Library Director
City of St. Francis, WI (Population 9,007)
The City of St. Francis, WI Library Board seeks a collaborative, dynamic leader to join its team as its next Director. St. Francis is a growing community located on Lake Michigan just south of Milwaukee in southeastern Wisconsin, combining a quiet, small-town ambiance with nearby big-city amenities. The City is safe and welcoming, and it prides itself on being a great place to live, work, play, learn, and visit, as well as on providing high-quality municipal services.
St. Francis’ Library Director leads a staff of 15 full- and part-time employees and administers an annual operating budget of $750,000. In 2025, the St. Francis Library had a total circulation of 103,862 items, over 20,000 eResources downloaded, and sponsored over 450 youth and adult programs that attracted almost 15,000 attendees. The Library’s stated Mission is “to build community by bringing together people, information, and ideas in a welcoming environment”.
The starting salary range is $90,000-$118,000, plus excellent benefits and ample professional development opportunities. The Director reports directly to the Library Board pursuant to Wisconsin State Statutes. The Library Board is composed of 7 members, including representatives of the St. Francis Common Council and St. Francis School Board.
Candidates must be eligible for a Grade 1 Public Library Certification through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, including a Master’s degree in Library or Information Science. Knowledge of applicable laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations governing public library administration is required. The ideal candidate should have experience in budget development and management; supervising, recruiting, developing, and evaluating employees; library marketing; and effective interaction with a wide variety of stakeholders, including members of the public, the Library Board, Common Council, city staff, and regional library system partners.
The person in this position is expected to have a high degree of professionalism and represent the City of St. Francis with personal and professional integrity. The Library Board also seeks a candidate who fosters teamwork, is strongly committed to public service, has strong listening and conflict resolution/negotiation skills, and supports and encourages a positive working environment and professional development opportunities for library staff.
Future opportunities for the new St. Francis Library Director include providing strong leadership and positive guidance to the library staff; working closely with the Library Board and city staff to align library goals and objectives with City policies and vision; developing a positive and cohesive Board-Staff working relationship and organizational culture; continuing the Library's strong children and adult programming; implementing the St. Francis Library strategic plan and fostering collaborative partnerships with the community as well as with the Milwaukee County Federated Library System and its partners state-wide.
If you are interested in this challenging and rewarding opportunity, please send your cover letter, resume, salary history, and 5 work-related references (in one PDF file) to Public Administration Associates (PAA), LLC, Attn: Kevin Brunner, President, at kbrunner@public-administration.com by October 26, 2026. Confidentiality must be requested and cannot be guaranteed for finalists.
For more information, visit the community website at www.stfranciswi.org. The St. Francis Library Director Position Profile is available on the PAA website at www.public-administration.com.
