Executive Office & Library Projects Coordinator

Nature of Work

This full-time position serves as a vital operational bridge between executive leadership, Board governance, and system-wide project execution.

This professional position oversees and coordinates organizational efficiency in executive support, project coordination, and compliance operations. This position is expected to exercise a high degree of initiative, considerable judgement, and discretion in the performance of duties. Work is performed under supervision of the Library Executive Director and support from the Deputy Director, with significant independence over specified, standardized activity areas.

Core Responsibilities

Executive Support & Governance

• Executive Calendar Management: Manages complex calendars, prioritizes competing commitments, and oversees scheduling for the Library Executive Director.
• Executive Meeting Administration: Directs agenda preparation, logistical coordination, briefing material distribution, note-taking, and action-item tracking for executive leadership and internal executive team meetings.
• Board Administration & Minutes: Coordinates public meeting logistics, prepares board packets, and records official minutes for Board of Library Commissioners meetings and committees; liaisons with departments to build progress reports for monthly board meetings.
• Grant Coordination: Tracks grant lifecycles and application deadlines, coordinates cross-departmental documentation, monitors compliance and reporting requirements, and maintains centralized grant records.
• Institutional Master Calendar: Establishes and maintains the central institutional calendar system to keep executive, Board, City, and institutional deadlines synchronized.
  
  

Project Management & Systems Architecture

• Planning Team Project Coordination: Serves as the core project coordinator on the GRPL Planning Team, utilizing project planning tools to structure and track annual strategic plan implementation.
• Project Management Infrastructure & Maintenance: Implements, manages, and maintains project management software, central document repositories, and tracking systems across all executive and strategic operations.
• Staff Project Coordination Training & Coaching: Develops and delivers training, guidance, and standardized toolkits for GRPL's Major Project System, software tools, and best practices to build system-wide consistency.
• Project Lifecycle Oversight: Coordinates project schedules, monitors task completion, tracks dependencies, and maintains progress reports to ensure strategic key results are achieved on time.
• Risk Tracking: Track resource dependencies and proactively flag potential delays in projects for executive leadership.
• Process Design & Optimization: Maps task dependencies, documents workflow lifecycles, and continuously refines systems to reduce operational bottlenecks.
  
  

Policy & Compliance Operations

• Policy Review Lifecycle: Manages policy updates as dedicated projects, utilizing a master review calendar to coordinate workflows across executive leadership and the City’s legal department.
• Records Retention: Plans and executes systematic administrative records management programs, ensuring strict organizational compliance with legal document retention and disposal schedules.
• Data Privacy & Confidentiality: Maintains secure file architecture and strict protocols when handling confidential personnel, legal, and board documentation.
  
  

Required

Minimum Training and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Public Affairs, Business Administration, Nonprofit Administration, Project Management, or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
• 2 years of progressive professional experience in at least one of the following areas: coordinating executive/board operations, building administrative systems, applying project management methodologies, and/or coordinating cross-functional projects.
• Possession of a valid driver license and vehicle insurance.
  
  

Preferred

• Ability to communicate effectively in Spanish.
  
  

Other Necessary Qualifications

Ability to:

• Administer executive leadership meetings, executive calendars, and public board governance processes with high attention to detail and confidentiality.
• Interpret and apply regulatory frameworks to job functions (Board of Library Commissioner Policy Manual, City Policies, Michigan Library Privacy Act, Freedom of Information Act, etc.).
• Systematically track policy lifecycles and legal document retention timelines. Apply structured project management methodologies to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close administrative and operational projects.
• Record accurate, formal meeting minutes during public board and committee proceedings.
• Build collaborative working relationships with a wide-range of stakeholders including cross-functional project teams, city officials, board members, and external partners.
• Exercise independent judgment, project leadership, and problem-solving skills without close supervision.
• Provide consistently friendly, accurate, and efficient service to GRPL patrons and staff; ability to make independent and reliable decisions related to patron experience.
• Communicate professionally with diverse groups both verbally and in writing.
• Set priorities and meet deadlines; adaptability and judgment to reprioritize as needed.
• Perform standardized processes; ability to follow procedures in processing forms and other communication.
• Understand systems and maintain an organized and effective work process; flexibility to review and improve upon processes as they become dated or new information becomes available.
• Manage emotions in the workplace and maintain professional composure and judgment.
• Work with a supervisor and process feedback regarding job performance.
• Work occasional evening and weekend hours for board meetings or key strategic milestones.
• Travel between GRPL locations.
  
  

Thorough Knowledge Of

• Project management frameworks, scope/timeline tracking, and PM software platforms.
• General office procedures, processes and equipment; ability to operate a variety of office equipment, including computer workstations, typical electronic devices, and software.
• Modern executive office operations, executive meeting administration, advanced scheduling protocols, and Robert's Rules of Order/board minute procedures.
• Records management principles, document archiving systems, and legal retention compliance.
  
  

Other Information

Please Note The Following

• A cover letter is required
• Please attach a cover letter in pdf format that describes your interest in the position, your interest in working at GRPL, and how these might tie in with personal or professional goals
• All communication regarding this position will be done via email; it is your responsibility to ensure that your email address is up-to-date on your account profile
• To be eligible for this position, you must apply through the City of Grand Rapids Job Opportunities page

Please visit the library's jobs page for a list of other open positions at Grand Rapids Public Library.

All inquiries related to this posting should be directed to:

Grand Rapids Public Library

111 Library St NE

Grand Rapids, MI 49503

616-988-5400 | jobs@grpl.org

GRPL proudly promotes diversity and inclusion in employment, and strives to maintain a workplace culture where respect and positive recognition of differences are cultivated.

Grand Rapids Public Library provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination of any type without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, height, weight, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. GRPL will make reasonable accommodations for employees and job applicants with disabilities.

This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, transfer, training, promotion, discipline, termination, leaves of absence, compensation, and benefits, as well as work-related events and activities.

GRPL | Full-time Employee Benefit Summary

• Comprehensive health care package including medical, dental, and vision
• Paid time off
• Paid holidays
• Floating holidays
• Vacation
• Sick leave
• Personal time
• Bereavement leave
• Parental leave
• Jury duty leave
• Retirement
• 401a Retirement Plan
• Health Care Savings Plan with defined contributions
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Professional development and membership reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Plan
  

01

Are you currently employed by GRPL?

• Yes
• No
  
  

02

This position regularly works 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Monday through Friday, however, there will be instances that require working later evenings and Saturdays due to Board meetings and community events. Are you able to work a flexible schedule?

• Yes
• No
  
  

03

This position may occasionally require you to work a shift at a different branch location. Would you be able to accommodate this requirement?

• Yes
• No
  
  

04

Do you have a valid driver license and vehicle insurance?

• Yes
• No
  
  

05

Are you verbally fluent in Spanish?

• Yes
• No
  
  

06

How many years of progressive professional experience do you have in coordinating executive/board operations?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• Greater than 2 years
  
  

07

How many years of progressive professional experience do you have in building administrative systems?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• Greater than 2 years
  
  

08

How many years of progressive professional experience do you have in applying project management methodologies?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• Greater than 2 years
  
  

09

How many years of progressive professional experience do you have in coordinating cross-functional projects?

• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• Greater than 2 years
  
  

10

Have you attached the required cover letter to your application?

• Yes
• No
• Required Question