District Manager

Open Positions

Home Location: Day Riverside Branch. Location Oversight: Day Riverside, Chapman, Glendale

Home Location: Foothill Branch. Location Oversight: Foothill, Sprague, Marmalade, Sweet

Home Location: Main Library. Location Oversight: Main Library, Ballpark Express

Division/Department: Public Services

Supervisor: Public Services Director


FLSA Classification: Exempt

Salary Grade: 34

Compensation: Starting at $100,131.20/year annually

Date: 8/7/2026

Note: Only current regular employees of the Salt Lake City Public Library are eligible to apply (substitutes are ineligible)

About The City Library

The City Library offers services, information, resources, programs, and events to all members of the community. Guided by The City Library's Mission and strategic goals, staff serve the community at The City Library and outreach locations and are committed to advancing knowledge, fostering creativity, encouraging the exchange of ideas, building community, and enhancing the quality of life in Salt Lake City.

The City Library employees are ambassadors who project a positive image of The City Library and its services. Employees are accepting of all people and have a passion to assist diverse populations to ensure they have a positive library experience. They are team players who have the ability to think quickly and make quality decisions.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Public Service, the District Manager focuses on the impact the library has changing people's lives and in enhancing communities. This is a community-facing leadership role responsible for ensuring exceptional patron service, superior operations, and deep community connections within their assigned portfolio. Reporting to the Public Services Director, this position bridges library administration and the neighborhoods it serves.

The District Manager directly supports public service managers within their area, providing coaching, operational guidance, and leadership through change. They lead community asset mapping and engagement to ensure The City Library is responding to real community needs, and they drive implementation of The City Library's strategic plan at the neighborhood level. This is a role for someone who is as comfortable facilitating a community conversation as they are reviewing library operations data.

Who You Are

• You are community-rooted. You know your neighborhoods, you show up, and people trust you.
• You support people well. Leaders thrive on coaching for success and are benevolent mentors.
• You lead change with clarity and steadiness. Staff follow you because you are honest, consistent, and invested in their success.
• You are operationally sharp. Exceptional patron service and superior operations matter to you and you know how to get there.
• You are a partnership builder. Community organizations, residents, and city partners see you as a genuine collaborator.
• You communicate well in every direction: up to leadership, across to peers, and out into the community.
• You get things done. You follow through, hold accountability with care, and drive implementation.

Primary Responsibilities

Building a Better Community

• Focuses on the role The City Library can play in changing people's lives and enhancing the neighborhoods it serves.
• Serves as The City Library's primary community-facing leader in their assigned area, building relationships with residents, neighborhood organizations, and community stakeholders.
• Leads community asset mapping efforts to understand the strengths, resources, and unmet needs of each neighborhood served.
• Translates community intelligence into actionable insights that inform programming, services, and outreach priorities.
• Partners with Branch/Main Managers and the Public Services Director to ensure The City Library is responding to what communities actually need.
• Represents The City Library at community meetings, events, and partner convenings within their respective district.

Operations and Customer Service

• Oversees operations across an assigned area, ensuring consistency, quality, and alignment with The City Library standards.
• Supports Managers in day-to-day leadership, problem-solving, and staff development.
• Holds area departments/branches accountable for an exceptional patron experience, identifying gaps and driving improvement.
• Creates an atmosphere that enables top-quality patron service. Models exceptional service with each interaction and continuously reviews processes to ensure accurate, efficient, and consistent results.
• Monitors operational metrics and uses data to inform decisions and surfaces trends to leadership.
• Ensures staffing and resources are addressed in a timely way.

Budget Management

• Prepares and recommends annual budget recommendations for the assigned area in collaboration with Managers.
• Monitors and approves area expenditures, ensuring responsible and equitable use of public funds.
• Works with Managers to allocate resources in ways that best meet organizational and community needs.

Strategic Plan Implementation and Change Management

• Leads implementation of The City Library's Strategic Plan at the district and department level, helping Managers understand priorities and translate them into action.
• Effectively leads change, helping staff develop agility and resilience, connect with a vision, and work collaboratively in a continually changing environment.
• Participates in system-wide leadership conversations and contributes district -level perspective to The City Library decision-making.
• Tracks progress toward strategic goals within their district and reports regularly to the Public Services Director.

Staff Leadership

• Directly supervises Managers within the assigned area, providing regular coaching, feedback, and performance support.
• Monitors employee training and performance, sets goals, evaluates, and motivates team members. Coaches, counsels, and when necessary, disciplines staff not meeting expectations.
• Builds a team culture grounded in community connection, accountability and continuous learning.
• Supports the hiring and onboarding of staff in partnership with Managers.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Library Science from an ALA-accredited program, five years progressively responsible library related experience, and two years of supervisory or management experience; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Proven ability to lead people through change with clarity and care.
• Skill in coaching and developing staff, with demonstrated experience supporting manager-level employees.
• Ability to assess, recommend, and implement improved policies, processes and procedures relating to area of responsibility.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presentation skills, facilitation skills and a demonstrated ability to lead teams and manage group dynamics.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with staff, other managers, community members, and the public.
• Demonstrated commitment to developing and contributing to an inclusive and equitable work environment.
• Proficiency using technology to plan, communicate, and evaluate multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to use data and community input together to inform decisions and priorities.
• Familiarity with public library systems and library services.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working directly with and in service of diverse communities.
• Background in strategic planning implementation or organizational development.
• Experience with community engagement, asset-based community development, or neighborhood partnership work.
• Experience supporting or managing multi-site operations or teams across multiple locations.
• Spanish language or other non-English language skills.

Working Environment

• Work is performed in libraries and partner sites across the assigned district..
• Evening and weekend availability is required for community events and library coverage.
• Regular travel across to assigned locations and to community partner sites is expected.
• Normal stress associated with working in a busy, public institution and leading through organizational change.

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week. Typically Monday through Friday, with evenings and weekends required as community events and location needs demand.

Other Information

• Completion of a criminal background check will be required for candidates over the age of eighteen (18).
• The City Library participates in the federal Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). Employment is contingent upon confirmation of your employment eligibility through the E-Verify system.
• The City Library is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a diverse workforce.

Compensation

• Grade 34. $48.14/hour, $100,131.20/annual. Salary commensurate with experience.
• This is a full-time position and includes excellent benefits: paid vacation, health and life insurance, and Utah Retirement Systems benefits.

How to Apply

• Apply with the link on the right at the top of this post.
• Open until filled, with preference given to candidates who apply by August 26.