Associate Director, IT Products & Business Relations

Job description

**Overview**The Department of IT Strategy, Policy & Insights partners with Infrastructure, Operations & Cybersecurity leadership to strengthen how IT delivers for the Library. The team sets direction for IT products, establishes governance, and measures performance to ensure the work is aligned, effective, and delivering real value. The Associate Director, IT Products & Business Relations leads the Product Management practice and the relationships that inform it. Reporting to the Senior Director, this role aligns product strategy to NYPL priorities, drives multi-year roadmapping, and ensures IT is building and delivering against what the organization actually needs. **We are looking for someone we can count on to:** **Own**: - IT product strategy aligned to organizational priorities and service model - A clear, maintained product roadmap that balances new work with operational stability - Product-related relationships across the organization, ensuring needs are understood and reflected in decisions - The performance and development of the Product Management team **Teach**: - How to connect technology decisions to business outcomes - Practical roadmapping and prioritization approaches - How to build business cases and communicate product direction clearly **Learn:** - How NYPL's strategic plan and organizational priorities should shape the IT product portfolio - Where the current practice has gaps and what improvements would have the most impact - How needs across the organization are evolving, and what that means for IT products and service delivery **Improve**: - The consistency of how product management is practiced across teams - The feedback loops between end users, stakeholders, and the product team - How IT communicates its work and value across the organization **Some expectations for this role are that within:** **1 month**, this person will: - Complete an assessment of the current product portfolio, team structure, roadmap status, and key stakeholder relationships - Build rapport with direct reports, technology leads, and business partners across the Library - Identify early priorities and any areas needing immediate attention **3 months**, this person will: - Develop a clear point of view on the state of the practice and share recommendations with leadership - Establish or refine roadmapping processes that connect product priorities to organizational strategy - Be actively engaged with stakeholders across the Library **6 months and beyond**, this person will: - Own and communicate a multi-year product roadmap aligned to NYPL's strategic goals - Operate as a trusted partner to Library business units, with structured channels for ongoing engagement - Lead the team with clear direction, measurable goals, and a consistent operating rhythm **Responsibilities** - Lead and develop the Product Management team, setting clear expectations and supporting professional growth - Define and maintain a product strategy aligned to NYPL's organizational goals, IT's operating model, and the needs of Library staff and patrons - Own multi-year roadmapping efforts across the IT product portfolio, facilitating cross-functional alignment and transparent prioritization - Lead engagement for the IT product portfolio, driving partnerships across the organization to shape direction, selection, and priorities - Partner with Infrastructure, Operations & Cybersecurity to ensure alignment between product and engineering - Maintain a requirements and estimation process that supports accurate scoping and sound investment decisions - Establish feedback mechanisms, including demos, retrospectives, and stakeholder reviews, that keep the roadmap responsive to real user needs - Define and track KPIs and measures of success for the product portfolio, using data to inform decisions and report value to leadership - Monitor technology trends and assess their relevance to the product management strategy - Represent product management and business relations in cross-departmental planning and governance conversations - Perform other related duties as required