Executive Director

PALNI•Indianapolis, IN

10d•Remote

About The Position

The Private Academic Library Network of Indiana (PALNI) seeks a visionary, experienced, and collaborative library leader to serve as its next Executive Director (ED). This opportunity demands both strategic foresight and day-to-day operational excellence. The ED serves as the chief executive of PALNI, reporting to the Board of Directors, and is responsible for advancing the consortium's mission, managing its operations, and advocating on behalf of 23 supported organizations, including private colleges, universities, and seminaries throughout Indiana. PALNI serves 40,000 students through shared library services with multiple partners. In this role, the Executive Director represents PALNI’s collective interests, builds strategic partnerships, and ensures the consortium’s voice is heard in conversations shaping the future of academic libraries and scholarly communication. We seek candidates with a diverse skill set in the areas of Strategic Vision and Advocacy, Collaborative Leadership and Culture, and Applied Innovation. The ED should demonstrate a strong understanding of the technologies that drive modern libraries, including discovery systems, repository platforms, and open-source and open-education ecosystems, ensuring they can lead through complex technical transitions. This perspective is essential to guiding the consortium’s engagement with shared infrastructure, collaborative technologies, and sustainable, open solutions for PALNI libraries. For more information on PALNI, please see the PALNI Executive Director Profile.

Requirements

Master’s degree in library/information science from an ALA-accredited institution or an advanced degree in a relevant field (such as nonprofit management or education administration).
Five years of progressive leadership and administrative experience in an academic library, library consortium, nonprofit organization, or equivalent setting.
Excellent organizational, problem-solving, written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Demonstrated experience in decision-making, budgeting, strategic planning, needs assessment, and resource management.
Ability to travel, especially within the state of Indiana, to develop and nurture relationships with PALNI colleagues and partners.
Visionary: Anticipates industry shifts and leads PALNI to evolve through long-term, strategic planning.
Advocate: Acts as a high-level advocate to translate complex library needs into compelling narratives for external partners and institutional leaders.
Grant and Resource Developer: Possesses a proven track record of securing funding through successful grant applications and creative external partnerships.
Relationship Partner: Collaborates with supported institutions and external partners through a high level of trust and transparency.
Community Builder: Champions colleague morale and trust through engagement, empathy, and a servant leadership philosophy.
Active Listener: Approaches conflict and decision-making with a flexible, diplomatic, and adaptable mindset, ensuring all voices are heard before taking a firm stance.
Consortial Leader: Deep experiences in the unique mechanics of consortial management, including system migrations and open-source practices.
Strong Negotiator: Strong negotiator skills with vendors to leverage the collective power of PALNI to secure the favorable terms while upholding principles of transparency, ethical licensing, and support for open-education and open-source models.
Technical Literacy: Understands the range of key technological issues impacting libraries and consortia, including interoperability, Artificial Intelligence, accounting software, and shared systems.

Nice To Haves

Ten years of experience as a librarian.
Experience in consortia management, including managing cost-sharing and shared-service models as well as negotiation.
Experience navigating grant-funded initiatives and collaborative staffing.
Experience working with a Board of Directors.

Responsibilities

Supports the Executive Committee (EC) and the Board of Directors (Board) to meet their strategic and fiduciary obligations.
Leads the development and articulation of the PALNI vision, priorities, strategic plan, and Strategic Framework in partnership with the Board.
Maintains an awareness of the wider information environment and provides strategic recommendations to the board.
At the direction of the EC and Board, conducts research on consortial governance, advances in library technology, and other relevant legal and organizational matters.
In consultation with the Chair of the EC, prepares Board and EC meeting agenda; distributes documents and other materials as directed by the EC.
Attends all meetings of the EC and Board as a non-voting member.
Manages the logistical and technical needs of meetings of the Board and EC.
Oversees the preservation of the records of the Board, including policies, procedures, minutes, and reports.
Leads and oversees the execution of the strategic plan and the Strategic Framework.
Provides leadership, strategic direction, resource allocation, professional development, and coordination for eight PALNI staff to oversee PALNI systems, services, grants, and partnerships.
Provides overall leadership for PALNI’s working groups (currently 15) and ad hoc task forces, while embodying the PALNI Values to support trust, innovation, collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect.
Leverages Deep Collaboration to elevate the impact and visibility of library staff beyond our size.
Pursues partnerships and shared services that increase the ability of PALNI to afford and sustain key services.
Sets strategies for pursuing grant opportunities and oversees the allocation of funds received.
Develops a budget for Board approval, including managing budget allocations to meet strategic goals.
Approves and reviews all financial transactions and provides annual reports to the Board.
Initiates and supports the audit review.
Works closely with the PALNI Treasurer, who provides fiduciary oversight.
Serves on the Finance Committee to ensure the financial sustainability and effectiveness of the organization.
Serves as the chief voice for PALNI.
Supervises the communication structure to support PALNI’s Deep Collaboration goals with all internal participants.
Oversees the PALNI external communication and networking strategy with an emphasis on the value and impact of academic libraries.
Develops relationships and partnerships with external groups and stakeholders.
Ensures compliance with state and federal regulations and agencies.
Reviews and creates contracts and MOUs with vendors, partners, and external groups.
Other duties as assigned by the PALNI Executive Committee