University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Description Summary

The Behavior Change for Good Initiative (BCFG) at the University of Pennsylvania is led by Professors Katherine Milkman, Angela Duckworth and an interdisciplinary team of 125 world-renowned economists, computer scientists, doctors, and psychologists. BCFG specializes in conducting large-scale field experiments designed to promote sustained behavior change. We have formed partnerships with some of the world's largest organizations to reach millions of their customers and students. Learn more about BCFG at bcfg.upenn.edu or through this Freakonomics podcast describing BCFG's founding vision: http://tinyurl.com/bcfg2017.

Job Description

The position is ideal for individuals interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in behavioral science or a related discipline who are seeking to gain more research experience before applying to graduate school. The Research Coordinator will support the work of Professors Katherine Milkman and Angela Duckworth, in addition to the many experts in behavioral science on the BCFG Scientific Team.

The Research Coordinator will work on the development and evaluation of behavior change interventions across a wide variety of settings. The Research Coordinator will manage and coordinate significant multi-site research projects. This position entails developing and implementing research designs, handling data collection and management, conducting data analysis, and preparing research reports.

This position is contingent upon continued funding.

Examples of the type of research the Research Coordinator will support include:

• https://www.pnas.org/content/116/30/14808.short (A Large-Scale Field Experiment Shows Giving Advice Improves Academic Outcomes for the Advisor)
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S074959782030385X (Teaching Temptation Bundling to Boost Exercise)
• https://www.pnas.org/content/117/29/16891 (Forgoing Earned Incentives to Signal Pure Motives)

Position is contingent on external funding.

Qualifications

 Bachelor's degree with 1-2 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. A background in Economics, Psychology, Behavioral Economics, or Behavioral Science is preferred. The ideal candidate will have taken classes on econometrics and be proficient in either STATA or R, and comfortable working on UNIX servers. The start date for this position is June 2021.

Please submit a resume and cover letter for consideration.

Working Conditions
Office, library, computer room

Physical Effort
Typically sitting at a desk or table

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$36,401.00 - $65,521.00

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.