**Director of Product, Research Libraries** **Department:** Digital **Employment Type:** Full Time **Location:** Stephen A. Schwarzman Building **Reporting To:** Robert Collins **Compensation:** $170,000 - $180,000 / year **Description** **Overview** The New York Public Library has been an essential provider of free books, information, ideas, and education for all New Yorkers for over 125 years. Founded in 1895, NYPL is the nation's largest neighborhood public library system and the most used research library in the world. NYPL provides a fundamental resource to millions of readers, learners and scholars. The digital portfolio of products and platforms is the core linchpin in how our patrons near and far can access information to create new content, support their personal learning and build stronger communities. Reporting to the Senior Director of Product Management and User Experience, the Director of Product, Research Libraries will be responsible for the growth and impact of products in the Library’s Research portfolio. They will oversee the conception, development and delivery of digital tools and experiences focused squarely on the needs of our research patrons. In doing so, they will build, manage and lead multiple digital product development teams and coordinate concurrent delivery streams across a broad and diverse digital research portfolio. This work will help to make the incredible collections of our Research Libraries come to life for our patrons, to meet them wherever they may be, and enable research, learning and engagement globally. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned product leader with a passion for uncovering and understanding customer needs, a demonstrated track record of success in aligning cross-functional teams, and deep experience in bringing solutions to users successfully. They will have deep leadership experience across the entire product lifecycle, and will be a stellar communicator ready to partner successfully with senior leaders and experts across a complex non-profit organization. **We are looking for someone we can count on to:** **Own** : + The product strategy and development for assigned segments of our Research portfolio + The development of product plans, roadmaps, and KPIs and OKRs + The voice of the customer to ensure our patrons’ needs are front and center in all Research offerings + The iterative conception, development and delivery of bespoke products and services geared at researchers, paired with necessary supporting research, evaluation, recommendation and implementation of vendor tools and external partnerships **Teach** : + Best practices of product discovery and development to the Digital Research team, as well as key Research Libraries stakeholders to ensure everyone is running in unison **Learn:** + The key patron needs, latest technologies, institutional priorities, and constraints, to properly represent these considerations in key decision making moments + The scope of NYPL’s research collections, the range and needs of its staff, researchers, and creators, and the challenges and opportunities in discovering and accessing the collections **Improve** : + The reach, impact and value delivered to patrons by our Research solutions **Some expectations for this role are that within:** **1 month** , this person will: + Understand the functional structure and core mission of NYPL & Digital + Understand the product vision and strategy for offerings in the Research Libraries portfolio + Establish contacts across the Digital Team including: Content Strategy, Technology, Design/UX/Research, Project Management, QA, and begin to develop partnerships with key stakeholders in the Research Libraries and other departments **3 months** , this person will: + Have an understanding of the competitive landscape, audience priorities, and key factors shaping assigned portions of our Research portfolio + Own product planning, competitive analysis, roadmapping, partnership and delivery conversations for assigned areas + Lead cross-functional team meetings for assigned products and portfolios, and provide regular and ad-hoc reporting to leadership on status and progress + Be conversant in in-house toolsets, including use of JIRA, Confluence, Airtable, leading analytics packages, and other product management tools + Deepen contacts across the institution to discover business needs, set priorities, and ensure that the Research team is working towards the most impactful shared goals **6 months and beyond** , this person will: + Fully own the strategy and vision for their assigned areas of our Research portfolio, and be an effective advocate for internal partners, patrons, and overall institutional goals, to ensure that efforts target and embody the key priorities of all stakeholders + Ensure effective communication with stakeholders on the strategy and delivery roadmap of our Research Products + Communicate stakeholder findings to Design/UX and Engineering + Author business requirements documentation + Develop domain knowledge and understanding of user needs and pain points for assigned areas + Collaborate with Product Design/UX, Engineering, Quality Assurance and Project Management teams to drive completion of user research, tech goals, and communicate to different teams, stakeholders and users at the library. **Responsibilities** + Own the product vision & strategy for assigned products in the Library’s portfolio, spanning search, discovery & access needs for researchers and staff, in partnership with senior leadership in the Research Libraries + Develop and maintain a deep empathy for the needs of researchers, and an understanding of the evolving landscape of technical tools, partnerships, and market opportunities that can be brought to bear in their service + Provide functional leadership and oversight across assigned segments of the digital research portfolio + Oversee and shape the creation of product roadmaps, deliverables, and user research + Guide product delivery based on learnings, institutional priorities, and portfolio objectives + Translate broad business and user needs into non-ambiguous requirements and user stories for our development teams + Identify and track key metrics and user data to assess performance and identify potential areas for learning and improvement. + Set and work towards goals to promote and increase research and learning, and to build and support a community of researchers in NYC, and globally **Required Education, Experience & Skills** **Required Education and Certifications** + Bachelor's degree - OR - Required Experience (listed below) **Required Experience** + 10 years of relevant experience, including a track record of accomplishment in a digital product or research leadership role. + At least 7+ years of experience in full lifecycle digital product management, including experience leading product discovery and development + At least 7-8 years of management experience + Strong technical and business acumen; ability to understand complex digital solutions, conduct business analysis and turn recommendations into business impact + Strong understanding of leading product management frameworks, including Lean/Agile, with experience writing product documentation as well as agile user stories and acceptance criteria **Required Skills** + Demonstrable ability to work on a deadline + Organized, focused, extremely detail oriented and adept at prioritization + Ability to work collaboratively with multiple technical and non-technical teams to develop goals + Excellent interpersonal, presentation, oral and written communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with all levels of staff and users **Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:** + The Director supervises product managers on the Research team, and provides cross-functional leadership for the entire portfolio team **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** + Hybrid work environment; 3 days in office in NYC + Office environment **Physical Duties** + Some light moving/lifting may be required **Pre-Placement** **Physical Required?** + No **Union/Non Union** + Non-Union **FLSA Status** + Exempt **Schedule** + Monday - Friday 9-5 + Hybrid work environment; 3 days onsite in NYC is required _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 candidate's 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).