Children’s Program Senior Specialist

SLC Public Library•Salt Lake City, UT

About The Position

The Children’s Program Senior Specialist leads and oversees children’s programming across the Salt Lake City Public Library’s nine locations and community settings. This is a senior craft and program leadership role, not a supervisory position. The Specialist builds consistent, high-quality program models, leads their development and delivery, evaluates their effectiveness, and mentors colleagues in children’s programming and teaching practice. The role has system-wide accountability for program quality and impact, while direct supervisory accountability remains with the team’s manager. The position focuses on literacy programming for K–3rd grade students and older youth, system-wide summer programming, and programming in library locations and shared public spaces across Salt Lake City. It develops community and City partnerships, gathers input from diverse communities, and uses data and feedback to improve programs. The role also leads substantial projects, trains programming staff, coordinates program promotion, and contributes to Strategic Plan committees and workgroups. Work takes place in library locations and outdoor or community settings, including parks, plazas, schools, shelters, public spaces, and partner sites. Regular travel between library and community locations is required, as are scheduled evenings and weekends. The position is full-time, 40 hours per week. The starting rate is $33.17 per hour, with compensation commensurate with experience.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Education, Library and Information Science, Child Development, or a related field, and three years of progressively responsible experience designing, building, and delivering children’s programs; or an equivalent combination of education and experience demonstrating the required knowledge and skills.
Three years of experience leading program development, providing feedback to other subject matter experts, and building foundations for multi-site programs.
Experience giving useful feedback on other people’s program plans or teaching.
A record of trying new program ideas quickly, learning from unsuccessful efforts, and improving through repetition.
Experience mentoring or training staff or volunteers.
Experience engaging communities directly and adjusting programs based on their input, including communities that have not historically used library services.
Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and sustain energy and focus during extended periods of direct public interaction.
Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, and group-dynamics skills.
Experience managing large-scale initiatives such as Summer Reading or summer programming, evaluating program effectiveness, and working directly with external presenters and partners.
Ability to use data in decision-making for program needs.
Ability to maintain professional knowledge and skills through professional journals, webinars, training, or professional conferences.
Ability to work days, nights, or weekends as scheduled and travel between library locations and community sites.
Must have transportation for regular travel between locations; if using a personal vehicle, must maintain state-required insurance.
Ability to lift and carry program materials and equipment up to 50 pounds and push or pull carts.
Good hand mobility and coordination.

Nice To Haves

Specialized experience in K–3rd grade reading or literacy curriculum development and instruction.
Experience delivering programs at a lead level in a public library, museum, school, or community setting.
Experience partnering with a city, county, or other public agency on programming in public spaces.
Spanish and/or other non-English language skills.

Responsibilities

Oversee and coordinate children’s programming across the library system, designing, building, and delivering a consistent, high-quality portfolio at all nine locations and in community settings.
Establish clear learning goals and lead program development from concept through execution.
Manage programming budgets, including supplies, transportation, and other operational costs.
Create and lead literacy programming focused on K–3rd grade students and older youth, developing foundational models that can be adapted and delivered consistently across branches.
Manage system-wide summer programming, including activity design, scheduling, partner coordination, and logistics.
Evaluate children’s programs for relevance, impact, and consistency; use data and community feedback to refine programs, discontinue outdated formats, and scale successful pilots.
Create and sustain safe, inclusive spaces where participants feel they belong, and resolve difficult participant interactions and complex situations that would otherwise require a supervisor.
Collaborate with Principal Specialists, Specialists, location Managers, Marketing and Communications, staff, participants, volunteers, vendors, and community partners.
Cultivate community partnerships and source, vet, hire, and collaborate with external presenters, performers, and educators.
Lead programming in parks, plazas, and other public spaces; coordinate logistics, permits, and shared staffing with City partners; and pilot programming in underused spaces.
Build ongoing relationships with community groups, cultural organizations, and neighborhood leaders; gather community needs and adjust programs in response.
Mentor Specialists and Associates, design and lead system-wide training in program delivery and teaching practice, and onboard new programming staff.
Collect and analyze attendance, outcome, and feedback data; prepare reports and recommendations; and use findings to guide program decisions.
Lead substantial projects, including multi-location program series, festivals, and pilots, from planning and coordination through evaluation.
Coordinate program promotion with Communications, ensure programs reflect the Library’s brand and message, and share results and lessons learned with staff and location teams.
Take a leadership role in committees or workgroups related to Strategic Plan activities.
Perform other assigned or required duties and support other Programming and Outreach division teams as needed.