Senior Project Manager

Reporting to the Vice President of Capital Projects Management, the Senior Project Manager supports the Queens Public Library by ensuring the best interests of public library programs, services, health, and safety for all internal and external customers. As the Library's primary project representative and advocate for various capital initiatives, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for all phases of managing complex capital construction projects and major renovations. The role strategically negotiates scope, design intent, and project milestones with the New York City Department of Design and Construction (NYC DDC) to ensure that final results meet or exceed operational and community expectations. This position supervises a team of project managers, fosters collaborative relationships with internal organizational units and external stakeholders, and coordinates seamlessly with city agencies to execute projects safely, on schedule, and within budget. Performs other duties as assigned.

Project Management & DDC Pipeline Oversight

• Serves as the primary owner's representative and advocate for QPL, actively managing the NYC DDC organizational pipeline including front-end planning, design, and construction.
• Participates in comprehensive project development for capital improvements, including finalizing technical scope requirements, establishing project deliverables, preparing detailed bid summaries, defining resource schedules, and building structured cost estimates.
• Reviews and directs the ongoing review of complex project plans submitted by architects and engineers to ensure rigorous adequacy of application, absolute functional design intent, and strict conformance to New York City, Queens Public Library, and Health & Safety standards.
• Monitors project and construction work status through formal metrics and informal indicators to consistently evaluate progress towards strategic objectives.
• Maintains complete, highly organized, and auditable project records, ensuring full compliance with all relevant Queens Public Library and New York City municipal regulations.
• Updates project milestones and delivery status to all involved department heads and project stakeholders on a bi-weekly basis.
• Anticipates technical or bureaucratic bottlenecks proactively and recommends a range of realistic, cost-effective, and compliant solutions.

Financial Management & Budget Planning

• Provides direct technical and strategic input to the Vice President during the capital budget planning processes to safeguard QPL funding allocations.
• Assists in the strategic development of construction master budgets, master delivery schedules, and ongoing cost validation models.
• Conducts routine financial analysis, portfolio-wide cost projections, and thorough accountability reviews of active capital projects.
• Reviews, audits, and authorizes contractors' requests for payment and formal requests for construction change orders.

Staff Supervision & Professional Development

• Trains, mentors, and supervises a professional team of motivated project managers.
• Establishes clear, measurable, and reasonable performance goals aligned with capital projects timelines.
• Identifies strategic professional development and continuing education opportunities for department staff.
• Ensures all team members receive accurate, timely performance reviews in strict accordance with the Library's Performance Management procedures.
• Maintains accurate, comprehensive, and up-to-date staff performance and compliance documentation.

Required Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or a closely related technical discipline, or commensurate professional experience.
• A minimum of 6 years of progressive, hands-on experience in construction or project management, with a proven track record managing mid-size to large-scale public or commercial construction initiatives.
• Comprehensive, working knowledge of complex building infrastructure systems, MEP engineering, and contemporary materials and construction methods.
• At least 2 years of direct supervisory experience managing project managers, technical staff, or interdisciplinary engineering teams.
• Valid driver's license (local travel across the borough to project sites is frequent and required).
• Proficiency with modern office productivity suites including MS Word, Excel, and Adobe Acrobat.
• Familiarity with the core principles of institutional space planning, interior furnishings, and the fundamentals of accessible building design (ADA compliance).
• Excellent written, verbal, and stakeholder-facing communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to refine conceptual ideas into highly actionable project solutions.
• Familiarity with energy-efficient, sustainable, and LEED-aligned architectural design principles.
• Deep personal and professional commitment to serving diverse communities across the borough of Queens.

Preferred Qualifications

• New York State Registered Architect (RA) license or New York State Licensed Professional Engineer (PE) status.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve complex technical and contractual conflicts directly between specialized design consultants, general contractors, and library stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge and practical experience navigating rules, compliance standards, and laws regarding the use of public capital funds for public works construction projects.
• Hands-on experience or familiarity with Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems or Building Information Modeling (BIM) workflows.