Chief Operations Officer - Center for Research Libraries

Another Source’s client, Center for Research Libraries (CRL), is recruiting a Chief Operating Officer to join their team in Chicago, Illinois. This is an onsite leadership opportunity, and relocation assistance is available. 

Here’s a little about the Center for Research Libraries: 

For more than 75 years, the Center for Research Libraries has helped research institutions accomplish together what would be difficult or inefficient to achieve alone. Founded in 1949, CRL is an independent nonprofit research library and member-owned consortium serving academic and research institutions across the United States and Canada. 

CRL is not a traditional professional association or commercial service provider. It is a shared operating institution—owned and governed by its members, with collections, facilities, staff, systems, and financial resources dedicated to advancing their common needs. Members invest collectively to preserve the scholarly record, extend access to distinctive research materials, negotiate major licensing agreements, reduce institutional risk, and build infrastructure that no single organization could sustain independently. 

CRL maintains one of North America’s most distinctive research collections, including more than 1.5 million cataloged titles, approximately five to six million physical items, and more than 85 million digitized pages spanning nearly 280 languages. Its work also includes preservation, rapid digitization, physical lending, metadata and discovery support, collection analysis, shared-print infrastructure, specialized acquisitions, and collaborative licensing. 

With approximately $30 million in assets, no debt, strong reserves, and a 2027–2030 strategic framework focused on modernization, technology, organizational resilience, and expanded shared infrastructure, CRL is entering an important new chapter. 

Learn more about CRL: https://www.crl.edu/ 

About this role: 

Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Chief Operating Officer serves as the President's strategic partner and deputy for operations, helping translate organizational vision into coordinated execution across the enterprise. 

This is not a turnaround opportunity. CRL is financially strong, mission-driven, and well positioned for growth. The opportunity is one of organizational maturation: building the management systems, operational discipline, staff capacity, cross-functional alignment, and execution rhythm needed to convert CRL’s assets and ambitions into consistent results. 

The COO will work at the intersection of mission, finance, technology, human resources, organizational development, collections operations, and collaborative governance. This executive will oversee a broad operational portfolio while partnering closely with the President, Board, internal leaders, external finance professionals, employment counsel, and member stakeholders. 

Library experience is not required. CRL is seeking an accomplished operational executive who understands how to lead complex, mission-driven organizations and enjoys creating the structure, clarity, and accountability that help strong institutions become more integrated, scalable, and effective. 

Scope & Impact 

• Serve as the President’s chief operational partner, translating CRL’s strategic vision into coordinated execution across finance, human resources, technology, collections operations, procurement, facilities, and organizational administration. 

• Lead the operational modernization of a financially strong organization entering its next phase of growth, strengthening the systems, cross-functional discipline, and management infrastructure needed to advance CRL’s 2027–2030 strategic framework. 

• Build organizational capacity by coaching leaders, clarifying decision rights, strengthening accountability, and improving planning and execution across the enterprise. 

• Provide executive leadership for internal teams responsible for collections access and technology, collections acquisition and licensing, and human resources. 

• Serve as the primary executive relationship manager for CRL’s external accounting and finance partner, including its fractional CFO and accounting team, as well as outside human resources and labor counsel. 

• Oversee annual operating budgets of approximately $7–9 million, funded primarily through member dues and program revenue. 

• Help steward CRL’s strong financial position, including substantial operating reserves and more than $10 million in long-term investment assets. 

• Provide executive oversight for more than $100 million annually in licensing transactions managed on behalf of member institutions, ensuring disciplined cash management, strong internal controls, and operational efficiency. 

• Partner with the President and Board to strengthen business intelligence, long-range planning, financial stewardship, enterprise risk management, and organizational performance. 

• Improve coordination among program, operations, technology, finance, and member-service functions so that shared priorities move efficiently from discussion to sustained execution. 

• Lead continuous improvement efforts that create scalable processes, modernize systems, strengthen communication, and improve the employee and member experience. 

• Support thoughtful organizational growth by partnering with the President and directors to identify the staffing, systems, and operational capabilities required to advance CRL’s strategic priorities. 

• Help CRL evaluate and implement practical uses of emerging technologies, including automation, improved data practices, and artificial intelligence in library and organizational operations. 

• Preserve the professional expertise and member ownership that make CRL distinctive while helping the organization become more integrated, resilient, and effective. 

Qualifications

Salary : $10 - $100