The New York Public Library
Director of Software Engineering (AI and Data)
The New York Public Library, New York, New York, us, 10261
Overview
The New York Public Library (NYPL) is seeking an inspiring and technically adept Director of Engineering, Data and AI to lead our data and artificial intelligence initiatives. This role oversees the development and operation of NYPL's enterprise data platforms and drives in-house AI-powered search and discovery products. The objective is to develop and deploy these tools responsibly and ethically, empowering researchers, scholars, and the public to engage with NYPL’s collections and improve discovery processes through robust data management.
Location and Compensation Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, NYC (onsite 3 days a week; hybrid as required).
Compensation: $160,000 - $185,000 / year
Hybrid work environment; required in the office in NYC 3 days a week
Responsibilities
Technical Strategy and Operation
Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, algorithms, and methodologies into NYPL products and services
Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for NYPL's data platforms, enterprise analytics capabilities, and AI Search and Discovery products
Leadership and People Management
Directly manage and mentor a team of Tech Leads and senior engineers, cultivating leadership skills, business acumen, and technical decision-making
Own the hiring, training, and coaching process for Engineering team members
Set clear goals and metrics for software development teams and maintain high standards of software quality
Engineering Practices and Architecture
Own the continuous improvement of engineering practices, patterns, and processes
Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends and incorporate them where appropriate
Drive resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes
Teach, Learn, Improve
Teach
How to develop and implement data and AI strategies that support measurable business outcomes
Critical thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and technical decision-making to scale the team's impact
Champion ethical and responsible use of AI and data, including bias mitigation and transparency
Adopt new technologies, including AI-enabled engineering tools
Learn
NYPL culture, goals, strategy, and working environment
Challenges in digital technology for staff, patrons, vendors, and partners
Stay up to date on AI/ML and data management developments
Improve
Remove roadblocks and advocate changes to maintain a world-class engineering team
Support data-driven transformation and better leverage data in business practices
Ensure time and capacity are allocated to high-priority projects and communicate engineering metrics to the organization
Break down silos among engineers and with key partners
Qualifications
Required Education
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
Required Experience
Minimum 10+ years in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with 3-5+ years in leadership/management
5-10 years of progressive leadership/management experience
Drive continuous improvement in AI methodologies and best practices
Demonstrates good judgement in complex situations; proactive in solving future problems
Required Skills
Strong technical understanding of AI/ML DevOps, evaluation frameworks, and data integration; ability to collaborate with technical leads and data scientists
Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale data platforms and pipelines (SQL/NoSQL, Snowflake, Databricks)
Experience leading AI/ML engineering teams delivering products, including NLP, vector databases, and RAG architectures
Experience with data stores such as ElasticSearch and/or Solr; vector databases a plus
Software development best practices (CI/CD, Git workflows, testing/automation, IaC)
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure; AWS experience a plus
Managerial Responsibilities
Manages a diverse technology/developer team (2-6 tech leads and engineers)
Work Environment and Schedule
Office environment; hybrid work arrangement with NYC office presence required 3 days per week
Other
FLSA: Exempt
Union: Non-Union
Salary Statement: Pay transparency per NYPL policy
This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities required and may change as Library priorities evolve. Employees may be directed to perform other duties as needed.
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Location and Compensation Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, NYC (onsite 3 days a week; hybrid as required).
Compensation: $160,000 - $185,000 / year
Hybrid work environment; required in the office in NYC 3 days a week
Responsibilities
Technical Strategy and Operation
Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, algorithms, and methodologies into NYPL products and services
Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for NYPL's data platforms, enterprise analytics capabilities, and AI Search and Discovery products
Leadership and People Management
Directly manage and mentor a team of Tech Leads and senior engineers, cultivating leadership skills, business acumen, and technical decision-making
Own the hiring, training, and coaching process for Engineering team members
Set clear goals and metrics for software development teams and maintain high standards of software quality
Engineering Practices and Architecture
Own the continuous improvement of engineering practices, patterns, and processes
Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends and incorporate them where appropriate
Drive resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes
Teach, Learn, Improve
Teach
How to develop and implement data and AI strategies that support measurable business outcomes
Critical thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and technical decision-making to scale the team's impact
Champion ethical and responsible use of AI and data, including bias mitigation and transparency
Adopt new technologies, including AI-enabled engineering tools
Learn
NYPL culture, goals, strategy, and working environment
Challenges in digital technology for staff, patrons, vendors, and partners
Stay up to date on AI/ML and data management developments
Improve
Remove roadblocks and advocate changes to maintain a world-class engineering team
Support data-driven transformation and better leverage data in business practices
Ensure time and capacity are allocated to high-priority projects and communicate engineering metrics to the organization
Break down silos among engineers and with key partners
Qualifications
Required Education
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
Required Experience
Minimum 10+ years in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with 3-5+ years in leadership/management
5-10 years of progressive leadership/management experience
Drive continuous improvement in AI methodologies and best practices
Demonstrates good judgement in complex situations; proactive in solving future problems
Required Skills
Strong technical understanding of AI/ML DevOps, evaluation frameworks, and data integration; ability to collaborate with technical leads and data scientists
Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale data platforms and pipelines (SQL/NoSQL, Snowflake, Databricks)
Experience leading AI/ML engineering teams delivering products, including NLP, vector databases, and RAG architectures
Experience with data stores such as ElasticSearch and/or Solr; vector databases a plus
Software development best practices (CI/CD, Git workflows, testing/automation, IaC)
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure; AWS experience a plus
Managerial Responsibilities
Manages a diverse technology/developer team (2-6 tech leads and engineers)
Work Environment and Schedule
Office environment; hybrid work arrangement with NYC office presence required 3 days per week
Other
FLSA: Exempt
Union: Non-Union
Salary Statement: Pay transparency per NYPL policy
This job description represents the types and levels of responsibilities required and may change as Library priorities evolve. Employees may be directed to perform other duties as needed.
#J-18808-Ljbffr