Library Director for Karlshamns Municipality

Karlshamns kommun · Full-time

Rådhuset, Karlshamn, Sweden

We are now seeking a library director who, with commitment, strategic vision, and engaged leadership, wants to lead and develop library services in Karlshamns Municipality. The position becomes available as our current library director retires. Do you want to lead and develop the library of the future? Karlshamns library services consist of Karlshamns City Library and four branch libraries. The city library is located in central Karlshamn, in the shopping center Citygallerian. This location gives the library a central and accessible position with proximity to retail, public transportation, and other municipal services. The libraries in Karlshamn are part of Blekingebiblioteken, a collaborative library partnership between the municipalities of Karlshamn, Ronneby, Sölvesborg, and Olofström. The collaboration includes, among other things, a shared library website, shared catalog, and close cooperation regarding development, media, and services to residents. As library director, you will have the opportunity to lead an operation that plays a central role in democracy, education, culture, and meetings between people. You will be a key person in developing the libraries as modern, accessible, and relevant meeting places for the municipality's residents. The location also involves an ongoing need for collaboration with the property owner and other tenants regarding, for example, opening hours, accessibility, shared spaces, and the development of the location as a whole. Job Responsibilities: As library director, you have overall responsibility for library operations, including responsibility for personnel, budget, work environment, and operational development. You lead an organization with approximately 17 employees plus hourly staff. You are responsible for ensuring that operations meet set goals, follow up on results, and create conditions for participation and development. You are visible and present in the organization and work actively together with employees, colleagues, and partners. Your duties also include: Leading and developing library services based on municipal goals and the libraries' societal mission Taking responsibility for operational, personnel, budget, and work environment matters Further developing the libraries as modern and accessible meeting places Creating good collaboration with cultural activities and other internal and external stakeholders Being part of the Culture and Leisure Department's management team Serving as chair of Blekingebiblioteken Contributing to the development of regional library collaboration Requirements for the Position: Academic degree in library and information science, cultural studies, humanities, or other education the employer considers equivalent At least two years of management experience in the cultural field with responsibility for operations, personnel, and budget Knowledge of library legislation Knowledge of digitalization and information management Very strong ability to express yourself in Swedish and English, both orally and in writing B-class driving license Meritorious for the Position: Experience as a manager within library services Experience from a politically governed organization Experience in digital development and implementation of new technology Experience in promoting reading Personal Qualities: We are looking for someone with a genuine interest in the importance of libraries in society. You are a confident, stable, and inspiring leader. You have the ability to create engagement, participation, and strong teams that work together toward common goals. Through your empathetic abilities and inclusive approach, you build good relationships and create trust with both employees and partners. You have high personal maturity, good self-awareness, and integrity, which allows you to handle challenges and complex situations in a professional and balanced manner. As a person, you are strategic and have the ability to see your operations from a long-term perspective, while at the same time translating visions and goals into concrete action. Furthermore, you are a skilled communicator who expresses yourself clearly, attentively, and engagingly when meeting both individuals and groups. About the Workplace With us, you will have the opportunity to lead an important municipal service and help shape the library of the future in Karlshamns Municipality. You will be part of an engaged management team and work in close collaboration with cultural activities, with a focus on development, cooperation, and resident benefit. As an employee of Karlshamns Municipality, you will have access to several valued benefits. You become a member of our employee club, which offers, among other things, training and activities as well as discounts on gyms, stores, travel, and concerts. For employees who meet the requirements, there is also the opportunity to exchange vacation day supplements for extra vacation days, as well as the possibility of salary exchange. If you want to read more about our benefits, you can visit: The Municipality as an Employer - Karlshamns Municipality Position Information: The position is permanent and full-time If a trial period is needed, a probationary employment may be considered Deadline for applications: 2026-10-18 Other Information: As an employer, we need to verify the right to work in Sweden. Therefore, you will need to present an ID document confirming citizenship at any interview: a passport or national ID card are examples of such documents. According to the Law (2026:44) on record checks for employment in senior positions in municipalities, anyone offered this employment must provide an extract from the criminal record register. You order your criminal record extract on the police website. The extract you should request is the one that applies to work in a senior position in municipalities. For more information about the position, contact: Recruiting Manager Fredrik Gustavsson; [email protected], 0454-81391 Labor Organizations; DIK; Rolf Andersson 0454-81241 or Vision; Julia Solokov, 0454-81102 Please visit https://www.karlshamn.se/rekrytering for information about starting salaries and applicable collective agreement provisions, as well as information about what applies to you if you have protected personal data, how we verify the right to work in Sweden, when you need to and how you order an extract from the criminal record register. To ensure quality in the recruitment process and enable good communication with our applicants, we ask that you apply via the button in the advertisement. An application to Karlshamns Municipality is a public record. We welcome your application! We look forward to learning more about you and how you want to contribute to the library of the future in Karlshamn.