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Senior Manager, Special Collections Acquisitions Operations

**Application Deadline:** 11 January 2026

**Department:** Collections

**Employment Type:** Full Time

**Location:** Stephen A. Schwarzman Building

**Reporting To:** Jason Baumann

**Compensation:** $100,000 - $115,000 / year

Description

Overview

The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been one of the world’s great public research libraries for more than 130 years. Its research centers provide opportunities for engagement with in-depth and unique collections, inspirational reading rooms, exhibitions, programs, and a range of research services. The Collections and Research Services division encompasses several departments focused on managing the ongoing development of our exceptional research collections, advancing unified discovery and expanded access to our collections, both in-person and online, and ensuring stewardship of the collections at every stage of the collections lifecycle.

NYPL’s special collections are among the most significant and distinctive in the world. They include original manuscripts, organizational records, prints, photographs, rare books, sound recordings, and many other formats documenting history, literature, art history, performing arts, and Black studies – materials that preserve the record of human experience and achievement.

NYPL seeks a proven and collaborative leader to oversee the acquisitions workflow for its special collections, ensuring accountability and chain of custody, while supporting curators across the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library, the Library for the Performing Arts, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

**Own** :

+ Special collections acquisitions operations, ensuring that curators are informed, supported, and aligned around the Library’s business, legal, and acquisition processes

**Teach** :

+ Awareness of best practices in special collections acquisitions in collaboration with curators, including professional ethics, donor and vendor management, business accountability, provenance research, and responsible stewardship

Learn:

+ The range of NYPL’s special collections and its evolving collection development goals

+ The systems supporting special collections acquisitions at NYPL, including Sierra, Workday, and other databases

**Improve** :

+ Policies, workflows, and procedures for special collections acquisitions and strengthen communication to enhance staff knowledge and collaboration

Some expectations for this role are that within:

**1 month** , this person will:

+ Understand their responsibilities, current NYPL policies and procedures, projects and assessments already underway to improve workflows and documentation

+ Gain competency with key systems, including Sierra, WorkDay, ArchivesSpace, and SPEC

+ Meet special collection curators and other key collaborators and stakeholders across NYPL

**3 months** , this person will:

+ Manage the business and operational processes for special collections acquisitions, including supporting site visits, approval process, proposals, budgets, and legal agreements

+ Contribute to committees and strategic planning efforts, especially related to workflow optimization, the update of NYPL’s Collection Development policy, and the refinement of the total cost of stewardship models

**6 months and beyond** , this person will:

+ Build strong working relationships with curators, the Legal team, Finance, and other stakeholders

+ Identify gaps in policies and procedures and develop a preliminary plan for aligning curators around a shared vision for managing special collections acquisitions

Responsibilities

+ Manages the acquisition operations for newly acquired special collections, including partnering with curators in their assessments and site visits and ensuring processes and procedures are aligned with the Library’s business requirements

+ Manages acquisitions budgets, verifying available funds and providing regular updates to curators and other stakeholders

+ Shepherds purchase agreements and deeds of gifts through their development, review, and approval, coordinating with curators and the Legal team

+ Oversees the tracking and reporting of the total cost of stewardship and contributes to its refinement in partnership with other key stakeholders

+ Reviews acquisition proposals and partners with curators to resolve issues related to provenance, format, materials, size, and preservation concerns

+ Develops acquisition checklists, procedures, and training materials in partnership with curatorial leadership and provides regular training sessions

+ Coordinates the preparation of acquisitions proposals for Trustee committee review and approval in collaboration with curators

+ Oversees and manages the central archive for special collection acquisitions documents

+ Provides statistics on special collections acquisitions, tracking rates of collection growth, spend, and collection development targets

+ Oversees the work of the Administrative Coordinator in their work distributing agreements and other documents to donors and vendors

+ Coordinates with BookOps Acquisitions staff on the preparation of acquisition records, and with Collection Management on acquisitions pick-ups and deliveries

+ Monitors and stays abreast of new developments and trends in special collections collection development, aligning the Library with best practices in the field

+ Represents the Library in relevant conferences and professional organizations

+ Effectively manages organizational change, strengthening the alignment of people and processes

+ Performs other duties as assigned

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

ALA-accredited MLS or Master’s degree and relevant, substantial research library experience in special collections and acquisitions logistics

Required Experience

+ 7+ years of experience working with special collections, including experience with collection development practices, knowledge of the marketplace, and library acquisition processes

+ Demonstrated experience managing budgets and resource allocation

+ Demonstrated knowledge of standard acquisition business and legal practices in a library setting and the related tracking systems and tools

+ Demonstrated experience conducting research on provenance

+ Demonstrated experience in analyzing workflows, developing procedures, and implementing change to promote alignment and greater efficiency of operations

+ Demonstrated experience in resource management, problem-solving, and decision-making in a collaborative and coordinated work environment; a proven team player

Required Skills

+ Facility managing projects, with multiple timelines and stakeholders

+ Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills

+ Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem solving skills

+ Strong negotiation and influencing skills

+ Demonstrated ability to build consensus and promote productive teamwork

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

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

+ Hybrid

Physical Duties

+ Light lifting up to 30 lbs required

Pre-Placement** **Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

M-F, 9-5; Hybrid schedule, 3 days required in the office, 2 days remote

_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).