She is widely known for her work in relating trauma and disaster, as well as present-day intercultural and ecumenical issues for biblical studies.
She was a lecturer of biblical studies and assistant chaplain at Providence College (1974-1977) before she spent several years as a teaching fellow at Princeton Theological Seminary (1978-1981).
Beginning in 2005, she took the position of the William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary (2005-2010), where she retired and was named emerita in 2011.
She served as a member of Council for the Society of Biblical Literature, through which she was co-chair of the Composition of the Book of Jeremiah Group (1991-1998).
O'Connor has published a number of books and articles concerning rigorous study of the Old Testament and how it relates to the world today.
Jeremiah: Pain and Promise is the culmination of six years of work supported by the Henry Luce III Fellowship.