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

In a partnership with the Philadelphia Office of Violence Prevention and the Urban Affairs Coalition, the University of Pennsylvania will evaluate the Philadelphia Group Violence Intervention (GVI), an approach to reducing group-involved violence. The Research Project Director will manage all aspects of the project including working directly with city officials, coordinating with the GVI implementation team, collecting data, and using rigorous statistical analyses to assess the impact of GVI.

Job Description

This position is for a Research Project Director for the evaluation of a violence prevention program in Philadelphia. The selected project director will run all aspects of the evaluation, including the development of a research design, working with and advising the implementation team on plans to align the program with the evaluation plan, collecting data on the people and places involved in the program, analyzing that data, and writing and publishing scholar research articles on the evaluation.

Duties include:
-Coordinating and meeting with program implementation staff and city officials.

-Data collection and acquisition, conducting focus groups and surveys, meeting with owners of criminal justice system data, acquiring the data.

-Project design, including developing the research design details, filing and maintaining appropriate IRB forms and approvals.

-Data analysis related to the project.

-Maintaining research records, including writing, delivering, and presenting progress reports.

-Dissemination, completing and submitting manuscripts on the evaluation of the program to relevant scholarly journals.

This position is contingent on continued funding.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The position requires a Masters and 3 to 5 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience. A Ph.D. with substantial training and research experience in social science methods, data analysis and statistics, quasi-experimental design is strongly preferred. The project director should have experience working in and around the criminal justice system and familiarity with criminology and criminal justice research. A track record of scholarly publications on crime and justice issues is preferred.

Working Conditions

Office, library, computer room

Physical Effort

Typically sitting at a desk or table; Occasional lifting 25 lb. or less; Typically standing or walking; Intermittently sitting/standing/stooping

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$59,703.00 - $113,435.00

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.