We're looking for our new Deputy Director, Office of Library Services—someone to help us reach and engage the library, archives and related information services sectors across the country This key role translates IMLS goals and strategies into planning, executes on a grant-making portfolio, assesses effectiveness, and helps inform IMLS’s research and policy work. You’ll oversee a productive team of staff working on the Grants to States Program, the Native American and Native Hawaiian Library grants, the National Leadership Grants for Libraries, and The Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grant program as well as contribute to cross
agency initiatives.

Do you have a background in helping libraries and/or archives provide essential services to the public? Knowledge of the roles of professional development and technology capabilities in deepening and broadening the reach and impact of libraries and archives? In addition to having a master’s degree in library science, do you have expertise in the integral roles of libraries in areas such as workforce development, early learning, financial literacy, community wellbeing, educational resources, and community identity? Come join our team in a leadership role and help support these vital institutions.

Who are we? The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal agency that helps ensure that all Americans have access to museum, library, and information services. We're an independent grant-making agency and the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Through our work with individuals, institutions, and communities across the country, we have a role to play in enhancing the work of individual libraries and archives as well as the support the field as a whole.

What's the work? Your responsibilities would cross strategic and managerial, individual and team-based: work with peer leaders across the agency to develop agency-wide goals, strategies and plans and oversee the management of all OLS grants programs, ensuring compliance with federal regulations, and determining opportunities for dissemination of project results, research findings, and best practices. You’d monitor the overall effectiveness of the OLS grant programs and guide the decision-making processes around program adjustments and development. Importantly, you’d ensure that the OLS programs are responsive to the needs of the library/achieve field and ultimately the communities and end users who benefit.

This role serves as the primary representative of the agency to the library and archives profession; representing IMLS at national, regional, and international meetings related to the library community or its current issues. You’ll bring to the role your knowledge of the associations, networks, working groups, and consortia across public, school, and academic libraries and archives. In addition, you’ll draw upon experience formulating and implementing major internal program and policy initiatives, budget and personnel management, and in directing a library or archives organization in the accomplishment of short- and long-term
objectives. You thrive upon networking with the field to glean ideas combined with using data analysis, trends investigation, and scenarios to understand options.

Acting as a “business owner” for OLS, this role ensures that agency priorities and strategic goals are achieved via an integrated OLS portfolio to support and engage the library/archive field using a diversity of vehicles (e.g., convening’s, speaking at conferences, engaging with current and future partners and stakeholder groups, open grants, out of cycle grants, cooperative agreements). It is also important to actively coach and mentor OLS staff and to foster a collaborative and positive working environment.

Interested candidates should contact Antoine Dotson, Director of Human Resources, for more details about the position or to submit their resume and letter of interest: [log in to unmask] Position open until filled.