Overview
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is one of the world’s great public research libraries. Its research centers provide opportunities for engagement with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services. Collections and Research Services encompasses several departments focused on managing the ongoing development of our exceptional research collections, advancing unified discovery and expanded access to our collections, both in-person and online, and ensuring stewardship of the collections at every stage of the collections lifecycle.

We’re seeking a highly motivated self-starter with solid experience in project management environments. The primary function of this role will be to support the Library’s strategic initiatives, track grant-funded projects and deliverables, and ensure coordination and communication among working groups, the Collections and Research Services staff and their partners in the research centers, Digital and IT. The successful candidate will thrive working across multiple projects and competing priorities, excel at driving accountability and clarity, and be proactive in identifying and mitigating risks and issues.

The successful candidate will apply PMI project standards, be adept at working across organizational boundaries, cross-functional teams and stakeholder groups in order to plan, organize, lead and control the deliverables within scope and timelines.

Strong emphasis is placed on driving strategic plans forward, goal setting, managing comprehensive project timelines, capacity planning, preparing risk mitigation plans, and proactive communication to provide project transparency, clarity, and delivery.

We seek candidates that are eager to learn and grow, have a proven track record of supporting their project teams for success, and are solutions focused.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

End-to-end coordination and alignment of strategic plans across research centers, departments and working groups, including risk management and stakeholder communication, to establish and achieve strategic goals, manage resources, define and protect project scope
Quarterly planning process for reviewing and checking in on each team’s strategic initiatives, including goal-setting, timelines, and resources

Teach:

Model best practices in project management informing Collections and Research Services project leads and team members about strategic goals, milestones and and deliverables
Inform other project management staff regularly about the status of projects and goals
Supports the development of new staff engagement and communication strategies

Learn:

The scope of NYPL’s research collections and services, the systems in use, tools, products, workflows, and organizational structure
The basics of library data and standard library technology

Improve:

Communication, dynamics, and collaboration across teams, departments, working groups, and stakeholders
Team workflows to enhance efficiency, alignment and optimal results

Some expectations for this role are that within:

1 month, this person will:

Understand the tools available for their work, their role on committees and working groups, details about strategic objectives, the scope of projects underway, timelines, resources, and dependencies with other departments;
Begin onboarding as a key support and member of the Digital Asset Infrastructure Renewal Project (DAIS)
Meet and engage with key partners across the Library

3 months, this person will:

Continue meeting staff across the Research centers and other departments
Start to gain a deeper understanding of their role, responsibilities, and objectives, and the roles and responsibilities of other teams.

6 months and beyond, this person will:

Have a clearer sense of the long-term roadmap for sequencing and implementing improvements to achieve goals
Have a clearer and broader understanding of their role in contributing to measures of success, near-term goals, long-term planning, and outstanding resource needs.

Responsibilities

Serves as a strategic planning partner and support to the Astor Senior Director and their leadership team
Coordinates, supports and tracks the project to modernize the Library’s digital asset management system to enable seamless access to our digital collections for both patrons and staff
Liaises and coordinates with technical project management staff in Digital and IT as needed
Supports and documents the rollout of strategic initiatives and grant-funded projects across the Collections and Research Services departments, including, but not limited to, tracking the hiring of project staff, deliverables, timelines, budgets and cross team coordination
Ensures coordination and communication across-departments working groups and consultants
Develops a proactive communication strategy to provide project transparency, clarity, and deliverable updates
Supports the refinement of strategic objectives and the development of short and long-term roadmaps
Performs other assigned duties as necessary

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

Bachelor’s degree

Required Experience

4+ years of experience working as a program or technical project manager
Prior experience managing project costs
Prior experience managing vendors and the procurement process
Experience with a variety of project tracking tools, including Smartsheets, Jira, Confluence, and similar tools

Required Skills

Excellent skills in verbal and written communication, organization, time management, and presentation
Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to lead groups, develop consensus, promote productive teamwork, and achieve results
Proven ability to drive and align highly visible projects with cross-functional teams
Demonstrated ability to work both collaboratively and independently to achieve results
Proven track record of delivering concurrent projects on time and budget
Proven ability to proactively solve problems and find solutions
Demonstrated ability to maintain positive working relationships while still managing to hold team members accountable for their deliverables, being comfortable pushing back and escalating when needed
Professional Project Management (PMP) certification or work towards certification substantially underway
Knowledge of industry standards in project management and development methodologies (PMBOK, Agile)

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

More...

Core Values
All team members are expected and encouraged to embody the NYPL Core Values:

Be Helpful to patrons and colleagues
Be Resourceful in solving problems
Be Curious in all aspects of your work
Be Welcoming and Inclusive

Work Environment

Office setting
3 days in office required and 2 days remote

Physical Duties

None

Pre-Placement Physical Required?
No

Union/Non Union
Non-Union

FLSA Status
Exempt

Schedule

M-F, 35 hours; 9-5 or 10-6

This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities that will be required of the position and shall not be construed as a declaration of all of the specific duties and responsibilities for the role. Job duties may change if Library priorities change. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description as needed.

The New York Public Library Salary Statement

At the Library, we believe that pay transparency and pay equity are important to ensuring we source the best candidates and keep the best employees. When making a determination as to the appropriate salary for a candidate, we consider a variety of factors such, including, but not limited to, the position requirements, the skills, prior experience, and educational background required or preferred for the job, the scope and impact of the role within the organization, internal peer equity, and the candidates specific training, experience, education level, and skills. No single factor is conclusive; the Library reserves the right to consider any and all relevant factors and make a decision consistent with its policies.

Union Salaries are determined by collective bargaining agreement(s).