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. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

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.

Posted Job Title

Philadelphia Violence Reduction Director

Job Profile Title

Manager Research Project C

Job Description Summary

The Philadelphia Violence Reduction Director is responsible for developing and overseeing the Crime and Justice Policy Lab’s support to strengthen the City of Philadelphia’s capacity to design, implement, and sustain an effective, unified community violence reduction strategy. The role involves high-level engagement with government officials, community organizations, and academic and funding partners.

Job Description

This position is working in the Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP), a research group within the University of Pennsylvania Department of Criminology. The mission of the CJP Lab is to apply rigorous methods of scientific research to improve public safety in disadvantaged communities, centering those communities in the design and execution of policy ideas, and ensuring that research and government policy is being done with communities rather than to communities. The end goal for our work is that citizens in Philadelphia and other major cities are able to enjoy safety and equitable treatment and outcomes in their day-to-day lives. CJP works primarily in Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Oakland, and San Francisco, and with several federal government partners and international partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.

CJP projects often pursue a “triple bottom line”—our successful projects are ones that reduce violence that is affecting communities, reduce incarceration, and lessen the burden of policing on communities by generating fewer and more just interactions between police and community members. As many of our projects directly work with the criminal justice system to achieve these goals, we need to be comfortable both holding the priorities of the communities we serve at the center of our work, while also being able to work productively with police and other groups.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Advising

• In close coordination with technical assistance and research partners, serve as the primary strategic counsel between CJP and city partners in Philadelphia, including the Mayor’s Office, Philadelphia Police Department, District Attorney’s Office, and local foundations, universities and non-profits.

• Advise on all aspects of planning, design, implementation, evaluation and institutionalization with the explicit goal of strengthening Philadelphia’s capacity to design, implement, and sustain an effective, unified community violence reduction strategy.

• Coordinate and mobilize the deployment of technical assistance based on identified and anticipated needs.

Implementation Oversight

• Work with relevant stakeholders to coordinate and leverage resources across committed partners to think through issues of design and implementation of a unified community violence reduction strategy.

• Monitor fidelity to information sharing and coordination protocols and procedures within and between city agencies, support and outreach and community partners.

• Work with relevant partners to coordinate and manage inter-agency working group(s) of law enforcement agencies, community leaders and service providers, set manageable, goal-oriented agendas for meetings and co-facilitate meetings, as appropriate.

• Oversee data collection to monitor and evaluate implementation and performance management.

Communications

• Work with relevant stakeholders to ensure effective public communication and understanding of project goals, strategy, operations and outcomes.

• Communicate project goals and local specifics to broader community and enforcement audiences, as appropriate.

• Work with city officials to ensure effective project representation in local media.

Evaluation

• Serve as liaison on all internal and external efforts to assess and evaluate the City of Philadelphia’s capacity to design, implement, and sustain an effective, unified community violence reduction strategy.

• Work with relevant partners to collect pre- and post-data.

• Oversee efforts to maintain detailed records of key decisions and implementation milestones.

Qualifications:

• A Master’s degree in Public Policy, Public Affairs, Public Health, Criminology, Criminal Justice or a similar field with significant knowledge and background related to public policy around crime, violence and criminal justice issues and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

• A minimum of ten (10) years of experience working with government and non-profit organizations on projects related to violence prevention and crime-policy is strongly preferred. Experience working directly with city leadership, including mayoral office directors and with police department command-level staff, as well as private sector, community-based agencies, social service professionals and academicians.

• Experience working on projects related to evaluation.

• A deep understanding of how local law enforcement agencies and government services function.

• Strong professional written and verbal proficiency in English and an understanding of how to communicate policy lessons from technical academic research in ways that policymakers and practitioners understand.

• The ability to work occasional weekend and/or evening hours based on business needs.

• The ability to think strategically, handle multiple projects at once, meet deadlines, and effectively manage time.

• Track record of delivering results in a high-pressure environment with multiple workstreams.

• Proven ability to effectively manage crisis situations.

This position is contingent upon grant funding.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$74,476.00 - $140,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and

the pay range assigned to the job profile.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

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

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay