Administrative Coordinator at the The New York Public Library

Job Title: Administrative Coordinator 

Job Status: Full-time

Location: New York, NY

Salary: $58,000 – $67,000

Overview

The New York Public Library’s research collections are among the most important, unique, and comprehensive ever assembled for the free use of the public. From objects and artifacts of global significance to distinctive archives of individuals and organizations to books, journals, and newspapers in more than 380 languages to hundreds of databases available throughout the system and remotely, the Library’s collections provide endlessly rich materials for scholars, writers, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and students — and are a source of inspiration for the intellectually curious.

The Astor Director for Collections and Research Services oversees the collection development, access and discovery, special collections processing, and preservation departments. Under the direction of the Astor Director, the Administrative Coordinator provides critical administrative, budgetary, and logistical support to the director and department staff at the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building and the Library Services Center. Among other duties, the Administrative Coordinator assists in managing special collection acquisitions invoices, legal agreements, and other related documentation; communicates with donors and vendors; maintains strong working relationships with staff in BookOps, Finance, IT, Legal, and curators throughout the Research Libraries; and assists with local arrangements for programming and outreach activities and special projects as needed.

We are looking for someone we can count on to:

Own:

  • Providing the department with accurate and timely administrative support

Teach:

  • Vendors, donors, staff, and other parties about the Library’s business practices regarding collection development and research services

Learn:

  • The daily operations of a large public research library and how to assist staff in their library work

Improve:

  • The business practices and processes for research material acquisitions and communication across departments

Some expectations for this role are that within:1 month, this person will:

  • have learned the workflows involved in daily responsibilities

3 months, this person will:

  • have established a working relationship with the various departments that are a part of the administrative coordinator’s daily activities

6 months and beyond, this person will:

  • be able to work independently on tasks and projects

Responsibilities

  • Supports the Astor Director, senior managers, and budget analyst in managing department funds, rectifying allocations and other discrepancies, and tracking budgets between WorkDay and the ILS for collection materials.
  • Communicates regularly with curators, BookOps Acquisitions, Accounts Payable, Accounting, Budget, the Legal Office, and other departments, vendors, and donors as needed.
  • Responsible for various administrative tasks across three units, such as verifying timesheets for department staff, scheduling meetings, mail distribution, scanning documents, and maintaining office supplies.
  • Provides administrative support to the Associate Director for Collection Development by managing business workflows for special collection acquisitions, including sending and receiving business documents to donors and sellers in a timely manner, obtaining approvals, submitting invoices for payment, and verifying paperwork.
  • Submits purchase requisitions and documentation for purchasing various goods and library-wide services.
  • Maintains well-organized departmental files, including endowment records, invoices, legal agreements, and other essential documents.
  • Assists staff as needed with gift offers and incoming donations of general collection materials. Follows through with donors, checks inventory lists, coordinates pick-ups, and provides preliminary condition review.
  • Manages the documentation of department purchasing and corporate cards, maintains petty cash funds and documentation, and may assist with staff reimbursements as needed.
  • Provides logistical and local arrangements support, including reserving meeting rooms, ordering catering, processing payments for outside vendors and programming talent, making travel and conference arrangements, etc.
  • Helps to keep department staff abreast of updates to library policies and benefits.

Required Education, Experience & Skills

Required Education & Certifications

  • Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant administrative experience, or in lieu of a bachelor’s degree, a high school diploma and six years of relevant administrative experience.

Required Experience

  • Three years of administrative experience in an office, library, museum, or educational setting.

Required Skills

  • Strong analytical and quantitative skills, including experience with budgets and accounting
  • Successfully demonstrated ability to work independently and under deadlines with minimal supervision in a collaborative team environment
  • Demonstrated computer skills, including Microsoft Office, email, and other online tools and software applications
  • Demonstrated ability to respond effectively to email and telephone inquiries and to deal graciously, tactfully, and effectively with visitors and staff
  • Demonstrated attention to detail and experience with standard business correspondence and proofreading standards
  • Demonstrated ability to apply judgment, discretion, problem solving and initiative in a fast-paced environment
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
  • Successfully demonstrated organizational skills

Managerial/Supervisory Responsibilities

  • N/A

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with a variety of applications used to support administrative and library functions, including but not limited to Sierra Acquisitions module, Workday, scheduling applications (calendars and Doodle polls), project management software, Drupal; Or experience with similar software programs that would demonstrate an ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.

More…Core ValuesAll 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

  • Office

Physical Duties

  • Light lifting of boxes and totes with supplies and books
  • Ability to lift 30 lb boxes

Pre-Placement Physical Required?NoUnion/Non UnionNon-UnionFLSA StatusNon-ExemptSchedule

  • Monday – Friday, 9-5
  • This is an onsite job

Apply via LinkedIn

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.