Project Manager/Website Development

Description

 This position is a temporary part-time consultancy for a period of approximately 18 months.

The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library (LMC) is seeking a talented individual to manage the development of the Central Web Portal (Portal) as a component of and/or incorporating the LMC website, http://maps.bpl.org. The Portal, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, is to be an online resource of approximately 4,000 historic maps from a dozen library collections. Beyond providing access to cultural heritage materials the plan is to incorporate diverse functionalities that build on our existing website and the principal data source, the Library’s digital repository site. The Portal will allow for geospatial searching and displays, georeferenced overlays, crowdsourced annotating and editing, and subject-oriented design. These sophisticated features will enable users to interact with simple and complex viewpoints, leveraging technology to the maximum extent possible.

The overall project team will include the web development team of the Boston Public Library, a contracted web developer (to be determined), LMC staff, and an advisory group representing other institutions and the constituencies the Portal will serve. Audiences for the Portal include scholars, K-12 teachers and the curious general researcher. The Portal is designed to be dynamic, evolving as technology, functions and platforms progress, and new collections are incorporated into the content-rich and user friendly format.  It will advance the scholarly, educational and cultural enrichment missions of LMC and all partner institutions.

A successful candidate will have a passion for open data and community learning, demonstrated ability to manage and implement projects with a team of individuals with diverse viewpoints, and experience managing web development projects.

The candidate’s primary responsibility will be the successful implementation of the project, managed within the designated schedule and budget. Project management, risk management, and establishing ongoing communication with project stakeholders are key components of the position. The Project Manager will report to the Executive Director of the Leventhal Map Center.

Specific responsibilities include:

● Project Manager for the Leventhal Map Center’s NEH funded Portal project
● Manage all grant funds according to established accounting policies and procedures
● Manage project on budget and on schedule
● Coordinate and communicate with all individuals working on the project
● Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for distribution
● Present data at conferences and meetings where needed

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:

Candidate must have two years of successfully managing complex, multidisciplinary projects.  Candidates with a web development or general technology/software development background are strongly preferred.  Candidates must be comfortable with community outreach and public speaking.  A strong candidate has excellent personal and team management skills.  Applicant must have excellent written and oral communication skills and have demonstrated an ability to work effectively in a team environment.  Experience writing reports is highly desired.  Knowledge of libraries, cultural heritage and map collections is highly desirable.  Applicant must have the ability to exercise good judgment and be able to focus on details as required by the job. Candidate must be comfortable in a fast-paced environment, and be able to manage multiple projects on tight deadlines.

Bachelor's degree from a recognized college or university preferred.  A master's degree in library and information science from an ALA accredited library school is highly desired and may be substituted for one year of work experience.

TERMS:

Hours Per week:            25 hours per month, variable
Compensation:               $75 per hour, negotiable

Qualified candidates should email a cover letter and resume to maps@bpl.org.