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 Employers By State in 2021.
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.
COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn's vaccine requirements and the use of Penn Open Pass, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information.
Posted Job Title
Managing Director of PennPraxis, Weitzman School of Design (Hybrid Eligible)
Job Profile Title
Associate Director D
Job Description Summary
The Managing Director of PennPraxis oversees the operations, finances, personnel, communications and business development functions of the organization to achieve its mission and goals. The Managing Director works closely with the Executive Director of PennPraxis in all of these areas, and collaborates on strategic planning and the management of our design and planning projects.
PennPraxis is the practice arm of the Weitzman School of Design that supports design action in solidarity with students and communities working for change. PennPraxis creates "beyond the market" projects that actively promote justice, inclusion, innovation, and social impact in places that design does not usually serve.
Praxis is a platform for collaboration that is unique among design schools. We develop and support real-world projects that allow many students and faculty to join forces with youth, and community and Indigenous leaders to solve problems imaginatively. Our projects create resources and support for diverse groups of students to work together to explore the power of interdisciplinary design, art, planning, and heritage preservation. In the last 4 years, over 275 students and young alumni of the Weitzman School of Design have worked with the Praxis Design Fellows program to apply transformative design processes to challenging, real world problems and movements.
The Managing Director is an important liaison between PennPraxis and the students, faculty, and staff of Weitzman; between Praxis and its clients, funders, community based organizations, and other partners. The ideal candidate will have excellent writing, management, strategic thinking, interpersonal communication, and financial management skills. Experience with non-profit management, design and planning practice, and / or UPenn accounting and management practices and tools are all desirable but candidates need not have experience in all of these areas.
Job Description
Responsibilities:
Financial management of the organization, the Design Fellows program, and Praxis projects: Primary responsibility for financial management of PennPraxis, including development of annual budget with Praxis Executive Director and Weitzman School Finance Director, and oversight of financial reporting and management tools with the assistance of staff of Praxis and the Research Support Center. Active engagement in business development with the Executive Director and staff team (see responsibilities section of the job description for more detail). Review project spending against budgets on a monthly basis, and develop financial reports for board meetings. Manage resources of the Design Fellows program (our largest cost center).
Project management: Lead, manage or collaborate on selected design, planning and community engagement projects for which Praxis earns income for delivery of high-quality work to clients. Practice projects are the life-blood of PennPraxis-the opportunities for impact that students and communities seek, and the basis for all of our fundraising and business development efforts. Project types are varied and can, over time, be developed in areas of particular interest to the Managing Director through their own initiative and collaboration with the Executive Director and Praxis team. The role also includes project management, client communication and the preparation or editing of project deliverables on project types that may be less familiar, but where the Managing Director's skill set leverages the subject matter expertise of others on the project team.
Communications: Prepare written communications for the organization, including proposals, correspondence, reports, planning documents, and board materials. Work closely with the Executive Director, Communications office, and Praxis staff on the development and editing of a range of communications types that demonstrate the value of what we do; oversee staff work on website and social media. Maintain close working relationships with Weitzman faculty and staff and other partners; assist the Executive Director in cultivating donor, faculty and student interest in PennPraxis.
Office operations and positive culture: Oversee day-to-day operations of the Praxis office to ensure effectiveness of the team. Supervise small staff; lead staff meetings on topics including strategic planning, business development, communications, project kick offs and calendaring, project development, project retrospectives, fundraising and stewardship. Apply project management tools to optimize productivity and quality; lead selected organizational development initiatives. Support staff growth. Develop your own knowledge and skill set to advance Praxis as a learning organization. Work with the team to fulfill PennPraxis' Equity and Inclusion Plan and our annual goals.
Program oversight: Oversee and support the staff team's implementation of Design Fellows program (including interviewing, hiring, project management, accounting, timesheets, and communication). The Design Fellows Program is described here https://issuu.com/penndesign/docs/2022_designfellows . Work with the Praxis team to organize student events to increase social impact and learning.
Contracts and administrative support: Coordinate with staff of Praxis and the Weitzman School on contracts, purchasing, timesheets and personnel matters; generate regular reports and request invoices.
Qualifications:
A bachelor's degree and 7-10 years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience required. A Master's degree is desirable.
The ideal candidate will have a minimum of a bachelor's degree and 7-10 years of experience or a master's degree and 5-8 years experience in community engagement and community-based movements, architecture, landscape architecture, furniture or product design, planning, historic preservation, environmental planning, or fine arts practice. This position is ideal for a versatile manager and strategic thinker who is excited about community-engaged design and planning and the Praxis mission. Financial and operational management skills, and the ability to write and edit concise and effective prose are essential. Business development and fundraising experience will be an asset, but are not strictly required. (Aptitude for helping the Executive Director bring in resources will be sufficient.) We are looking for a successful track record of completing projects on-time and on-budget, or of non-profit management. Demonstrated ability to establish strong relationships and strategic partnerships with community leaders, clients, donors, grantors, and elected officials is desired. Relationships with grassroots community organizations (in Philadelphia or otherwise) or with Weitzman faculty is a plus.
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Hybrid Eligible - This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule with a work week divided between working onsite and working remotely.
Department / School
Domestic Subsidiaries, Consolidated
Pay Range
$61,046.00 - $95,972.00
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 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