What are the responsibilities and job description for the Research Project Manager position at Philadelphia District Attorney's Office?
Position: Research Project Manager
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 Manager who will be responsible for managing internal and external academic research and community-based collaborations and serve as a liaison between DAO staff and external partners. Our mission is to use data, research, and advocacy to inform policies and practices; increase equity, transparency, and accountability; and reduce harms through prosecutorial and systems reform in Philadelphia and beyond.
The Research Project Manager is 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 Manager supports work across the entire research arc, collaborating to help define research questions; conducting literature reviews; developing instruments (e.g., surveys, focus group guides, process maps); implementing research protocols; drafting internal memos and public-facing reports; and providing feedback on academic manuscripts.
The Research Project Manager supports some of our most complex and novel projects and partnerships, especially those that align with their expertise. The Research Project Manager has been responsible for managing and assisting DATA Lab community-based participatory engagement projects (e.g., 57 Blocks Coalition Initiative, DATA CoLab). These initiatives are grounded in the tenants of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), a public health approach, which seeks to enhance community partners capacity by supporting equal community participation in research and projects that will directly impact the community. The Research Project Manager will work directly with community partners, DATA Lab members and DAO unit supervisors and personnel to foster collaboration and improved interdisciplinary and intervention research approaches addressing disparities in the criminal justice system and beyond. Research Project Managers 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 Manager reports to and works closely with the Assistant Director of Research. The Research Project Manager will also work with other DATA Lab Research, Analyst, and CoLab team members and Directors to assist in the development of external research and community partnerships and projects.
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. Lead external community partnership efforts to foster collaboration and actively translate research to better inform interventions and best-practices decisions.
- Build a collaborative research and data culture at the DAO.
Duties & Responsibilities
- Project manage a combination of 1 to 3 DATA Lab internal research-related projects (e.g., managing the drafting of internal reports, community-based participatory action process planning, etc.).
- Provide hands on project management for the research development of 5 to 8 external research projects with direct community intervention and/or DAO policy and practice implications.
- Provide coordination in the review process of 5 to 8 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.
- Assist the Assistant Director and Director of Research in the development of community partnerships including seeking funding opportunities for the expansion of community-based participatory research.
- Manage external and internal drafting of public-facing reports, research to action memos, and other work-related products to build transparency and collaboration with DAO community, Philadelphia community, and external research partners.
- Help strengthen the collaboration among community partners, academic researchers and practitioners carrying out the work of the District Attorney’s Office.
- Collaborate within the DATA Lab with analysts, data managers, and other internal team members in the DATA Lab unit.
- Assist with writing, editing, and finalizing work product, including internal reports, and potential peer-reviewed manuscripts.
- Other duties as needed to advance the mission of the DAO and DATA Lab.
Skills & Qualifications
- The education and experience. A master's degree with a background in academic research required. 3 years of experience in applied or translational research or project management fields preferred.[CA1] Equivalent experience can substitute for education.
- An orientation for or prior experience with community engagement and participatory research.
- The ability to manage multiple projects from a variety of stakeholders, including academic partners, community organizations, other DAO staff, and more.
- Previous experience working in criminal justice or on related 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 Managers who have gained the necessary experience and excel in their current role are eligible for consideration to be promoted to a Supervisory role.
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. **
