Youth Services Manager

Mead Public Library is seeking an innovative and collaborative leader to guide our Youth Services department. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in youth and teen services, a passion for community engagement, and proven experience in staff and project management. We're looking for someone with a clear, inspiring vision for how the library can spark curiosity, support learning, and create welcoming spaces for young people and families throughout Sheboygan. The Mead Public Library provides quality services, resources, and lifelong learning opportunities to meet the needs and interests of our diverse community. The function of the Mead Public Library is to serve our customers in a way that establishes a relationship of mutual gratitude – our gratitude for our customers’ patronage, and our customers’ gratitude for the quality and value they receive. Mead Public Library's Youth Services department serves as a vital community hub for early literacy, learning, and family engagement, providing children, teens, and caregivers with high-quality programs, curated collections, and welcoming spaces that spark curiosity and a lifelong love of reading. The Youth Services Manager provides forward-thinking leadership for this department, overseeing staff supervision, programming, and collection development for children and teens while ensuring the department's goals align with the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of Mead Public Library. This position works collaboratively across the library to support staff, enforce library policy consistently and fairly, and champion a progressive, innovative vision for youth services that reflects best practices in early literacy, child development, and community engagement. It is imperative job duties are performed with respect, integrity, objectivity, and in the best interest of the City. This position requires discretion while working with the public and a high level of professional judgment. All City employees are expected to be honest and truthful at all times. This full-time position typically works Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm, with rotating evening and Saturday shifts. Anticipated start date is after 1/1/2027. Essential Responsibilities Supervise assigned Youth & Teen Services staff, including librarians, paraprofessionals, and part-time staff. Schedule, assign work, coach performance, and provide ongoing guidance and feedback to staff. Participate in recruitment, onboarding, training, and evaluation of assigned staff; prepare performance appraisals and support corrective action processes in coordination with the Deputy Director and Human Resources. Direct the planning, design, and evaluation of programming and services for children (birth–age 12) and teens, ensuring offerings are research-based, developmentally appropriate, and responsive to community needs. Oversee collection development for youth and teen materials across all formats, including selection, weeding, budgeting, and ensuring the collection reflects diverse, inclusive, and current community interests. Set and communicate a progressive, forward-thinking vision for the Youth & Teen Services department that anticipates emerging trends in early literacy, digital learning, and family engagement. Align department goals, programming, and services with the mission, vision, and strategic plan of Mead Public Library and the City of Sheboygan. Partner with members of the library’s leadership team to interpret, apply, and consistently enforce library policy across all service points. Build and sustain partnerships with schools, early childhood organizations, social service agencies, and community partners to extend the library's impact on literacy and school readiness. Develop, monitor, and manage the department's operating budget, including programming, materials, and supply expenditures. Prepare reports, statistics, and grant applications related to youth services outcomes and community impact. Respond to and de-escalate patron concerns, behavioral incidents, and other service challenges within the department, escalating to Library Administration when appropriate. General Responsibilities Provide direct public service at the Youth & Teen Services desk, including reader's advisory, reference assistance, and technology help for children, teens, and caregivers. Represent the library at community events, outreach visits, school partnerships, and off-site programming. Participate in library-wide committees, planning teams, and professional development initiatives. Support data entry, statistics tracking, and other administrative tasks related to department operations. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Education & Experience Master's Degree in Library and Information Science (MLIS) from an ALA-accredited institution required. Minimum of three (3) years of supervising, training, and mentoring experience required, of youth services staff preferred. Completion of Arbinger Institute Training (leadership program) within one year of hire required. Completion of leadership training courses through CVMIC within two years of hire required. Demonstrated knowledge of child development, early literacy practice, and age-appropriate programming for children and teens required. Possession and maintenance of a valid driver's license and auto insurance in accordance with State of Wisconsin law required. May require use of personal vehicle while on the job. Strong working knowledge of early literacy, child and adolescent development, and family engagement best practices. Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, and develop a team with varying levels of training and experience, fostering a collaborative and accountable department culture. Skilled in collection development principles, including selection, budgeting, weeding, and evaluating materials across print, digital, and multimedia formats for children and teens. Ability to design, implement, and evaluate innovative, research-based programming that anticipates the changing needs of children, teens, and families. Ability to interpret and consistently apply library policy, exercising sound judgment and professional discretion. Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with the ability to build relationships with staff, patrons, schools, and community partners. Ability to align department planning and goals with organizational mission, vision, and strategic priorities. Proficiency with integrated library systems, standard office software, and emerging technologies relevant to youth services. Ability to manage a department budget responsibly and to prepare clear reports on programming outcomes and community impact. Commitment to intellectual freedom, equitable access, and inclusive service to all children, teens, and families in the community. Job offers for this position are contingent on the individual passing a pre-employment background check. Work Environment Work is performed primarily in a library setting, with regular movement between public service desks, program spaces, offices, and storage/workroom areas. Employee frequently stands, walks, sits, talks, hears, and reaches with hands and arms while supervising staff and delivering or overseeing children's and teen programming. Employee occasionally lifts, bends, stoops, and retrieves books, materials, and program supplies weighing up to 25–30 pounds. Position requires the operation of office and program equipment and requires repetitive hand movement and fine coordination to operate computer equipment. Required to travel to other locations for meetings, trainings, conferences, school visits, and community outreach. Occasional attendance at evening or weekend programs and meetings may be required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. #J-18808-Ljbffr City of Sheboygan