Senior Project Manager

Queens Public Library; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 123,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Queens Public Library in New York City seeks a Senior Project Manager to lead major capital construction initiatives, including front-end planning, design, and construction oversight.

You will supervise a team of project managers, coordinate with NYC DDC and internal stakeholders to deliver projects on time and within budget, while upholding safety and accessibility standards and supporting community service goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or commensurate experience.
• Minimum 6 years of progressive construction or project management experience.
• Experience with public or commercial construction projects.
• Supervisory experience leading project managers or engineers.

Responsibilities

• Act as the owner's representative for capital projects and coordinate with NYC DDC.
• Define scope, deliverables, schedules, and cost estimates for projects.
• Review plans for compliance with codes, standards, and accessibility.
• Monitor progress using formal metrics and keep stakeholders informed.
• Maintain complete, auditable project records and budgets.
• Lead bi-weekly status updates with department heads and teams.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder communication

Team supervision

Budgeting & cost control

Regulatory compliance

Construction coordination

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in construction management, architecture, engineering, or related

Tools

MS Word

Excel

Adobe Acrobat

CAD / BIM familiarity

Job description

Queens Public Library is a national and international leader in the delivery of public library service. Our mission is to transform lives by cultivating personal and intellectual growth and by building strong communities. Queens Public Library welcomes innovators and leaders to contribute to a long history and dynamic future of serving the most diverse county in the United States. Queens Public Library is a private, non-profit corporation serving 66 locations.

Job Description

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.

Major Responsibilities

• 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, Certifications And Experience

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.

This is a non-union position. The starting annual salary range is $123,000.00 - $135,000.00. The Queens Public Library is an Equal Opportunity Employer.