Director of Library Space Strategy and Planning

Overview

The Director of Library Space Strategy and Planning provides broad leadership, communication, and central planning for library spaces and capital projects throughout Yale Library, which spans over fifteen locations in New Haven and beyond, including Sterling Memorial Library, Arts Library, Beinecke Library, Bass Library, Classics Library, Divinity Library, Lewis Walpole Library in Farmington CT, Library Shelving Facility in Hamden CT, Marx Library, Math Library, Medical Library, Music Library, and library spaces including Technical Services in 344 Winchester, Beinecke in 344 Winchester, 17 Hillhouse, and Rosenkranz Hall.

The Director works in close collaboration and partnership with library program leaders and stakeholders to understand their needs and aspirations, and to elicit and develop ideas and vision for library spaces. Exercises creative, visionary leadership in determining solutions that balance the efficient use of resources and space with strategic priorities, program goals, and library mission. Acts as program/owner representative in capital projects involving Yale Facilities Planning & Project Management and design and architecture services, serving as the primary library liaison to Yale Facilities Planning & Project Management, the Office of the Provost, the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning (in its capacity as a key partner on teaching and learning spaces), and design and architecture consultants. The Director also manages projects directly with vendors and contractors where Yale Facilities project management and design support are not engaged. The Director also contributes strategic planning expertise across Yale's cultural heritage institutions, supporting the development of shared space strategies that advance collective institutional goals.

The Director serves as leader for library strategic outcomes under the strategic priority "Spaces that work as hard as you do," bringing together library managers and stakeholders across all outcomes in this area to align efforts, establish measures of progress, and report on results. The Director maintains an active understanding of space types and utilization across the library system, ensuring the mix and variety of spaces reflects diverse user needs, and develops new space approaches as those needs evolve.

The Director has budget responsibility for the library project portfolio, including direct management of project budgets and shared responsibility with Yale Facilities on capital projects. The Director maintains sufficient working knowledge of building operations to step in and provide coverage of essential leadership responsibilities in the other's absence, and actively supports this by staying informed of active conditions, priorities, risks, and emerging decisions in that domain.

Required Skills and Abilities

1. Demonstrated excellent oral, written, and analytical ability. Demonstrated leadership and collaborative skills. Proven ability to work across a complex organization to build shared vision and advance strategic priorities. Proven ability to formulate long-term goals and strategies.
2. Demonstrated space planning and capital project management skills. Experience acting as owner or program representative in complex renovation or construction projects involving architects, engineers, and construction managers. Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines and bring them to successful completion.
3. Proven ability to manage project budgets and recommend cost-effective solutions. Ability to synthesize technical and programmatic needs, develop alternative solutions, and evaluate and convey design requirements to architects, engineers, contractors, institutional stakeholders, and library leaders.
4. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with design professionals including architects, engineers, and design consultants. Ability to read and interpret construction documents, drawings, and specifications. Sufficient familiarity with building systems to evaluate design proposals and construction outcomes.
5. Demonstrated ability to partner with diverse institutional stakeholders to elicit needs, develop shared vision, build consensus, and advance complex initiatives. Ability to advocate effectively for institutional priorities in multi-stakeholder project and planning environments.

Preferred Skills and Abilities

1. Licensure as a Registered Architect or related professional credential.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Partner with library leaders, program directors, and stakeholders to understand space needs and aspirations, elicit and develop ideas and vision for library spaces, and translate programmatic goals into actionable space plans and project proposals.
2. Cultivate and maintain productive relationships with key university partners including Yale Facilities Planning & Project Management, the Office of the Provost (in relation to space planning and capital project approval processes), the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, and design and architecture consultants. Serve as the primary library liaison to these partners in space planning and capital project contexts. Support library leadership in navigating university space request and capital project approval processes.
3. Provide strategic guidance and planning expertise in close collaboration with Yale's cultural heritage institutions, contributing to the development of shared space strategies that advance collective institutional goals. Undertake project-based planning and analysis in support of partner institutions as assigned, aligning library-led initiatives with broader campus priorities.
4. Support fundraising and development efforts for library capital projects by providing planning documentation, project narratives, and expertise to library development staff, and as appropriate, to donors and external audiences. Articulate the vision, scope, and impact of capital projects to a range of audiences in support of library priorities.
5. Serve as leader for library strategic outcomes under the strategic priority "Spaces that work as hard as you do." Bring together library managers and stakeholders whose work is central to achieving outcomes in this area. Establish common direction, coordinate efforts, identify measures of progress and success, and ensure regular reporting to library leadership.
6. Act as program/owner representative in capital projects involving Yale Facilities Planning & Project Management and design and architecture services. Advocate for library interests, communicate programmatic requirements, and identify risks and opportunities throughout the project lifecycle from ideation through design, construction, and occupancy. Ensure that approved design intent is properly executed during construction phases.
7. Manage projects directly with vendors and contractors where Yale Facilities project management and design support are not engaged, including developing scope and budgets, selecting and managing contractors and vendors, and ensuring successful and timely project completion. Assure that these projects meet applicable safety and building code standards.
8. Maintain an active understanding of space types, utilization, and conditions across the library system. Ensure that the mix and variety of spaces reflects diverse user needs. Develop new space approaches and typologies as needs evolve. Lead planning with library managers for space assignment changes, both long-term and temporary, including identifying offices and workspaces for new staff, recognizing programmatic capacity limitations, and proposing solutions.
9. Lead multi-year capital planning for library spaces. Develop and maintain familiarity with applicable planning standards, best practices, codes, and university requirements. Advise library leaders on priorities for capital investment and stewardship. Collaborate with the Director of Library Building Operations and Security where capital planning intersects with CRC stewardship and building operations priorities.
10. Manage project portfolio budgets including direct budget responsibility for library-managed projects and shared responsibility with Yale Facilities on capital projects. Track project budgets, monitor expenditures, develop cost-effective solutions, and provide regular reporting to library leadership.
11. Work closely with the Director of Library Building Operations and Security to coordinate on capital and renovation projects where space planning and building operations responsibilities intersect. Actively support mutual coverage of essential leadership responsibilities by maintaining shared awareness of active projects, building conditions, priorities, risks, and emerging decisions across both domains.
12. Participate and provide leadership as needed in committees in the library and across the university. Represent the library in university-wide planning committees and groups as needed, including those convened by the Office of the University Architect and the Office of the Provost. Effectively represent Yale Library needs, opportunities, and impact at the university level.
13. As appropriate, contribute at the national/international level, recognize library and academic space planning trends and opportunities, and use this knowledge to enrich local programs and strategic planning. May represent Yale Library at local, regional, national, and international levels.
14. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree and 8 years' experience in capital project management, space planning, architectural practice, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Demonstrated experience managing complex projects in institutional or academic settings.

Preferred Education, Experience and Skills

Experience in an academic, library, museum, or other cultural institution setting. Professional degree in architecture, planning, or a related field. Experience with historic preservation or renovation of historically significant buildings. Experience with library or academic space programming, planning, and utilization analysis.

Physical Requirements

Ability to climb stairs, inspect roofs, access crawl spaces, move between buildings, inspect drawings, and drive a vehicle.