Manager, Vendor Digitization Services

Manager, Vendor Digitization Services

Department: Collections

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Library Services Center

Reporting To: Benjamin Turkus

Compensation: $85,000 - $95,000 / year

Description

Overview

For more than 125 years, The New York Public Library (NYPL) has been an essential provider of books, information, ideas, and education. With collections numbering more than 56 million items and serving more than 16 million patrons in person each year and millions more online, NYPL's reach is both local and global. Our mission is to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen our communities.

At our world-class research centers-including the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Library at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, the Library for the Performing Arts, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture-expert staff facilitate the work of our diverse communities, offering inspiring reading rooms, programs, exhibitions, fellowships, and a dynamic range of research services. Their work is supported by dedicated staff on the Collections and Research Services teams. We are proud to be the most public and widely used research library in the world.

The newly Digital Collections Operations (DCO) department supports the stewardship, long-term preservation, and accessibility of NYPL's digital collections. To help advance these shared goals and strengthen the Library's digital collections ecosystem, the Manager, Vendor Digitization Services directs the end-to-end lifecycle of outsourced digitization projects for the Library's Research Libraries. Serving as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders and external service providers, the Manager establishes the logistical and administrative framework necessary to safely scale NYPL's digital reformatting efforts through strategic outsourcing.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Digital Reformatting, the Manager oversees the large-scale reformatting of both Audio and Moving Image (AMI) materials and diverse image-based collections-including microfilm, manuscripts, books, and specialized photographic formats (negatives, transparencies, and glass plates). In this critical role, they navigate complex vendor relationships and multi-year contracts, supervise a Media Preservation Coordinator (AMI), and ensure all external deliverables meet the Library's stringent technical and preservation standards. Ultimately, this position helps advance institutional digitization and access goals by delivering repository-ready assets for discovery, exhibition, and research, while fostering a collaborative, forward-looking, and service-oriented culture.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

• The end-to-end management of vendor-based digitization projects, from initial RFP development and scoping to final asset delivery, ensuring that all vendor deliverables are technically, descriptively, and administratively prepared for preservation, digital asset management, and access systems.
• The oversight and professional development of the Media Preservation Coordinator.
• The administration of vendor contracts, Master Service Agreements (MSAs), and significant OTPS/grant budgets related to outsourced services.
• The logistics for secure transport of collection materials to and from external facilities.

Teach:

• The Media Preservation Coordinator and wider team about effective vendor management, contract compliance, and technical quality control standards.
• Library partners about the technical requirements, timelines, and logistical constraints of outsourced digitization.

Learn:

• The technical nuances and FADGI/AMI specifications required for diverse formats, ranging from motion picture film and magnetic media to manuscripts and specialized photographic materials.
• NYPL's internal procurement and financial systems to ensure seamless invoice processing and budget tracking.
• Evolving industry standards for metadata and file packaging to ensure vendor deliverables are repository/DAMS ready.

Improve:

• The scalability and speed of the vendor digitization pipeline through refined project tracking and automated QC workflows.
• Communication protocols between the Library and external vendors to minimize errors and expedite project completion.

Procurement and RFP templates to better reflect the changing technological landscape of the digitization field.

Some expectations for this role are that within:

1 month, this person will:

• Audit all active vendor contracts and project timelines to understand dependencies, pain points, and resource needs.
• Meet and form relationships with internal teams across the Library to understand current strategic objectives for digitization.

3 months, this person will:

• Take full ownership of vendor communications, budget tracking, and the quarterly planning process for outsourced initiatives.
• Be a contributing member of committees, working groups and strategic planning efforts to align vendor digitization with larger institutional goals
• Refine logistical workflows for transport of materials, ensuring that safety and tracking protocols are consistently met.

6 months and beyond, this person will:

• Lead the development of new RFPs for large-scale imaging and AMI projects.

Develop a long-term roadmap for sequencing and implementing large-scale reformatting improvements.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Associate Director, Digital Reformatting, the Manager, Vendor Digitization Services will:

• Act as the primary point of contact for external labs; manage RFPs, negotiate quotes, and ensure strict adherence to contract terms, deadlines, and technical specifications.
• Lead, train, and evaluate the Media Preservation Coordinator; manage daily task assignments and performance goals.
• Facilitate the secure movement of diverse and fragile collection materials; partner with internal stakeholders on transit protocols and maintain rigorous tracking for all assets throughout the vendor reformatting lifecycle.
• Manage large-scale budgets for outsourced services; review and authorize vendor invoices and monitor spend against grant or institutional funds.
• Establish and oversee QC benchmarks for all vendor deliverables (AMI and Image); resolve technical discrepancies and metadata errors.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation for vendor workflows, asset tracking, and technical specifications.
• Work closely with other teams (Collection Management, Conservation, Special Collections Processing) to ensure collection safety and project alignment with institutional priorities.
• Maintain clear communication with department leadership and stakeholders about project progress.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

Master's degree in Library and Information Science, Museum Studies, or a related field with a focus on preservation or digital reformatting.

Required Experience

• 5+ years of professional experience in cultural heritage digitization or preservation, with a focus on project management.
• Demonstrated experience managing external vendors and navigating complex procurement/contracting processes.
• Prior experience managing project costs and large-scale budgets.
• Proven experience in a supervisory or team lead role, ideally in a production or preservation environment.

Required Skills

• Exceptional ability to manage multiple high-volume projects simultaneously, including budget tracking and timeline oversight.
• Strong working knowledge of both AMI preservation standards (IASA, AES) and image digitization standards (FADGI, ISO).
• Understanding of the risks and requirements associated with transporting rare, archival, and fine-art materials.
• Familiarity with checksum validation, file packaging (BagIt), and metadata schemas used in digital preservation workflows.
• Superior negotiation and interpersonal skills; ability to resolve technical or contractual disputes with external partners diplomatically.

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

1 direct report, overseeing Media Preservation Coordinator

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

• Primarily an office environment located at the Library Services Center (LSC), with regular visits to other NYPL Research sites.
• Exposure to dust and aged media formats.

Physical Duties

• Ability to lift and move boxes of collection materials and media (up to 40 lbs.).

Pre-Placement Physical Required?

No

Union/Non Union

Non-Union

FLSA Status

Exempt

Schedule

On-site, 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, 9 am - 5 pm

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).