Marketing & Communications Manager @ Northbrooklib

Northbrook Public Library seeks a Marketing & Communications Manager

Full-time: 35 hours/week

Schedule: Hybrid schedule available with up to 40% remote work. Core hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm with flexibility; intermittent evening or weekend hours.

About the Position

Northbrook Public Library is looking for a Marketing & Communications Manager to lead our marketing strategy, brand identity, and community communications. This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced communicator who excels at managing multi-channel campaigns, guiding creative workflows, and using clear messaging to increase awareness of our collections, services, and events.

Under the direction of the Executive Director and serving as an active member of the Management Team, you will oversee department operations including development, implementation, and evaluation of library marketing and communication and have full people-management responsibility for the team through the full employee life cycle.

The ideal candidate embraces our core values of innovation, inclusion, customer service, lifelong learning, equity, and collaboration, viewing them as a practical framework for decision-making in their day-to-day work. You will ensure our messaging and visual materials represent and welcome our entire community, upholding plain language standards and culturally responsive outreach.

Click on links to read the job description, the library's Service Standards and learn more about our award-winning library.

Qualifications and Experience

We want to hear from you if you:

• Bring 5+ years of professional marketing and communications experience, with at least 3 years of supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Lead with integrity, respect, and empathy, building trust with staff through fair and consistent management, respecting their creative judgment and giving them room to do their best work while offering coaching along the way.
• Demonstrate hands-on skill with design software (Adobe Creative Cloud or Canva), website CMS platforms (WordPress), and email marketing platforms (Mailchimp).
• Embrace a data driven approach to marketing, using metrics and evaluation to refine strategy and show impact in line with the strategic plan and core values.
• Can see both the big picture and the fine details, and know when to shift focus between them.
• Treat setbacks as learning opportunities, modeling a "progress not perfection" mindset for your team.
• Build strong, collaborative relationships with internal departments to plan and promote programs, collections, and services.
• Apply accessibility and inclusion best practices across all collateral, including plain language, contrast standards, and digital alt-text.
• Manage budgets, vendor contracts (printers, mail houses), and project deadlines with disciplined organization.
• Value the civic mission of public libraries, including intellectual freedom, patron privacy, and barrier-free access.

We are seeking a wide array of candidates that encompass varied identities and abilities and encourage those who have gained skills outside of traditional education to apply. Northbrook Public Library is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging - so if you’re excited about this position but not sure if you meet all the criteria, we encourage you to still consider applying. You may have other experiences or skills that would still make you a great candidate.

About the Library and Community

We seek candidates who share our passion for serving the people of Northbrook. Northbrook Public Library is an Equal Opportunity Employer who values every community member and works to be welcoming and respectful of people's different identities including race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religion, ability, language, age, size, and more.

The Village of Northbrook, IL has a resident population of 35,222. This highly regarded, civic-minded and well-resourced community is just 25 miles north of downtown Chicago. With excellent access to transportation, Northbrook is home to a strong and diverse business community, including established corporations and thriving local enterprises. Residents are attracted to the top-rated schools, access to many recreational opportunities, and its small-town charm.

The library is a cornerstone of the community with strong public support and an operating budget of $9,700,000. The collection includes over 220,000 physical items, with an annual circulation of over 900,000.

Benefits

Quality benefits play a vital role in promoting the health and well-being of our staff and their families, and this is why we offer a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage to eligible employees. We also have generous paid time off and retirement plans for eligible employees.

Applying

Apply by clicking on the blue "Apply for This Job" tab located at the top right corner on the jobs page. When using a Mac to apply, use a browser other than Safari. Communication with applicants is made via email through BambooHR, our Applicant Tracking System. Please add BambooHR to your list of acceptable addresses in your email to ensure you receive emails during the application process.

Remember to attach cover letter and resume. Both documents are required for candidate consideration.

If accommodations are needed during the selection process, please let us know.

In order to maintain fairness and consistency across all applicants, we cannot accommodate individual inquiries via phone or email. We appreciate your understanding.

Deadline to apply: November 30, 2026

Starting Salary Range of $79,967-$88,852 annually