Summary

Founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin, City Lights Books is one of the few truly great independent bookstores in the United States, dedicated to growing and sustaining a vibrant community of readers, writers, and thinkers who share a passion for the beauty and the power of the written word.

In 1955, Ferlinghetti launched City Lights Publishers with his now iconic Pocket Poets Series, home to Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl and Other Poems,” a groundbreaking classic that Ferlinghetti (with help from the ACLU) successfully defended against obscenity charges in 1957. Today, City Lights has approximately three hundred books in print, publishing 8-12 new titles each year.

The City Lights Foundation (a 501(c)3 public charity) was established in 1999 to foster public engagement with books and literary culture. The Foundation’s various activities include an annual roster of free literary events; a publishing program for books focused on West Coast culture and politics; and a range of educational outreach efforts.

Since its founding, City Lights has been located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, expanding over the years to occupy the entirety of a building now designated as the city’s first official Literary Landmark. While San Francisco has undergone transformational changes in recent years, North Beach continues to embody the essential qualities that give San Francisco its richly deserved reputation as a home for creators, characters, and iconoclasts, and a place of stunning architectural and physical beauty. City Lights is at the heart of this quintessential San Francisco neighborhood, and a pillar of the city’s literary and cultural community. As we approach the 75th anniversary of our founding, City Lights continues in its role as “A Literary Meeting Place Since 1953,” dedicated to serving readers, writers, and free thinkers from across the country and around the world.

City Lights Books is registered in California as a C Corporation, comprised of a bookstore and a publishing house. We are seeking a Managing Director of Finance and Operations (MDFO). Reporting to the Executive Director and working alongside other members of the City Lights team, the Managing Director will design and oversee internal organizational processes and infrastructure supports that include finance, administration, human resources, IT, and facilities to allow City Lights to continue to deliver exceptional service to our community. The Managing Director will oversee and contribute to a high-performing, collaborative, and values-driven organizational culture and will supervise the Controller.

To Apply

This search is being led by Ellen LaPointe, Phuong Quach, and Ebony Breaux-Liang of NPAG. We invite applications with a resume and cover letter outlining your interest and qualifications via NPAG’s candidate portal. Should you have questions, candidate nominations, or if you need assistance or accommodations in the application process, please contact Ebony Breaux-Liang at ebony@npag.com.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, City Lights will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Applicants do not need to disclose their criminal history or participate in a background check until a conditional job offer is made to the applicant. After making a conditional offer and running a background check, if City Lights is concerned about a conviction(s) that is directly related to the job, the applicant will be given the chance to explain the circumstances surrounding the conviction(s), provide mitigating evidence, or challenge the accuracy of the background report. More information about the Fair Chance Act can be found by visiting https://calcivilrights.ca.gov/fair-chance-act.

City Lights provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Women, people of color, transgender people, seniors and people with disabilities encouraged to apply.