Associate Research Director

Job Description SummaryThe Associate Research Director of the Penn Initiative for the Study of Markets (PISM) is responsible for managing financial operations and the administration of the center including grant proposal preparation, financial record-keeping, and budget management, ensuring compliance and accuracy. They will also support academic programming by assisting with departmental needs, organizing events, and providing research support. Finally, the position manages donor relations by meeting with donors to discuss research initiatives and providing concise summaries of activities.

Job DescriptionMarkets matter greatly. Historical experience suggests that societies that embrace open markets prosper. There is no historical example of enduring and broad prosperity in a nation without them. Open and working markets are taken for granted, or worse, they are abused or attacked for short-term economic and/or political gains. Against that backdrop, many schools and universities fail to equip future leaders and decision-makers with a fact-based view of the subject free from ideology.

The Penn Initiative for the Study of the Markets (PISM) aims to address that failure. We strive to raise awareness of the importance of markets and their philosophical foundations - based on facts, critical thinking, and non-partisan perspectives - with the goal of reaching a wide audience of scholars and students.

Our goals:Create a world-class undergraduate program at the University of Pennsylvania.Become a magnet for young promising scholars in the fields of political economy, economic history, and applied price theory to do research at PennAttract prominent economists as lecturers and visiting professors.Become an authority on the importance of markets, generating course materials for high school and college classes.Change the public’s attitudes and opinions regarding the importance of markets.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management:Prepare and submit grant proposals, ensuring accuracy and compliance with grant requirements.Maintain detailed records and summaries of grant activities and results to fulfill reporting obligations.Assist the business office with the processing and monitoring of PISM’s finances and operations.Manage the accounting for the center.Complete budget preparations.

Academic Responsibilities:Prepare motivation, literature review, research design, proposed econometric analysis, and expected outcomes of grant proposals.Assist with academic programming for political science and academics as applicable to the department needs.Read academic papers for department events to determine the speakers and participants.Support research needs for Latin America projects.

Donor Relations:Meet with donors to discuss the research being done and how the grants are being utilized.Create concise summaries of events and academic activities for donors and stakeholders.

Administrative Tasks:Perform administrative duties to support the smooth functioning of the center, including scheduling meetings, managing correspondence, and maintaining databases.Organize and manage the initiative’s events (marketing, logistics, and accounting).

Qualifications

Required:Master’s degree and 3 to 5 years of experience required.Experience in a financial setting and proficiency in accounting principles and budget preparations.Experience in higher education administration and strong organizational and administrative skills.Demonstrated experience and success in writing and submitting grant proposals.Demonstrated interested in political science and/or economics.Comfortability with the Spanish language as much of the work centers around Latin America.

Preferred:Ph.D. in Economics, Political Theory, or related field.Fluency in Spanish is preferred.

This position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

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 grade profile.

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.

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