The New York Public Library · 1 month ago
Director of Software Engineering (Readers, Learners and Institutional Services)
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$165K/yr - $185K/yr
10+ years expThe New York Public Library is the nation's largest neighborhood public library system, providing essential resources for readers and learners. They are seeking a Director of Engineering to lead the Readers, Learners and Institutional Services teams, focusing on modernizing the digital reading experience and fostering a culture of lifelong learning.
Libraries
Responsibilities
Define, implement, and own technical strategy and roadmaps for the Readers, Learners, and Institutional Services teams in alignment with the library’s strategic objectives
Lead the "build vs buy" analysis for new technologies, tools, and systems, ensuring decisions support the company's core value proposition and long-term budgetary objectives
Direct the technical strategy and delivery of high-traffic, custom-built, patron-facing web applications, ensuring superior user experience, performance, and accessibility
Serve as the primary technical leader for vendor-produced products, responsible for architectural oversight and seamless integration with custom systems
Directly manage and mentor a team of Tech Leads and senior engineers, cultivating their leadership skills, business acumen, and technical decision-making
Own the hiring, training, and coaching process for Engineering team members, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement
Set clear goals and metrics for software development teams and maintain high standards of software quality while delivering on project goals
Lead the team in proactively identifying challenges, offering appropriate, timely, and practical solutions
Own the continuous improvement of Engineering practices, patterns, and processes, removing roadblocks to maintain a world-class engineering team
Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends (including AI-enabled engineering tools) and incorporate them into the organization’s practices where appropriate
Ensure the team has expertise across our diverse tech stacks, frameworks, vendor tools, and processes
Drive the resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience
10+ years in software development with a minimum of 5 years of experience as a Software Engineer
5 -10 years of progressive leadership/management experience
Expertise in frontend architecture design (e.g., micro-frontends, server-side, design systems)
Experience in vendor lifecycle management from sourcing and due diligence through contract negotiation, performance monitoring, and termination
Ability to develop and execute a strategic roadmap for development or vendor projects that aligns capabilities (SaaS, outsourced development, etc.) with engineering and business goals
Possesses strong communication skills across all organizational levels. Adept at securing buy-in from both executive leadership and junior team members
Ability to solve complex technical problems at the appropriate level: can propose both strategic solutions as well as specific code fixes
Familiarity with best practices and training for software development. Understanding of A11Y principles, including experience working on an accessible front-end
Deep understanding of modern deployment and development infrastructure: CI/CD, unit and end-to-end testing, and AWS deployment
Proven ability to implement innovative solutions and drive change
Demonstrates good judgement in handling situations with multiple good solutions, or situations with no good solution
Proactive mindset that solves future problems before they become emergencies
Expertise with front end technologies including Javascript and React; Proficiency with at least one strongly typed language (Python, etc); Familiarity with other languages (PHP, Ruby) preferred
Benefits
Hybrid Work Environment (3 days onsite in NYC)
Office Environment
Company
The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond.
1001-5000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
The New York Public Library has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2022 (2)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Shannon Sharp
Chief Financial Officer
Alison Stewart
Host: "GET LIT WITH ALL OF IT" book club partnership with NYPL
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