The New York Public Library, Vice President of Education

ORGANIZATION

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 engagement—offering free, world-class programs and services that help New Yorkers of all ages develop literacy, career skills, and cultural fluency.

To learn more about the New York Public Library, please visit www.nypl.org. 

OPPORTUNITY

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.

COLLABORATION & ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

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 intelligence—someone 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.

RESPONSIBILITIES

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

• Advance a clear, focused vision for lifelong learning that builds on NYPL’s strengths and aligns with the Learning pillar of the FY26–30 strategic plan.
• Translate the Library’s goals—economic mobility, digital inclusion, and civic participation—into measurable operational plans across programs and teams.
• Guide an established portfolio through its next stage of growth, strengthening program quality, reach, and efficiency.
• Establish performance benchmarks and accountability systems that foster collaboration and measurable impact.
• Collaborate with internal partners, including the Yoseloff Business Center and workforce development teams, to expand pathways for entrepreneurship, career advancement, and small-business learning.
• Serve as a visible thought leader for NYPL’s education and learning work, reinforcing the Library’s role as a trusted civic partner and national model for equitable opportunity.

Program Oversight & Innovation

• Oversee the Library’s core public education portfolio, including Early Literacy, NYPL After School, Teens 360°, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), TechConnect, and Career Services.
• NYPL seeks a leader who brings not only deep knowledge of the education landscape but also a spirit of experimentation—someone eager to test new models, question old assumptions, and build how communities will learn in the future, not just replicate what has worked in the past.
• Integrate emerging technologies—such as AI, coding, and creative media—into learning and workforce programs in ways that are accessible, ethical, and inclusive.
• Encourage cross-program connections that link education, workforce, and community learning across branches and neighborhoods.
• Work alongside Programming and Research Library teams to align cultural programs and civic dialogue with NYPL’s broader learning agenda.
• Embed wraparound services such as social work, financial literacy, and immigrant support to meet holistic patron needs and strengthen community well-being.

Impact & Continuous Improvement

• Build on NYPL’s performance benchmarks through data-driven evaluation that tracks utilization, outcomes, and long-term impact on literacy, career readiness, and social mobility.
• Collaborate with the Strategy and Public Impact and Digital teams to strengthen data systems and align evaluation with organizational goals.
• Use findings to refine strategy, reallocate resources, and communicate results to staff, funders, and the public.

Team Leadership

• Lead and inspire a diverse, highly skilled team of more than 400 staff.
• Foster accountability, collaboration, and shared purpose across teams with deep expertise in multiple domains.
• Guide an experienced leadership group through a period of consolidation and impact-focused growth.
• Cultivate a culture that values inclusion, learning, and innovation at every level.

Stakeholder & Partnership Engagement

• Collaborate closely with the Vice President for Branch and Patron Services to align branch-based programs with systemwide learning strategies.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Reading & Engagement to unify the core adult education portfolio (including English for Speakers of Other Languages [ESOL], TechConnect, and Career Services) with the strategy for adult literary and cultural programs, ensuring seamless program integration across the Library system.
• Partner with schools, training providers, employers, and community organizations to expand participation and connect learning to opportunity.
• Work with Communications and Development to strengthen visibility, donor confidence, and philanthropic investment in NYPL’s education and learning programs.
• Partner with Development to identify and pursue new funding opportunities that support innovation, program expansion, and long-term sustainability.
• Represent NYPL in local and national forums as a leader in public learning and digital equity.

QUALIFICATIONS 

The ideal candidate will be an experienced and inclusive executive who brings both strategic depth and operational rigor to complex, high-impact organizations.

• Master’s degree in Education, Library Science, Public Administration, or related field.
• Senior leadership experience managing multi-site programs with $5M+ budgets and 100+ staff.
• Proven success driving transformative strategies that elevate quality, expand reach, and position organizations for the future.
• Commitment to advancing equity and access in education, literacy, workforce, or public service.
• Demonstrated ability to modernize long-standing programs and systems while respecting institutional history and culture.
• Record of building data-driven, performance-based systems that link evaluation, outcomes, and staff development.
• Skilled in quantitative and qualitative analysis to inform strategy, measure impact, and guide innovation.
• Strong financial management of operational budgets; adept at analyzing how money is spent, making trade-offs, and rebalancing resources to support priorities and sustainability.
• Expertise in at least two NYPL domains (youth learning, workforce, adult literacy, digital inclusion) with the vision to lead across all.
• Experienced in recruiting, developing, and leading high-performing teams, with an eye toward succession planning and leadership pipelines.
• Demonstrated ability to build credibility with executive leadership, Trustees, and external partners.
• Visible leader and ambassador who forges partnerships and represents the Library across civic, educational, and cultural sectors.
• Skilled change leader who inspires teams through transformation with clarity, resilience, and respect for tradition.
• Exceptional communicator who can influence diverse stakeholders with clarity, credibility, and purpose.
• Creative, forward-looking thinker who designs innovative programs and aligns them with evolving community needs.
• Deep commitment to NYPL’s mission and familiarity with library service models across all ages.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

This position offers a competitive salary range of $260,000 - $285,000 and robust benefits including medical, retirement, and paid time off. More details can be provided upon request.

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.

NYPL 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

TO APPLY

Please submit a resume online at https://apply.workable.com/j/6996BB869B/.

The New York Public Library is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. Recruiting staff to create an inclusive organization is a priority, and we encourage applicants from all backgrounds. Candidates are evaluated solely on their qualifications to perform the work required.