What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Project Coordinator position at Philadelphia District Attorney's Office?
Position: Research Project Coordinator
Unit: DATA Lab
Supervisor: Assistant Director of Research
Company Description
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. Our Assistant District Attorneys are dedicated to public service, public safety, and justice for all involved in the criminal justice system.
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office in particular is committed to several citywide collaborations aimed at reducing Philadelphia’s jail population and improving the criminal justice system overall.
**Please note that effective September 1, 2021, the City of Philadelphia requires all new employees to present proof of vaccination against COVID-19. **
To attain a job with the city, you must be a city of Philadelphia resident within 6 months (180 days) of hire and able to work completely in the office.
Job Summary
The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Transparency Analytics (DATA) Lab is seeking a Research Project Coordinator who will be responsible for coordination of both internal and external research projects and serves as a liaison between DAO staff and external partners. Our mission is to use data, research, and advocacy to inform internal policies and practices; increase equity, transparency, and accountability; and reduce harms through prosecutorial and systems reform in Philadelphia and beyond.
The Research Project Coordinator will be a member of the Research Team, which sits at the intersection between the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO) units and external partners (academic institutions, research institutions, and community-based organizations). The Research Project Coordinator is responsible for managing internal and external academic research and community-based collaborations and serve as a liaison between DAO staff and external partners. Research Project Coordinators will be integral in building on the “Research to Action” framework developed to help collaboratively translate research on the Philadelphia DAO supported by the DATA Lab into effective policy and practice through locally-tailored solutions and interventions.
The Research Project Coordinator reports to and works closely with the Assistant Director of Research. The Research Project Coordinator will also work with other DATA Lab Research and Analyst team members and Directors to assist in the development of external research and internal collaborative projects. They will have opportunities to work with people throughout the office, Philadelphia, and beyond.
Essential Functions
- Assist a unique and nationally recognized team doing innovative research and analysis of the criminal legal system from within a prosecutor’s office.
- Open the doors of the office to research and community partners and assist them in doing high impact research with unprecedented access to prosecution staff and data.
- Work with colleagues in the DAO to support initiatives with data and research and provide systems-level insights and examples from other jurisdictions.
- Translate research into action by introducing practitioners at the DAO to the latest criminal justice research, including work supported by and about the Philadelphia DAO. Inform policy team and decisions through research and analysis.
- Build a collaborative research and data culture at the DAO.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Coordinate and lead the planning of 1 to 3 internal DATA Lab research-related projects
- Provide hands on coordination on the development of 8 to 10 external research projects with direct DAO policy and practice implications. This involves reviewing proposals submitted by potential partners, working directly with researchers to define research questions, coordinating qualitative interviews with Assistant District Attorney’s, working with DATA Lab Analysts to produce custom datasets for research, coordinating the manuscript review process, and drafting public-facing information about the research upon completion of the work.
- Provide coordination in the review process of 8 to 10 assigned research proposals and papers by external partners, provide feedback, be a thought partner, and guide researchers through the criminal legal system and office processes.
- Assist the Assistant Director of Research in the development of research processes and drafting Data Licensing Agreements (DLA)/Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for assigned research projects.
- Work with research partners, DATA Lab members and DAO unit supervisors to plan, coordinate, and implement DAO Research to Action initiative, write Research to Action memos, and support initiatives to build stronger connections between research and analysis on the criminal legal system and practitioners carrying out the work of the District Attorney’s Office.
- Bring research findings to the attention of the research team and the DATA Lab leadership team.
- Other duties as needed to advance the mission of the DAO and DATA Lab.
Skills & Qualifications
- The education and experience. A bachelor's degree with a background in academic research required. A Master’s degree or 2 years of experience working in an applied or translational research setting preferred. Other advanced degrees or certifications can substitute for experience.
- Previous legal and government office experience a plus.
- Training in project management and research methods a plus.
- The ability to coordinate multiple projects from a variety of stakeholders, including academic partners, community organizations, other DAO staff, and more.
- An orientation for community engagement and participatory research.
- Subject matter knowledge of criminal justice issues and data a plus.
- Outstanding communication skills. You will split your time between heads-down work and team collaboration. We support each other out loud, working out solutions.
- Pride. You enjoy your work and getting a job done well. You want to be part of a team that promotes their accomplishments and sees the difference they make.
- Ownership. You can be counted on to deliver the best solution in collaboration with your team. You take ownership for your work, your tasks, your timelines.
- Driven. You want to be challenged and you are constantly seeking new opportunities to learn, gain and apply new skills and knowledge.
Promotion Pathway
Successful Research Project Coordinators who have gained the necessary experience and excel in their current role are eligible for consideration to be promoted to Research Project Managers.
Rewards/Benefits
This is an exempt employee with the City of Philadelphia. Immediately upon assuming office, new hire will receive benefits similar to those of other City of Philadelphia employees, including the below benefits:
- Generous retirement savings options available (pension plan and etc.)
- We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program qualified employer
- We offer comprehensive health coverage (medical, vision, prescription and dental) for employees and their eligible dependents
- Annual paid time off (PTO) package: 10 vacation days, 15 sick leave days, 11 paid holidays, 5 annual administrative leave
- Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
- Before tax commuter program
- Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts
- Sick leave bonuses and exchanges
- Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Applications will be active for one year from the date of receipt by the Office.
All exempt employees of the District Attorney’s Office are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the District Attorney. The at-will relationship shall not be modified for any employee and no agreement, oral or written, shall be entered into that changes the at-will relationship.
** The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. **
