Senior Community Program Specialist - San Mateo County Libraries (Open and Promotional)

San Mateo County Libraries is seeking candidates for the position of Senior Community Program Specialist!

Proud to consistently be named one of the top-rated libraries in the nation, we are champions of learning, sharing, and exploration of open minds, new ideas, and bright futures. It is our mission and our passion to strengthen our community by creating an inclusive sense of place and an environment for learning. We seek enthusiastic team players, creative risk takers, and flexible individuals who proactively search for new opportunities to make public library services relevant to all members of the community. Successful candidates will be excited about new challenges, eager to learn, and energized by working with people from a variety of backgrounds.

While this recruitment may be used for additional and future Senior Community Program Specialist openings, we are currently seeking to fill one vacancy supporting Adult Literacy Services and Adult Programming for our 13 community libraries.

The successful candidate will be an enthusiastic team player who serves as a trusted program lead. Reporting to the Library Services Manager, the Senior Community Program Specialist advances strategic priorities, supports staff and partners, and helps the organization learn and adapt through thoughtful program design, delivery, and evaluation. This position ensures that programs are aligned with goals related to literacy, learning, access, and community connection that excite and engage our residents and are offered in multiple languages. Passionate champions of the entire breadth of the Adult Programming and Literacy portfolio are encouraged to apply.

We respect, value, and celebrate our community’s diversity, and bilingual skills are always desired and highly valued as we serve a variety of communities in the county.

Ideal Candidate & Duties - The ideal candidate will have the ability to:

• Design and evolve services that inspire learning, strengthen connection, and respond to community needs.

• Build shared understanding through clear, consistent communication and strong relationships with staff, partners, and community members.

• Approach program development with a learning mindset—testing ideas, gathering feedback, and iterating.

• Help facilitate small-scale prototyping and model comfort with experimentation and change.

• Build connections and increase coordination across program areas to maximize learning, engagement, and community impact.

• Identify opportunities and develop thoughtful recommendations for improvement.

• Demonstrate knowledge of, or a willingness to learn about, research-based methods, practices, techniques, and pedagogy that help learners succeed.

• Provide excellent customer service to internal and external stakeholders.

• Provide training and support for library staff working in program areas.

• Plan, schedule, coordinate, and carry out programming, workshops, classes, and special events, along with outreach activities to community groups and agencies, ranging from tabling to public speaking.

• Demonstrate accountability, initiative, and follow-through.

Additionally, the ideal candidate should be in possession of a Master’s degree in Library Science, Public Administration, Community Development, Education, or a closely related field from an accredited college or university, or a recognized equivalent degree is preferred. Along with at least three years of experience in community programming, library services, public service, outreach, education, or a related field, or a combination of relevant program, library, and supervisory experience. Experience should also include responsibility for coordinating programs or services, developing community partnerships, and/or supervising or leading staff.

SAN MATEO COUNTY LIBRARIES
San Mateo County Libraries is a Joint Powers Authority comprised of the cities of Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos, Woodside, and the unincorporated areas of San Mateo County, including North Fair Oaks.

San Mateo County Libraries are an invaluable community resource, an amazing family, a springboard for opportunities, and our staff are what makes it so special. We're champions of learning, sharing, and exploration -- of open minds, new ideas, and bright futures. It's our mission and our passion to strengthen our community by creating an inclusive sense of place and an environment for learning. We seek enthusiastic team players, creative risk takers, and flexible individuals who proactively search for new opportunities to make public library services relevant to all members of the community.  

For more information about San Mateo County Libraries, please visit www.smcl.org.  

The eligible list generated by this recruitment may be used to fill current and future vacancies throughout San Mateo County Libraries.