Director of Service Design and Coordination

About Our Job

The Denver Public Library (DPL) isn't just a place to borrow books; it's a vibrant, essential hub for our diverse city. As a growing urban library system with 28 locations and over 4 million annual visitors, we're deeply woven into the fabric of Denver.

Join a team where your values align with your work. At the Denver Public Library, we're not just serving our community; we're building a culture guided by values that empower both our staff and the public.

• Welcoming: We make our resources, services, and expertise accessible for all, recognize the inherent dignity in each person, and provide safe places where everyone can be themselves.
• Curiosity: We foster a culture of exploration, innovation, and forward thinking by creating environments that support learning and growth.
• Connection: We are neighbors. We foster relationships, listen and act to build and strengthen our community. We bring people together to share information, ideas, and experiences.
• Equity: We work to change inequitable practices, structures and policies, and attitudes that drive them, to provide opportunities for every person in our community to thrive. As we do so, we actively examine our roles in perpetuating oppressive systems.
• Stewardship: We are accountable to our community, using our resources responsibly. We lead with honesty and integrity, protect privacy and preserve and share the full history of our Denver community.

If you're passionate about service, community engagement, and creating positive change, we invite you to explore career opportunities with us. Come join a team that believes in the power of knowledge, connection, and equity.

Unrivaled Benefits

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but is not limited to:

• Four (4) Medical Plans, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Pension Plan for Life (employee contributes 8.45%, employer contributes 17.95%) and 457 (b) Retirement Plan
• PTO (over 3 weeks in your first year), quarterly wellness hours, and 12 paid holidays
• CARE Bank, Family Leave Benefits
• Enhanced Work/Life Balance: Employee Assistance Program (6 counseling sessions per year, legal assistance, financial counseling, discounted recreation center passes), Employee Volunteer Program
• Professional Learning and Development Opportunities; Courses and Career Development Resources ; Education Refund Program
• EcoPass (unlimited free RTD bus/train rides)
• For more information please visit our website.

About Our Division

The Service Design & Coordination subdivision comprises a dedicated group of Public Services teams responsible for partnering with library locations to deliver responsive, systemwide services tailored to specialized community needs and diverse populations. Teams within this subdivision include:

• Adult Services
• Community Resources
• Digital Inclusion
• Plaza and Language Services
• Youth Services
• Programming Services

Our team provides key specialized guidance in areas such as public programming implementation, staff learning, facility evaluation, and resource curation. Driven by our commitment to equity, we strive to standardize high-quality service delivery across all branches, bridging access gaps and enhancing the overall quality of life for the Denver community.

About Our Position

The Denver Public Library (DPL) seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to ensure inclusive and equitable service delivery and coordination with the library’s service philosophy, objectives and community needs. Reporting to the Deputy City Librarian, the Director of Service Design and Coordination will co-create a vision that drives inter- and intra-divisional alignment, system-wide coordination and prepares Public Services for future planning and service delivery as well as provide ongoing leadership and guidance to service design and operational teams.

This position offers a unique opportunity to make a significant impact on the future state of DPL, affecting the trajectory of the Library's operations and services, ensuring they remain responsive to the evolving needs of Denver’s community.

What You Would Bring

You are a strategic thinker who connects macro-level library objectives with actionable, day-to-day service workflows and team operations. You also serve as an empathetic change facilitator, navigating organizational transformation with strong emotional intelligence while supporting staff through structural growth and operational shifts. Additionally, you are agile and solutions-oriented, anticipating risks, managing ambiguity, and dynamically adjusting strategies to keep projects on schedule and aligned with community needs.

Our ideal candidate will

Strategic Service Design

• In collaboration with Public Services leadership, assess current services and programs to develop a coordinated, equity-centered service delivery distribution model, helping to shape the Public Services’ divisional structure and future direction
• Alongside the Strategy & Evaluation sub-division, analyze customer feedback, use and performance data to identify areas for improvement in library services
• Collaborate with Learning and Development to secure and create professional development and learning opportunities for staff to meet service delivery standards and expectations
• Implement customer experience and best practices methodologies to enhance customer satisfactio n
• Develop, refine, and implement results-driven, organizational strategies to achieve long-term goals and objectives, aligning them with the mission and vision of DPL.

Coordination and Collaboration

• Collaborate with and lead cross-functional teams to create innovative and customer-centric service solutions that align with DPL’s service philosophy
• Work closely with the Deputy City Librarian and other library directors and managers to determine a framework for service delivery standards and performance management criteria
• Support, supervise, and manage Public Service Managers as defined by Deputy City Librarian

Technical Expertise

• Demonstrates expert knowledge in library service design and/or design thinking as well as resource and budget management
• Possess expert knowledge of communication standards and establishing feedback loops within DPL and the broader Denver community
• In collaboration with the Deputy City Librarian and other Public Services directors, set organizational direction and scope of DPL’s service delivery model
• Within the scope of DPL’s service philosophy and strategic roadmap, acquires or develops the talent and resources to meet the associated objectives

Teamwork

• Meets deadlines that impact sub/division and organization
• Contributes to a team/collaborative environment
• Sets overarching goals and direction that coincides with DPL’s service delivery standards and performance management criteria
• Highlights and recognizes exceptional individual, team, and group performance as it relates to DPL’s service delivery model

Coaching & Development

• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by encouraging innovation, soliciting feedback, and implementing best practices to drive organizational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Develop and implement performance metrics to measure the effectiveness of strategic initiatives
• Strong leadership abilities with a demonstrated capacity to inspire and lead an organization toward implementing and understanding strategic objectives
• Provides appropriate structure, direction, and feedback to direct reports and service delivery teams
• Manages conflict timely and effectively

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Library & Information Science
• Five (5) years of experience at the type and level of functional or operational management, which must have included management of subordinate supervisors.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a multi-branch public library system
• Education, training, or certification in Organizational Leadership
• Education, training, or certification in Change Management

Work Environment & Location

The Denver Public Library's branches are the arms to the community—each a unique reflection of the dynamic, diverse communities we serve. At DPL, we pride ourselves on showing up and providing support whenever there is a need.

While you may be hired for a specific location, please know that we are hiring with the expectation that at any time, you may be required to work at any one of our branches based on operational needs. This allows our staff to experience the full breadth of Denver's communities and ensures we consistently deliver the highest level of service across our branches.

Additionally, DPL employees may be redeployed to work in other locations or capacities to support core functions of the library system during branch closures or other emergencies.

This position is based out of the Central Library in the Civic Center area of downtown Denver and parking is not subsidized by DPL.

Application & Additional Info

Ensure that the 'Work Experience" section of the application is complete and contains all relevant work experience related to the position that you are applying for. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. Job postings will close at 12AM on the posted ending date. If interested in this opportunity, please apply as soon as possible.

Offer of employment contingent upon successful completion of criminal history and employment verification

All Denver Public Library employees must apply through their internal profile.

Ready to learn more and see how you can contribute? Visit us at denverlibrary.org and connect with our community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

About Everything Else

Job Profile

LQ2765 Library Director

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here .

Position Type

Unlimited

Library Hiring Range

$109,134.00 - $144,603.00

Target Pay

Agency

Denver Public Library

Redeployment during Citywide Emergencies

City and County of Denver e mployees may be re-deployed to work in other capacities in their own agencies or in other city agencies to support core functions of the city during a citywide emergency declared by the Mayor.

Assessment Requirement

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.