Director, Digital Library Applications

Description

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is embarking on an ambitious multi-year initiative to dramatically increase digital access to its collections, services, and expertise. To drive this effort forward, The Library seeks an innovative leader with a deep background in digital and open web technologies to direct the development, maintenance, and scaling of the Library’s core collection, content and data management systems.  NYPL is a bustling urban library system with 92 locations, and is also among the world's great research libraries and archival repositories. The Director of Digital Library Applications will enjoy the privilege and challenge of managing systems that store, preserve, and provide access to collections spanning the full range of human achievement: from the earliest written records of Mesopotamian civilization to the first recorded moving images; from Jefferson's original drafts of the Declaration of Independence to the electronic correspondence and experimental video games of Timothy Leary. Going forward, a top priority for The Library will be not only preservation and access, but expansive public use of these assets in a diverse range of contexts including scholarly research, teaching and learning, large-scale data mining and analysis, and new forms of digital creativity.

Reporting to the Chief Technology Officer, and working with Director of Digital Initiatives in the Chief Library Organization (CLO), this position will establish and oversee development of our technology architecture for digital asset management, ILS (library catalogue), information discovery, digital content management (preservation, user generated, library-generated), and new areas we push the library in such as learning management systems, partnerships with other content repositories (e.g. Hathi Trust, DPLA), and of course our taxonomy and metadata work.  The Director of Digital Library Applications will guide an internal team of developers, database, and system administrators in addition to external vendors, to deliver robust, supportable platforms. The Director of Digital Library Applications will also work closely with system architects and operational leads to develop the services architecture and search engine frameworks needed to power an exceptional, seamless information discovery experience across all of these systems. Additionally, there will be a strong emphasis on devising the technical framework for a library that is increasingly experienced on mobile devices.

Leveraging agile methodology, and working with product owners and cross-functional teams throughout The Library, The Director of Digital Library Applications will be a key ally and thought partner to NYPL's Digital Collections services group, UX team, its research and development unit, NYPL Labs, as well as with a broader community of library and public-sector technologists.

Responsibilities:

• Reporting to the Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, the Director, Digital Library Applications will:
• Work with CLO organization to create strategic direction for this suite of products
• Manage the development and deployment of new applications, systems software, and/or enhancements to existing applications throughout the enterprise.
• Provide technical leadership to project managers and developers working on the project teams
• Provide guidance and direction to the application development team including performance management, mentoring, and coaching.
• Create and manage the departmental budget and forecast for assigned IT functions.
• Ensure work products are delivered on-time, on-budget, and to-specification.
• Attract, retain, and develop the correct resources and skills needed to deliver quality technology solutions.
• Estimate software development work efforts and construct work plans for delivery.
• Establish and insure that quality standards are maintained throughout the software delivery lifecycle.
• Lead the team through iterative achievable delivery cycles.
• Perform other duties as required

Key Competencies:

• Leadership and Management
• Strategy and vision
• Prioritization and Multi Tasking
• Customer Service
• Technology and adaptability to new technology

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree in computer science, information science or related technical field or equivalent experience required.
• Demonstrated ability in technology management, focused on architecture, development, deployment, and ongoing operations, and establishing and delivering strategies/programs/standards.
• Exceptional leadership and management skills and the ability to motivate, develop, and inspire a team while creating a highly-empowered organization.
• Experience in forming strategic partnerships with functional technology and business executives.
• Strong organization skills and extensive experience managing software development teams.
• Excellent understanding of applications technologies and platforms, including software development lifecycles and solutions in application enterprise architecture, engineering, integrations and reporting.
• Industry experience in a content / information focused environment
• Strong consulting, problem resolution, mediation and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written communication skills across all levels of the organization.
• Extensive experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of all aspects of integrated library systems, including acquisitions, cataloging, circulation, serials, and public user interfaces.
• Knowledge of all aspects of content management, including search, discovery, metadata, taxonomy, XML, and mass data storage.
• Experience with continuous integrations
• Minimum ten (10) years related IT experience with similar systems, with at least 5 of which must have been managing development teams
• Experience with various agile software development processes utilizing languages such as Ruby, Java and databases such as Oracle, SQL Server, PostgreSQL
• Experience with JVM languages
• Experience in Test Driven Development (TDD) and Agile practices.
• Demonstrated experience working on application development projects and mastery of the software-application development life-cycle using Agile development methodologies.