Assistant Director for Research and Instruction

Join The New School At The New School, we redefine the boundaries of education, creativity, and innovation. Founded in 1919 and located in the heart of New York City, we are home to approximately 9,000 students from over 100 countries, offering more than 135 degree and diploma programs across our renowned colleges, including Parsons School of Design and the College of Performing Arts (Mannes, Jazz, and Drama), Lang College and the New School for Social Research, and Parsons Paris. Our progressive, interdisciplinary approach has earned us recognition as one of the most forward-thinking institutions in the world.

Reporting to the Director of Research & Instructional Services (RIS), the Assistant Director provides leadership in the planning, management, assessment, and strategic development of research and instructional services. Position duties are concentrated in supporting departmental assessment and analytics, developing and advancing strategic initiatives, and serving as liaison in subject areas related to management and entrepreneurship.

Position/Role Overview The Assistant Director of Research & Instructional Services is a key member of the department’s leadership team, balancing operational leadership with opportunities to strengthen and evolve library services in response to the changing needs of the university community. Working collaboratively with library colleagues, faculty, and academic programs, the Assistant Director supervises the Research Unit, leads assessment efforts that inform decision-making, and helps identify and implement new initiatives, including emerging areas such as scholarly communication. The successful candidate will bring strong leadership, analytical thinking, and a collaborative approach to enhancing research, teaching, and learning while contributing to the Libraries’ long-term goals. This is a full-time position.

Core Capabilities, Primary Duties, And Responsibilities Supervisory Duties

• Supervise Research & Instructional Services in the absence of the Director.
• Supervise assigned Subject Librarians.

• Lead “Research Unit” and oversee areas of focus:

• Assessment and analytics
• Data visualization
• Scholarly communication and open publishing

Assessment Duties

• Make budget recommendations for collection management.
• Ensure processes are effective, regularly assessing services and recommending revisions.
• Develop assessment strategies and actively participate in the implementation of strategic planning and goals.
• Generate and analyze departmental statistics, incorporating data visualization tools.

Operational Duties

• Jointly oversee and carry out research and instructional services (in-person, by phone and virtually) for library locations.
• Serve as liaison for programs within management and entrepreneurship (e.g., Fashion Communication, Fashion Management, and Media Management) by providing: outreach, instruction, research assistance, reserves and new program support, collection development, online guides and tutorials.
• Develop and coordinate services that support scholarly communication, including open publishing, and provide guidance to faculty and researchers on evolving publishing practices.
• Support the development and assessment of new services, resources, and initiatives that enhance research, teaching, and library services.

Collaboration Duties

• Partner with other library units to ensure excellent internal/external customer service standards.
• Collaborate with faculty, academic programs, and library colleagues to advance teaching, learning, and equitable access to library-supported course materials.
• Cultivate partnerships across the Libraries and the New School community to identify and advance scholarly communication initiatives and other emerging services.
• Participate in local and national forums in order to stay current with trends regarding research and instruction services in academic libraries.
• Participate in working groups, e.g., Stats and Analytics.

Qualifications Other duties as required.

• Relevant Bachelor’s degree from a four-year program.
• ALA-­accredited MLS.
• Strong understanding of research data management, statistical analysis, scholarly publishing and open access.
• Supervisory and/or project management experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in constantly evolving environment and eager to facilitate…