City of San Rafael
Assistant Library and Recreation Director
Welcome to San Rafael, the "City with a Mission!"
The Community
Marin County's first incorporated city, San Rafael, has a population of approximately 60,000 and lies midway between San Francisco and California's famous wine country. At 22.51 square miles, San Rafael serves as the county seat and is the county's premier economic, financial, cultural, and service center. As a regional transportation hub, San Rafael is at the center of highway and transit access to west Marin, Sonoma County, the East Bay, and San Francisco.
The City of San Rafael offers both a small-town atmosphere and a lively urban environment. It is the economic and cultural heart of Marin County, surrounded by open space and the bay, making it a vibrant city in an incomparably beautiful natural setting. Famous for its favorable climate, San Rafael provides a central base for taking day trips to scenic locations such as the Napa/Sonoma wine country, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Muir Woods. San Rafael’s many attractions include its namesake Mission San Rafael Arcangel, the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright Civic Center, Victorian architecture, a lively downtown, China Camp State Park, and more.
San Rafael has a varied and rich economy fueled by high tech, biotech, entertainment, financial, service-oriented, and industrial businesses. The city is home to major employers such as Kaiser Permanente, BioMarin, and is home to the County of Marin’s government offices and courts, and offers residents and visitors alike an array of regional retailers in addition to unique local shops.
San Rafael is also one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in Marin County. The City’s residential neighborhoods are distinctive, each with its own history, character, and identity. There is a wide diversity of housing ranging from historic to new homes, apartments, multi-family units, and condos. The City has two public school districts with seven elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools; Dominican University of California, a private liberal arts college, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. For more information on this dynamic city, please visit the City of San Rafael's website at www.cityofsanrafel.org.
The Organization
San Rafael, the “City with a Mission,” was incorporated in 1874 and became a charter city in 1913. It is a full-service city with a City Council/City Manager form of government. San Rafael has an elected Mayor and four district-based elected City Council Members who serve four-year terms. The City Council is engaged and seeks to strengthen the urban and commercial areas as well as sustain the beautiful natural environment. The mission of the City is to enhance the quality of life and provide for a safe, healthy, prosperous, and livable environment in partnership with the community. The City’s vision is to be a vibrant economic and cultural center reflective of its diversity and desires to sustain the beautiful natural environment through informed and active residents, and to be a responsive, innovative local government.
The City of San Rafael has a staff of more than 400 employees and a total annual budget for fiscal year 2023/2024 of $172 million. The City’s Departments and Divisions include the offices of the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk; Community and Economic Development, Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Library & Recreation, Public Works, Human Resources, Finance, Parking Services, Digital Services and Open Government, and Sustainability. In 2022, the City was voted one of the top three “Best Places to Work” in local government by ELGL, a nationally recognized organization.
The City’s internal cultural and organizational environment is collegial, respectful, inclusive, and champions the staff-developed and led initiative "Together San Rafael", which seeks to bring staff and management together, encourage cross-departmental collaboration, empower employees, and celebrate innovation. Together San Rafael is a City-wide effort to improve service delivery through six guiding principles, where diverse, creative, and engaged employees work to best serve the needs of the community.
The Department
The Library and Recreation Department is comprised of two divisions, Library and Recreation & Childcare, that are dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of San Rafael residents. The Department’s mission is to enrich the community through discovery, learning, and play, and strives to maximize the delivery of strategically aligned programs and services to provide the highest value for the community.
The Library division has a $4.4 million budget and 22 full-time employees in fiscal year 2023/2024. The three branches of the San Rafael Public Library include the Downtown, Pickleweed, and Northgate branches, and are part of the MARINet consortium.
Some of the exciting upcoming projects that the Library division is working on include a $3 million modernization project at the downtown branch, a $2 million renovation project at the Pickleweed branch, exploring options for addressing the need for expanded library facilities and services, pursuing operational improvements, and championing innovative library programs and services.
The Position
Under the direction of the department Director, the Assistant Library and Recreation Director (Assistant Director) will lead the Library division, oversee all library branches, and be a crucial member of the Library & Recreation Department leadership team. The Assistant Director will oversee the Library division budget and staff, ensure that the division is meeting its goals and objectives, and serve as a liaison and partner to various public boards and partner groups.
The Assistant Library and Recreation Director will have the opportunity to lead a range of exciting initiatives, from major capital improvement projects to program development based in community needs, to operational strategy, and more. The Assistant Director will also lead forward-thinking projects and programs, empower the team to grow and develop, and partner with the Director and the Assistant Director of Recreation & Childcare to strategically develop a cohesive and joint department.
For manager and director-level roles, the City of San Rafael also champions the "Let's Lead Together" core values, which set the expectations and accountability measurements of leadership employees for moving the organization forward. These staff-developed values include, in part: Innovation, Leading with the Heart, Broadening and Sharing Perspectives, and Being Inclusive. It is expected that the successful individual in this role will center “Let’s Lead Together” values along with the “Together San Rafael” principles, as they approach their work, colleagues, and the community.
The City of San Rafael is an Equal Opportunity Employer