Director at The Newark Public Library

METRO | 599; Newark (NJ); On-site; USD 195,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

The Newark Public Library is looking for a visionary Director to lead its initiatives in Newark, NJ. The ideal candidate will foster community engagement and guide the library in a changing urban landscape.

This full-time position offers a salary between $195,000 and $215,000. The Director will work with diverse stakeholders to enhance the Library’s role as a hub of civic life, ensuring equity and innovation in all services.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of public library trends and best practices.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and community voice.
• Ability to cultivate resources and expand support.

Responsibilities

• Articulate a clear strategic vision for the library.
• Lead a dedicated team in implementing impactful programs.
• Foster collaborative relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic visioning

Public library trends knowledge

Fiscal responsibility

Interpersonal skills

Education

Master's degree in library science or related field

Job description

The Newark Public Library (NPL), a cornerstone of knowledge, culture, and community life in Newark, seeks a collaborative, strategic, and forward-thinking leader to serve as its next Director. Tracing its origins to the Newark Library Association in 1847 and the establishment of a Free Public Library soon after, NPL is grounded in a rich history while serving a dynamic and evolving urban community. Today, the Library stands as one of Newark’s most vital civic and cultural institutions—advancing literacy, expanding access to knowledge, and stewarding extraordinary collections that shape how Newark and its communities are understood.

NPL seeks an accomplished and community-centered leader with a demonstrated ability to guide an organization to stability in a vibrant and complex city. The next Director will have the opportunity to articulate a clear strategic vision that builds on the Library’s legacy while positioning it for the future, strengthening its role as an inclusive, innovative, and responsive public institution. Working in close partnership with staff, city leadership, board members, and community stakeholders, the Director will lead a dedicated team whose deep experience, creativity, and openness to innovation drive impactful programs, services, and partnerships across Newark’s neighborhoods.

The ideal candidate will bring a keen understanding of public library trends and best practices, along with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and community voice. This leader will combine strategic insight with operational acumen, ensuring fiscal responsibility while cultivating new resources and expanding support for the Library’s programming and initiatives. With strong political and interpersonal savvy, the Director will foster collaborative relationships across stakeholders, positioning the Newark Public Library as a hub of civic life and a model of excellence, innovation, and community-centered leadership.

The Newark Public Library has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this important search. All applications, inquiries, and nominations will remain confidential and should be directed to the search firm as indicated at the end of this document.

COMPENSATION AND LOCATION

This is a permanent, full-time position in Newark, New Jersey with a starting salary range of $195,000-$215,000 and will be commensurate with experience.

APPLICATIONS, INQUIRIES, AND NOMINATIONS

The Newark Public Library encourages, recognizes, and affirms that it will, in all its activities and operations, respect each individual regardless of age, ancestry(genetics and geography), body type and/or physical appearance, color, culture, disability or medical condition (physical, mental, and genetic), ethnicity, gender, gender expression, language, marital status, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. The sum of our individualities is what creates our environment, collections, and programs. The Newark Public Library is committed to encouraging each administrator, trustee, staff, volunteer, contractor, patron, visitor, and/or donor to respect and welcome our differences in order to create better, more responsive Library services. The Newark Public Library is the center of the community, and invites everyone who comes through its doors or uses its online services to work, learn, create, relax, and/or take pleasure in our resources.