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.

The World’s First Business School
JOSEPH WHARTON, FOUNDER

In 1881, American entrepreneur and industrialist Joseph Wharton established the world’s first collegiate school of business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Wharton’s pioneering vision was to produce graduates who would become ‘pillars of the state, whether in private or in public life.’ The Wharton School maintains a long tradition of educating visionary business leaders in academia, business, government, and not-for-profit organizations.

Today, Wharton has expanded the scope of this vision to become the most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world – with over 225 faculty members, 95,000 alumni, 5,000 students across 10 academic departments, 20 research centers, and more than 9,000 executive education participants annually. https://www.wharton.upenn.edu/

The Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center:

Established in 1985, the Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center develops and promotes effective public and private policies for dealing with a range of disaster risks. The Risk Center is a thought leader and a trusted source for independent analysis, workable tools, and implementable solutions. We are a voice for the public good, committed to resilience opportunities that benefit everyone. The Center achieves its vision through three broad groups of activities: (1) high-quality research, (2) our policy incubator, and (3) our outreach and translational work that better links research and practice through various bridging activities.

Research Coordinator Duties:

The Risk Center seeks a full-time Research Coordinator to support multiple ongoing research and policy analysis projects on the topics of climate adaptation, decision-making under uncertainty, natural hazards, community resilience, disaster insurance, and related topics. This person will conduct background research, data analysis, and various project support activities including: gathering and summarizing existing literature, collecting and cleaning datasets, and drafting written products for a variety of audiences. This person will have the following responsibilities:

• Conduct a variety of research tasks as needed for Center projects under the direction of Center directors
• Identify, review, and synthesize academic and policy literatures
• Help with ‘fact finding’ activities
• Work with research staff on both quantitative and qualitative research projects
• Draft written products for a variety of audiences (e.g. blogs, issue briefs, discussion papers)
• Undertake statistical analyses of data using Stata and Excel
• Manage and clean datasets
• Collaborate with Center staff on organizing events, workshops, and conferences
• Track relevant legislation and policy developments
• Assist in proposal preparation
• Other duties as assigned

This position is contingent upon funding. The preferred start date is summer of 2019.

A Bachelors Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, are required. Master’s Degree in a related field preferred

• Evidence of excellent written communication skills
• Background on risk and resilience topics
• Familiarity with Excel and basic statistical analysis required; more advanced statistical skills or familiarity with other statistical packages preferred
• Evidence of outstanding academic achievement
• Proven ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to work calmly under deadline pressure
• Able to work both independently and as a team member
• Evidence of taking initiative and follow projects through to completion

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.