Deputy Director of Public Services - San Jose Public Library

Description

Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

About the Department

The award-winning San José Public Library (SJPL) is powered by more than 600 employees, a 23% bilingual workforce, providing services at 24 branch libraries across San José and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, which is the city’s main library jointly operated through a unique partnership with San José State University. SJPL serves the diverse communities of San Jose and surrounding jurisdictions with more than 700,000 library cardmembers. The Library system attracted over 3 million visitors and circulated more than 8 million items during Fiscal Year 2023-2024. SJPL has cultivated a 21st century library experience dedicated to public service and committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core. In addition to providing library services to the community, SJPL proudly leads two citywide initiatives - the Education Strategy and the SJ Access Digital Empowerment initiative, which has become the city’s top provider of free public access to Wi-Fi connectivity, tech device lending, and multi-lingual digital literacy programs and support. SJPL is led by Jill Bourne, City Librarian, who was nationally recognized in 2017 as Library Journal’s “Librarian of the Year.”

SJPL enriches lives by fostering lifelong learning and ensuring that every member of the community has access to a vast array of ideas and information. The library department is a place where people do great work and make a difference in our community. To see examples of SJPL’s work and learn more about its impact, visit www.sjpl.org. Join us to make a difference!

About the City
Our diverse and inclusive workforce of more than 7,000 employees play a key role in the success of San José, the heart of the Silicon Valley. All City of San José employees work together as one team to make San José a vibrant, innovative, and desirable place to live and work. Visit here to learn more about our One Team Leadership Values and Expectations, including quality and excellent customer service and here to learn more about San José.

Known as the “Capital of Silicon Valley”, the City of San José plays a vital economic and cultural role in anchoring the world’s leading region of innovation. Encompassing 180 square miles at the southern tip of the San Francisco Bay, San José is Northern California’s largest city, third largest in the State, and the 12th largest city in the nation. With nearly one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world, including major tech headquarters like Cisco, Adobe, Samsung, and eBay, as well as start-ups and advanced manufacturing.

San José’s quality of life is unsurpassed. Surrounded by the Diablo and Santa Cruz Mountain ranges and enjoying an average of 300 days of sunshine a year, residents have easy access to the beaches along the California coast, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Carmel-by-the-Sea, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada, local and Napa Valley wine country, and the rich cultural and recreational life of the entire Bay region.

San José has received accolades for its vibrant neighborhoods, healthy lifestyle, and diverse attractions from national media, including Business Week and Money magazines. The downtown area is home to high-rise residential projects, theaters, museums, and diverse entertainment attractions such as live music, live theater, cafes, restaurants, and nightclubs. Inquiring minds are served by The Tech Interactive, the San José Museum of Art, and many local galleries and venues. The City is served by 19 of the 32 public school districts in the County, and over 300 private and parochial schools provide residents with a range of educational choices. Universities in and near the City include San José State University, Santa Clara University, Stanford University, and three University of California campuses.

In 2011, the City adopted Envision San José 2040, a long-term growth plan that sets forth a vision and a comprehensive road map to guide the City’s anticipated growth through the year 2040. The Plan proactively directs significant anticipated growth in new homes and workplaces into transit-accessible, infill growth areas and supports evolution toward a more urban landscape and lifestyle. The San José area is powered by one of the most highly educated and productive populations in the United States. More than 40% of the workforce has a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared with 25% nationally.

Forty percent of San José residents are foreign-born, and 50% speak a language other than English at home. San José is proud of its rich cultural diversity and global connections and the essential role the City plays in connecting residents and businesses to the nation and the world.

Position Duties

The Deputy Director of Public Services reports to and works in partnership with the Library Director to administer and manage major operational areas – including direct services at the King and branch libraries, community learning programs for all ages, public access technology, and digital equity - and acting as a lead member of the Library’s Executive Leadership Team. The Deputy Director of Public Services will coordinate closely with the Deputy Director of Operations to ensure that all divisions within the Library Department are collaborating effectively toward shared goals and a shared workplan. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Participating in the planning, organization, and overall direction of the library system; directing and coordinating implementation of policies, services, and innovations; evaluation of programs; collaborating and leading workflow process improvements; representing the library in civic and community venues; and ensuring that services and programs meet the rapidly evolving needs of our communities. It is important that the Deputy Director of Public Services has a positive and inclusive leadership style to support, engage, and empower staff in their efforts to develop new and innovative programs to serve a growing and diverse population.

 
Deputy Director of Public Services
The Public Services section encompasses the direct service units managed by four (4) librarian Division Managers, as follows:

Education and Learning Pathways (25%) -This division organizes system-wide public units that provide literacy and education-based programs and direct services to all ages, particularly youth in the Children's Center and TeenHQ. As the division responsible for the implementation of the Education and Digital Literacy Strategy, their work is currently evolving quickly, and they provide leadership and support to all public service units.

Collections & North Branches (25%) - One of two divisions that oversee the direct services units in the branch libraries, as well as system-wide Collection Development activities and preservation activities in the California Room at the MLK Library. 

King Library and South Branches (25%) - This Division Manager oversees branches and the largest MLK Library units that support Access Services (system-wide circulation) and King Public Reference and Resources (KPRR). 

Digital Equity and Public Technology (25%) - This division oversees the Library Information Technology, Data and Analytics, and Digital Equity efforts in public skill-building, partnerships, and community access to Broadband internet.

The Ideal Candidate 
 
Manager

• Excels in developing, leading, and motivating staff.
• Demonstrates proven analytical program management experience.
• Empowers staff with the authority and resources to carry out responsibilities.
• Fosters a team environment through collaboration and respectful management.
• Has a demonstrated record of effective fiscal management and hands-on budgetary planning  
• Understands and uses effective measurement and evaluation methods.
  

Communicator

• Provides timely, accurate, and relevant information regarding critical issues to library staff, colleagues, and the public.
• Identifies the key concepts and issues to be communicated in complex situations.
• Presents information in a format that is clear, logical, concise, open, and sensitive to the needs of different audiences.
• Acts with a high level of integrity and honesty to develop relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
• Builds relationships and demonstrates responsiveness to staff, City employees, University staff, library users, community residents, general public, and other key stakeholders to achieve the library’s mission.

Strategic Thinker

• Forward thinker and has a positive track record in implementing appropriate leading-edge technologies with knowledge of current trends and best practices in libraries.
• Effectively leads and manages change, balancing bold vision with strategic planning and tactical implementation.   Open to multiple, successful outcomes; results driven.
• Talented, innovative, and energetic leader
• Seeks to create an environment where excellence and innovation can thrive.  
• Thinks strategically and makes sound decisions under pressure.
• Is a creative problem-solver, and is motivated to achieving excellence

Qualities

• Ability to inspire.  
• Creative
• Proactive
• Sense of Humor  
• Respectful
• Compassionate  
• Honest

Job Competencies
 
Job Expertise: Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices including public policy and administration management, business management and private sector decision-making, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations. Experience staffing a Council or advisory committee is desirable.

Collaboration: Communicates and listens effectively and responds in an timely, effective, positive and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, current; well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form responds to statements and comments of others in a way that reflects understanding of the content and the accompanying emotion; asks clarifying questions to assure understanding of what the speaker intended, ensures consistent communication takes place within area of responsibility.

Decision Making: Identifies and understands issues, problems, and opportunities; uses effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions.

Fiscal Management: Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.

Leadership: Leads by example; demonstrates high ethical standards; remains visible and approachable and interacts with others on a regular basis; promotes a cooperative work environment, allowing others to learn from mistakes; provides motivational support and direction.

Political Skill: In taking action, demonstrates an understanding and consideration of how it will impact stakeholders and affected areas in the organization.

Planning: Acts to align own unit's goals with the strategic direction of the organization; Defines tasks and milestones to achieve objectives, while ensuring the optimal use of resources to meet those objectives.

Vision- Strategic Thinking: Supports, promotes, and ensures alignment with the organization’s vision and values; understands how an organization must change considering internal and external trends and influences; builds a shared vision with others and influences others to translate vision to action.

Communication: Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and in writing; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Minimum Qualifications

Education
Any combination equivalent to successful completion of advanced course work from an accredited college or university in business, public administration, or related field. Master’s Degree of Library and Information Sciences is preferred.

Experience
Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in senior level administrative and/or analytic work in a public or private agency. Experience managing a work unit equivalent to a major division within a city operating department is desirable.

License
License Possession of a valid State of California Driver’s License is required.

Important Information

Form 700
Upon commencement of employment and subsequently each spring, the incumbent of this position must file the Family Gift Reporting Form together with the Statement of Economic Interest-Form 700. Please view the following link for details related to the State-Required reporting: Form 700 (ca.gov) and the following link for the City of San José Family Gift Reporting Form.

Compensation & Benefits

The Deputy Director (Unclassified) salary range is currently $154,506.30 - $249,425.80 Annually. Placement within this range will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of the individual selected. This salary includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. The salary is supplemented by an attractive benefits package that includes, but is not limited to:

Retirement – The City has its own competitive defined benefit retirement plan separate from and with full reciprocity with CalPERS.

Health Insurance – The City contributes 90% towards the premium for the lowest-priced non-deductible plan. Several plan options are available.

Dental Insurance – The City contributes 100% of the lowest-priced plan premium for dental coverage. Personal Time – Vacation is accrued initially at the rate of three weeks per year, with amounts increasing up to five weeks after 15 years of service. Vacation accrual may be adjusted for successful candidates with prior public service to reflect a vacation accrual rate commensurate with total years of public service.

Executive Leave – of 40 hours is granted annually and depending upon success in the Management Performance Program, could increase to up to 80 hours. Sick Leave is accrued at the rate of approximately 8 hours per month.

For the full description of this position, please refer to this brochure here.
 

Selection Process 

HOW TO APPLY

This position is open until filled with a first review date of January 6, 2024. To be considered, candidates must apply directly AND complete the following on the application portal:

• Attach a resume that reflects your relevant experience. Your resume should indicate both months and years of beginning/ending dates of positions held.
• List six work-related references (two supervisors, two direct reports, and two colleagues, who will not be contacted until the later stages of the recruitment and will not be contacted without prior notice).

Applications and resumes will be screened in relation to the criteria outlined in the brochure. Candidates deemed to have the most relevant qualifications will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews. A final selection will be made upon completion of comprehensive reference and background checks.

For further information contact:

Jennifer Macias

Phone: (669) 242-0616

E-mail:  [email protected]

Benefits
The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits page for detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan (pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks site to explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Additional Information:
Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [email protected] and we will research the status of your application.

Deputy Director of Public Services - San Jose Public Library Supplemental Questionnaire
 

QUESTION 1
What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• High School Diploma or the equivalent (GED)
• College (1 to 29 semester units/ 1 to 44 quarter units)
• College (30 to 59 semester units/ 45 to 89 quarter units
• College (60 to 89 semester units/ 90 to 134 quarter units)
• College (90 to 119 semester units/ 135 to 179 quarter units)
• College (120 or more semester units/ 180 or more quarter units)
• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctoral Degree
• Other
• None of the above

QUESTION 2
If you have a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in a related field, please state the field of study and the issuing accredited college or university.

QUESTION 3
How many years of experience do you have in a senior level administrative and/or analytic work in a public or private agency?

• Less than six (6) years
• Six (6) years or more

QUESTION 4
Please describe in detail how you meet the six years of experience in a senior level administrative and/or analytic work in a public or private agency, including the position you held and the time of service in that position.

QUESTION 5
This position requires a Driver's License. Please select the applicable option that best describes your driver's license.

• Yes, I possess a valid State of California driver's license.
• Yes, I possess a valid out of state driver's license.
• No, I do not possess a valid State of California driver's license.
• No, I do not possess a valid out of state driver's license.

QUESTION 6
Please describe your leadership style and the size and makeup of teams you have directly led. What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of leadership and how have you prepared yourself to lead a cross-functional team on a complex program?

QUESTION 7
Please describe an example of a time when you faced a difficult decision during a planning process that involved conflicting priorities and required balancing the needs of different stakeholders? What factors did you consider when making your decision, and how did you communicate and implement it effectively?

QUESTION 8
In this role you may be asked to implement or communicate a new idea, process, or policy which you do not entirely agree with yourself. How would you handle that situation? Can you share some examples of how you have handled this situation in the past?
 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

Education
Any combination equivalent to successful completion of advanced course work from an accredited college or university in business, public administration, or related field. Master’s Degree of Library and Information Sciences is preferred.

Experience
Six (6) years of increasingly responsible experience in senior level administrative and/or analytic work in a public or private agency. Experience managing a work unit equivalent to a major division within a city operating department is desirable.

License
License Possession of a valid State of California Driver’s License is required.

Additional Information:
Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email [email protected] and we will research the status of your application.