Job Description

Vice President Of Education

The New York Public Library (NYPL), the nation's largest public library system, is dedicated to inspiring lifelong learning, advancing knowledge, and strengthening communities across New York City. With 92 locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, and a collection of nearly 53 million items, NYPL is both a neighborhood cornerstone and a global leader in public knowledge.

The Library serves as a hub for equitable access, digital inclusion, and civic engagementoffering free, world-class programs and services that help New Yorkers of all ages develop literacy, career skills, and cultural fluency.

NYPL seeks a visionary and collaborative executive to serve as Vice President of Education, leading the strategy and delivery of learning programs across the Library's 88 branch libraries, the Thomas Yoseloff Business Center, and partner sites across New York City. This leader will shape and modernize NYPL's education and learning agenda, honoring the Library's 125+ year legacy while driving innovation to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. The Vice President will build on NYPL's strengths in literacy, ESOL, after-school, digital skills, workforce development, civic engagement, and cultural programming, ensuring more New Yorkers have access to the skills and confidence they need to learn and thrive.

The role requires close collaboration with colleagues across the Library, including the teams overseeing NYPL's three Research Libraries, to align education and public learning efforts while maintaining distinct portfolios. With a program budget of more than $20 million and a team of over 400 full- and part-time staff, the Vice President will guide a broad portfolio that connects people of all ages to meaningful learning opportunities across NYC. As a visible ambassador for NYPL, this leader will forge partnerships with civic, educational, and cultural leaders, advancing the Library's role as a trusted civic partner and engine of opportunity for New Yorkers.

This Vice President leads within a deeply collaborative executive environment, playing a hybrid role that involves overseeing teams that deliver direct services (e.g., ESOL, TechConnect, After-School instruction) and building the infrastructure that enables branch staff across 89 locations to deliver high-quality education and public programs system-wide.

Success in this role requires close partnership with several key colleagues and departments:

• Vice President for Branch and Patron Services A primary operational partner. Together, these leaders align strategy, training, and resources to strengthen reading and learning across all branches.
• Vice President for Public Programs and Exhibitions (Research Libraries) A close collaborator in connecting the strengths of NYPL's Research Libraries with the reach of its branch system. Together, these divisions coordinate institution-wide programs, events, and partnerships that bridge research, culture, and community learning, while maintaining distinct organizational portfolios.
• Senior Director of Reading and Engagement Oversees system-wide public programming and NYPL's broader reading and engagement strategy. The Vice President partners closely with this leader to align education initiatives with the Library's efforts to foster a lifelong culture of reading and connection across all locations.
• BookOps As the team responsible for digital and physical collection development in the branches BookOps is a key partner in sourcing collections for literacy campaigns and programs.
• Thomas Yoseloff Business Center A key partner in expanding entrepreneurship, workforce, and financial literacy programs that link business and science resources with community learning.
• Strategy and Public Impact Works closely with this division to measure outcomes, evaluate programs, and guide data-driven improvements that strengthen impact across NYPL's learning portfolio.
• Digital Collaborates on tools and technologies that expand access to learning, from digital literacy to hybrid and virtual programs.
• Communications Partners on storytelling, outreach, and patron engagement to expand awareness and participation.
• Development Coordinates on grant writing, reporting, and donor engagement. While not the primary fundraiser, this VP plays a visible role in sustaining funder confidence through collaboration and results.
• Board and Executive Leadership Represents NYPL's learning strategy with trustees, donors, and civic leaders.

This collaborative model requires a leader with both strategic acumen and emotional intelligencesomeone who can lead through influence as well as authority, aligning complex teams toward shared goals across one of the world's largest public library systems.

Reporting to the Merryl and James Tisch Director of Branch Libraries and Education, the Vice President for Education will focus on the following core areas:

• Strategic Leadership & Direction
• Program Oversight & Innovation
• Impact & Continuous Improvement
• Team Leadership
• Stakeholder & Partnership Engagement

Job Tags

Similar Jobs