Director of Software Engineering (AI and Data)
The New York Public Library
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New York, NY
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Director
Posted March 14, 2026
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Responsibilities
Commitments
Responsibilities
- Technical roadmap and execution for our Data and AI products
- Strategic objectives for the implementation and adoption of AI and Data driven initiatives across NYPL
- Hiring, training, coaching and management of engineering team members
- Continuous improvement of Engineering practices
- Our tech stacks, frameworks, vendor tools, and processes
- Identification and mitigation of risk Teach:
- How to develop and implement data and AI strategies that directly support measurable business outcomes
- Critical and strategic thinking skills, cross-functional collaboration, and technical decision-making abilities to scale the team's impact.
- Champion the ethical and responsible use of AI and data, including bias mitigation, transparency, and the potential impact on patrons and society
- New technologies, such as AI-enabled engineering tools to improve workflows and data management tools Learn:
- NYPL culture, goals, strategy and the environment in which we work
- The specific challenges that digital technology introduces for our staff, patrons, vendors, partners and the Library as a whole
- Stay up to date on the latest developments in AI/ML technology, as well as ongoing developments in data management technologies and platforms Improve:
- Remove roadblocks and advocate for the changes needed to maintain a world-class engineering team
- Help NYPL embrace data-driven transformation and help the organization better leverage data in its business practices
- Ensure that the team’s time and capacity are adequately allocated in order to deliver on high-priority projects in a timely manner
- Socialize core engineering metrics so that the organization better understands Engineering’s internal objectives and results
- Break down silos between individual engineers, and between engineering teams and key partners.
- Responsibilities: Technical Strategy and Operation
- Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, algorithms, and methodologies into our products and services
- Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for NYPL's data platforms, enterprise analytics capabilities, and the AI Search and Discovery products.
- Leadership and People Management
- 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.
- Engineering Practices and Architecture
- 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.
- Drive the resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes.
Commitments
This is not a remote position; this role requires onsite work in NYC office 3 days a week.
Be Welcoming and Inclusive Work Environment
Office environment
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week Physical Duties
N/A Pre-Placement Physical Required?
No Union/Non Union
Non-Union FLSA Status
Exempt Schedule
Monday - Friday; 9-5
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week 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).
Not Met Priorities
What still needs stronger evidence
Requirements
- Minimum of 10+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership/management role.
- 5 -10 years of progressive leadership/management experience.
- Drive continuous improvement in AI methodologies and best practices.
- 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.
- Strong technical understanding of AI/ML DevOps, evaluation frameworks, agentic workflows, and permission systems integration.
- Proven ability to collaborate closely with technical leads and data scientists.
- Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale, production-grade data platforms and pipelines (SQL/NoSQL, cloud data warehousing like Snowflake, Databricks).
- Production experience in leading an AI/ML engineering team to deliver a product, specifically involving NLP, vector databases, and RAG architectures.
- Production experience working with data stores, including ElasticSearch and/or Solr, with vector databases/stores a plus
- Deep understanding of software development best practices, including DevOps best practices around CI/CD, git workflows, testing/test automation and infrastructure as code (IaC)
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, with experience on AWS a plus Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
- Manages a diverse technology/developer team (2-6 tech leads and engineers)
Preferred Skills
- Production experience working with data stores, including ElasticSearch and/or Solr, with vector databases/stores a plus
- Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, with experience on AWS a plus Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
Education
- (Required) – Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience/application Required Experience
- (Required) – Minimum of 10+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership/management role.
Department: Digital Location: Stephen A. Schwarzman Building Compensation: $160,000 - $185,000 / year
Description
This is not a remote position; this role requires onsite work in NYC office 3 days a week.
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 Library’s portfolio of digital 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. 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 critical role is responsible for overseeing the development, and operation of NYPL's enterprise data platforms and driving the in-house development of cutting-edge AI-powered search and discovery products. Our core objective is to develop and deploy these powerful tools in a responsible and ethical manner. This role’s goal is to empower researchers, scholars, and the general public to unearth and engage with materials within NYPL's vast and diverse collections in impactful ways. It will also seek to improve these discovery processes via the robust collection and management of data, furthering NYPL’s ability to understand its patrons and improve its offerings to them.
We are looking for someone we can count on to: Own:
Technical roadmap and execution for our Data and AI products
Strategic objectives for the implementation and adoption of AI and Data driven initiatives across NYPL
Hiring, training, coaching and management of engineering team members
Continuous improvement of Engineering practices
Our tech stacks, frameworks, vendor tools, and processes
Identification and mitigation of risk Teach:
How to develop and implement data and AI strategies that directly support measurable business outcomes
Critical and strategic thinking skills, cross-functional collaboration, and technical decision-making abilities to scale the team's impact.
Champion the ethical and responsible use of AI and data, including bias mitigation, transparency, and the potential impact on patrons and society
New technologies, such as AI-enabled engineering tools to improve workflows and data management tools Learn:
NYPL culture, goals, strategy and the environment in which we work
The specific challenges that digital technology introduces for our staff, patrons, vendors, partners and the Library as a whole
Stay up to date on the latest developments in AI/ML technology, as well as ongoing developments in data management technologies and platforms Improve:
Remove roadblocks and advocate for the changes needed to maintain a world-class engineering team
Help NYPL embrace data-driven transformation and help the organization better leverage data in its business practices
Ensure that the team’s time and capacity are adequately allocated in order to deliver on high-priority projects in a timely manner
Socialize core engineering metrics so that the organization better understands Engineering’s internal objectives and results
Break down silos between individual engineers, and between engineering teams and key partners. Responsibilities: Technical Strategy and Operation
Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, algorithms, and methodologies into our products and services
Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for NYPL's data platforms, enterprise analytics capabilities, and the AI Search and Discovery products. Leadership and People Management
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. Engineering Practices and Architecture
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.
Drive the resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes.
Required Education, Experience & Skills
Required Education and Certifications
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience/application Required Experience
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership/management role.
5 -10 years of progressive leadership/management experience.
Drive continuous improvement in AI methodologies and best practices.
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. Required Skills
Strong technical understanding of AI/ML DevOps, evaluation frameworks, agentic workflows, and permission systems integration. Proven ability to collaborate closely with technical leads and data scientists.
Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale, production-grade data platforms and pipelines (SQL/NoSQL, cloud data warehousing like Snowflake, Databricks).
Production experience in leading an AI/ML engineering team to deliver a product, specifically involving NLP, vector databases, and RAG architectures.
Production experience working with data stores, including ElasticSearch and/or Solr, with vector databases/stores a plus
Deep understanding of software development best practices, including DevOps best practices around CI/CD, git workflows, testing/test automation and infrastructure as code (IaC)
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, with experience on AWS a plus Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
Manages a diverse technology/developer team (2-6 tech leads and engineers)
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
Office environment
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week Physical Duties
N/A Pre-Placement Physical Required?
No Union/Non Union
Non-Union FLSA Status
Exempt Schedule
Monday - Friday; 9-5
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week 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).
Description
This is not a remote position; this role requires onsite work in NYC office 3 days a week.
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 Library’s portfolio of digital 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. 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 critical role is responsible for overseeing the development, and operation of NYPL's enterprise data platforms and driving the in-house development of cutting-edge AI-powered search and discovery products. Our core objective is to develop and deploy these powerful tools in a responsible and ethical manner. This role’s goal is to empower researchers, scholars, and the general public to unearth and engage with materials within NYPL's vast and diverse collections in impactful ways. It will also seek to improve these discovery processes via the robust collection and management of data, furthering NYPL’s ability to understand its patrons and improve its offerings to them.
We are looking for someone we can count on to: Own:
Technical roadmap and execution for our Data and AI products
Strategic objectives for the implementation and adoption of AI and Data driven initiatives across NYPL
Hiring, training, coaching and management of engineering team members
Continuous improvement of Engineering practices
Our tech stacks, frameworks, vendor tools, and processes
Identification and mitigation of risk Teach:
How to develop and implement data and AI strategies that directly support measurable business outcomes
Critical and strategic thinking skills, cross-functional collaboration, and technical decision-making abilities to scale the team's impact.
Champion the ethical and responsible use of AI and data, including bias mitigation, transparency, and the potential impact on patrons and society
New technologies, such as AI-enabled engineering tools to improve workflows and data management tools Learn:
NYPL culture, goals, strategy and the environment in which we work
The specific challenges that digital technology introduces for our staff, patrons, vendors, partners and the Library as a whole
Stay up to date on the latest developments in AI/ML technology, as well as ongoing developments in data management technologies and platforms Improve:
Remove roadblocks and advocate for the changes needed to maintain a world-class engineering team
Help NYPL embrace data-driven transformation and help the organization better leverage data in its business practices
Ensure that the team’s time and capacity are adequately allocated in order to deliver on high-priority projects in a timely manner
Socialize core engineering metrics so that the organization better understands Engineering’s internal objectives and results
Break down silos between individual engineers, and between engineering teams and key partners. Responsibilities: Technical Strategy and Operation
Identify, evaluate, and implement emerging technologies, algorithms, and methodologies into our products and services
Define and champion the technical vision and roadmap for NYPL's data platforms, enterprise analytics capabilities, and the AI Search and Discovery products. Leadership and People Management
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. Engineering Practices and Architecture
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.
Drive the resolution of complex technical challenges and lead efforts to improve engineering processes.
Required Education, Experience & Skills
Required Education and Certifications
Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience/application Required Experience
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in data engineering, software engineering, or machine learning engineering, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership/management role.
5 -10 years of progressive leadership/management experience.
Drive continuous improvement in AI methodologies and best practices.
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. Required Skills
Strong technical understanding of AI/ML DevOps, evaluation frameworks, agentic workflows, and permission systems integration. Proven ability to collaborate closely with technical leads and data scientists.
Deep expertise in designing, building, and operating large-scale, production-grade data platforms and pipelines (SQL/NoSQL, cloud data warehousing like Snowflake, Databricks).
Production experience in leading an AI/ML engineering team to deliver a product, specifically involving NLP, vector databases, and RAG architectures.
Production experience working with data stores, including ElasticSearch and/or Solr, with vector databases/stores a plus
Deep understanding of software development best practices, including DevOps best practices around CI/CD, git workflows, testing/test automation and infrastructure as code (IaC)
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, with experience on AWS a plus Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities:
Manages a diverse technology/developer team (2-6 tech leads and engineers)
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
Office environment
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week Physical Duties
N/A Pre-Placement Physical Required?
No Union/Non Union
Non-Union FLSA Status
Exempt Schedule
Monday - Friday; 9-5
Hybrid work environment; required work in the office in NYC 3 days a week 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).