,
the ED will directly supervise the Assistant Director of Programs, three
librarians, as well as the Communications and Facilities staff.
Key responsibilities of the ED
include:
• Develop and implement strategic
plans and budgets to achieve MCL’s revenue goals, secure town appropriations,
and ensure long-term financial health.
• Be an effective spokesperson for
MCL and its mission across diverse constituencies, including patrons and
community members, civic and business leaders, partners and funders.
• Serve as the organization's chief
fundraiser by cultivating and stewarding donors, attending fundraising events,
and soliciting major gifts for the organization's current and future needs.
• Guide and implement a Marketing
and Communications strategy that supports advancement goals and builds
recognition and visibility of the library.
• In collaboration with staff and
the Board of Trustees, identify pathways for serving, growing, and diversifying
programs and services in partnership with local nonprofits and schools.
• Foster community collaborations
and partnerships that enhance MCL’s reach and impact, serving as an effective
leader and ambassador.
• Bring a forward looking,
entrepreneurial approach to the evolving local and national library ecosystem,
identifying 21st Century Library trends and key opportunities that will ensure
MCL’s ongoing success and relevance.
• Ensure that resources are
ethically, efficiently, and responsibly deployed to serve MCL’s mission in the
near and long term.
Candidate Profile
While no one candidate will have
every experience outlined in the position description, ideal candidates will
display many of the following professional and personal qualities, skills, and
characteristics:
A Deep Commitment to the Mission
& Purpose of Public Libraries
• A passionate advocate for public
libraries who brings a deep understanding of the nature and ethics of the work,
as well as the essential role public libraries play in healthy communities and
a flourishing democracy.
• An accomplished strategic thinker
who can articulate a clear, compelling, and unifying vision for MCL that
centers patron experience, community service, and education in a rapidly
evolving digital age.
An Authentic Relationship Builder
& Community Ambassador
• A compelling communicator who
effectively conveys MCL’s work, mission, and vision as a spokesperson and
public representative across a broad range of constituencies.
• An authentic presence and strong
listener with low ego and high emotional intelligence, demonstrating the
ability to form meaningful, trust-based relationships.
A Strategic Leader with Operational
& Financial Acumen
• A dynamic, mission-focused
executive with strong business acuity and a track record of successfully
managing teams, budgets, and long-term strategy.
• A skilled administrator and
problem solver who can effectively balance \“big picture\” strategic guidance
with the ability to execute and operationalize plans.
• An astute financial thinker with
demonstrated experience in resource development, budget and P&L management,
including expertise in building sustainable revenue models.
A Passionate Fundraiser, Public
Speaker, and Advocate
• An experienced leader who
genuinely enjoys fundraising and has the demonstrated skillset to cultivate new
and existing donors and to inspire transformational gifts from individuals and
foundations.
• An enterprising professional who
can help drive, diversify, and optimize revenues and investment across the
organization through effective Marketing and Communications, including
expanding membership, events, philanthropy, and corporate sponsorship.
• A genuine and infectious
commitment to the role, with a passion for the people, culture and natural
resources of Manchester and surrounding towns.
A Highly Inclusive & Emotionally
Intelligent Manager
• A transparent communicator who
actively informs staff and engages internal and external constituents in the
mission, vision, and future of the organization.
• A leader who recruits, hires, and
retains outstanding talent and is dedicated to creating pathways that encourage
continuous learning and professional development among staff.
• A collaborative, trusting and
accessible leader who listens actively, solicits ideas and feedback from
others, and fosters a culture of innovation.
• A leader who inspires the team to
achieve excellence, celebrates accomplishments, and ensures an equitable and
inclusive workplace for all.
Additionally, ideal candidates with
bring:
• Master of Library and Information
Science, or Library Professional Certificate
• 10+ years nonprofit or library
leadership, with similar or greater size staff/budget
• Digital literacy and confidence
navigating hybrid work, online tools and platforms, information technology,
library software, databases, and storage
• Willingness to work flexible
hours, including nights and weekends as needed
• Ability to commute/relocate to
Manchester, VT; ideally within 1 hour of the library
Compensation & Benefits
The salary range for this role is
$105,000-$115,000, in addition to a benefits package that includes medical,
dental, life and disability insurance, retirement plan, and generous leave
policies.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search
firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained
for this engagement. Ariella Pasackow and Cassie Scarano of Koya Partners have
been exclusively retained for this search. To express interest in this role
please submit your materials https://apptrkr.com/5978018. All inquiries and discussions
will be considered strictly confidential.
Koya Partners is committed to
providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If
you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance
expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com.
If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information
regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a Diversified Search
Group company, is the nation’s premier search firm dedicated to mission-driven
leadership. Since its founding in 2004, Koya has had an exclusive focus on
mission-driven clients and was founded on the belief that the right leader can
transform an organization and have a deep and measurable impact on our world.
Koya works with nonprofits & NGOs, responsible businesses, and social
enterprises in local communities and around the world.
Diversified Search Group is
consistently recognized by Forbes on its top 10 list of \“America’s Best
Executive Recruiting Firms\” and is an industry leader in recruiting
transformational leaders for a changing world. The firm is deliberately
different in its approach, with best-in-class teams who have decades of
experience in cultivating inclusive leaders, understanding the dimensions of
diversity, and building equitable teams.
Learn more about Koya Partners l
Diversified Search Group via the https://diversifiedsearchgroup.com/koya-partners/
To apply, visit: https://apptrkr.com/5978018
