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Director of Business Operations

Kennett Library is a regional public library open to all and serving the Townships of Kennett, East Marlborough, Pennsbury, Pocopson, Newlin, New Garden, West Marlborough, and the Borough of Kennett Square. We provide a place for the youngest to the oldest and everyone in between and serve people of all incomes, ages, and needs - for free.

Kennett Library’s mission is to strengthen our communities, cultivate knowledge, and ignite imagination.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Business Operations is responsible for the operational management and oversight of the library’s fiscal systems, accounting functions, and business administration. This role exercises independent judgment in the administration of the annual operating budget, the management of capital fund expenditures, and the application of financial regulations to library operations.

Reporting to the Library Director, the Director of Business Operations ensures the fiscal integrity of the library by proactively establishing, evaluating and continuously strengthening internal financial controls to mitigate risk and optimize institutional transparency. This role coordinates annual audits, ensures secondary compliance with government reporting, and serves as the primary administrator for the library's business lifecycle – including procurement, payroll systems, and contract management – while providing the Director and Board with the data-driven financial reporting necessary for informed decision-making.

Job Requirements:

Independently directs the library’s daily ﬁscal activities, including accounts payable/receivable, general ledger maintenance, and monthly bank reconciliations to ensure 100% accuracy in ﬁnancial reporting.
Oversees the implementation of the annual operating budget; performs monthly variance analysis and provides the Library Director with strategic recommendations to ensure departmental spending aligns with board-approved targets.
Monitors all revenue streams—including tax receipts, grants, donations, and auxiliary income—to conﬁrm actual collections align with budgetary projections and proactively ﬂags shortfalls.
Evaluates and measures the ﬁnancial viability of library events and programming by conducting cost-beneﬁt analyses to ensure initiatives are ﬁscally sustainable and optimized for revenue generation to support the library’s long-term growth.
Serves as the primary liaison for the annual independent audit; manages the preparation of all ﬁnancial schedules, work papers, and documentation required to meet GAAP and GASB standards.
Owns the end-to-end payroll lifecycle, ensuring accurate and timely compensation, tax withholding, and beneﬁt deductions; establishes and updates internal controls and workﬂows as needed. Designs and enforces rigorous internal ﬁnancial controls and standard operating procedures (SOPs) to safeguard library assets, mitigate risk, and ensure institutional transparency.
Manages the library’s central procurement lifecycle, including vendor selection, the negotiation of contracts and leases, and ensuring compliance with public bidding requirements and RFP processes.
Directs the ﬁscal tracking and reporting of capital project funds, grants, and restricted donations; ensures all expenditures meet legal mandates and donor-speciﬁed restrictions.
Synthesizes complex ﬁnancial data into high-level reports and dashboards for the Library Director and Board of Trustees, providing the ﬁscal clarity necessary for long-term institutional planning.
Creates, implements and maintains the library’s operational infrastructure, including accounting and procurement software, collaborates with cross-functional staﬀ to evaluate and select other technology solutions.
Maintains the library’s ﬁxed asset inventory and depreciation schedules; manages the business relationship with insurance carriers to ensure appropriate coverage for the facility and organizational liability.
Serves as the primary administrative liaison to the Chester County Library System (CCLS), providing rigorous oversight of shared ﬁnancial and circulation data to ensure institutional reporting accuracy and optimal resource allocation.
Regulatory & Tax Reporting: Interprets and ensures compliance with all local, state, and federal ﬁnancial reporting mandates, including 1099 ﬁlings, sales tax exemption status, and annual state library ﬁnancial reports.
Provides professional leadership and direct supervision to the business and operations teams—fostering a culture of high performance, cross-functional collaboration, and continuous professional growth.
Coordinates with the library's external HR consultant to ensure seamless delivery of human resources services. Performs additional professional and operational tasks as assigned to support the library's mission and evolving institutional needs.

Employment Criteria:

A Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related ﬁeld. Masters degree strongly preferred.
5 to 7 years of progressively responsible experience in ﬁnancial management, accounting, or business administration. At least 2–3 years of experience in fund accounting, speciﬁcally within a nonproﬁt, library, or municipal government environment.
Advanced knowledge of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and GASB (Governmental Accounting Standards Board) requirements. Mastery of fund accounting, including the ability to manage and report on restricted, unrestricted, and capital funds.
Proven ability to lead an organization through an annual independent audit. Expertise in establishing and monitoring internal controls to ensure ﬁscal transparency and mitigate risk.
Highly proﬁcient in transforming complex ﬁnancial data into clear, actionable reports (e.g., budget-to-actual variance analysis, cash ﬂow projections) for the Library Director and Board of Trustees.
Expertise in professional accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks Enterprise, Sage, or Blackbaud) and expert-level Microsoft Excel skills (Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, and complex ﬁnancial modeling).
Knowledge of federal and state grant reporting requirements and the ability to track expenditures against speciﬁc legal or donor-mandated restrictions.
Exceptional ability to communicate ﬁnancial concepts to non-ﬁnancial stakeholders. High degree of professional integrity and discretion when handling sensitive ﬁnancial and organizational data.
Highly proactive self-starter comfortable navigating ambiguity, managing competing priorities, and driving complex operational initiatives forward with minimal supervision.

APPLICATIONS: