Research Manager for Penn Development Research Initiative (DevLab) at University of Pennsylvania
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
Research Manager, DevLab@Penn
Job Profile Title
Manager Research Project B
Job Description Summary
PDRI-DevLab@Penn seeks a dynamic and experienced Research Manager to support revenue generation, operations, and project management. The Research Manager will oversee complex research and evaluation projects, maintain and grow donor and partner relationships, and manage a cross-disciplinary team to support evidence-based development programming around the world. The Research Manager has experience managing complex research projects, has technical skills for research tasks, and is able to support a variety of organizational management functions such as planning, budgeting and resource planning. This is a full-time, Philadelphia-based position.
Job Description
About DevLab@Penn:
PDRI-DevLab@Penn is an applied research lab housed within the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts and Sciences that connects leading social scientists with governments, donors, and implementers to conduct high-quality, policy-relevant research and evaluation. We work directly with organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank, and implementing partners to design and evaluate development programs, improve governance systems, and generate evidence to support data-driven decision-making. Our research spans impact evaluations, large-scale surveys, geospatial analysis, and the application of AI and big data methods for development. The Lab also contributes to academic training through curriculum initiatives and its summer and predoctoral fellowship programs.
Job Responsibilities and Duties:
The Research Manager is responsible for operational leadership of PDRI-DevLab, including business development, financial oversight, project execution, communications, and internal initiatives. Specific responsibilities include:
Proposal Development and Revenue Generation (25–30%): Leads strategy to identify and secure new funding opportunities from donors, foundations, as well as through internal Penn initiatives. Cultivates internal and external partnerships, oversees preparation of technical and budget proposals, and ensures alignment with the Lab’s research priorities, with a focus on advancing the use of AI and big data in development.
Budget Oversight and Financial Management (20–25%): Serves as the primary liaison to the Penn Business Office, ensuring timely tracking of project and discretionary budgets. Coordinates financial planning during proposal submissions and ensures compliance with both donor and institutional policies.
Strategic Communications and Dissemination (15–20%): Designs and oversees communication strategies for research dissemination and outreach. This includes managing web content, social media, and engagement with policy audiences. Supervises student and staff contributors to ensure timely and effective knowledge sharing.
Project Management and Technical Oversight (20–25%): Manages implementation of active research and evaluation projects. Oversees work plans, research design quality, team coordination, and deliverable production, while ensuring technical rigor and stakeholder alignment. Oversees the implementation of research and evaluation projects to ensure high-quality technical delivery and client satisfaction. Responsibilities include conducting background research, supporting evaluation design, and overseeing the development of data collection instruments. The Research Manager supervises local data collection contractors, ensures data quality through DevLab’s standard QA protocols, and contributes to analysis and reporting as needed.
Internal Strategic Initiatives and Educational Programming (10–15%): Leads and supports Lab-centered initiatives such as the summer fellowship and predoctoral training programs. Coordinates with Penn departments to align Lab activities with university-wide research and learning goals.
Other Duties as Assigned (5%): Contributes to organizational development, internal learning, and support to the Co-Directors and Executive Director as needed.
Qualifications:
A Bachelors degree and 5 to 7 years of experience or a Master's degree preferably in public policy, economics, political science, international development, or a related field and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
Required:
5-7 years of relevant experience in international development research, program evaluation, and field-based team management.
Demonstrated expertise in impact evaluation and applied research design, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental methods.
Proven ability to lead complex projects, secure donor funding, and manage large budgets and cross-functional teams.
Experience or demonstrated familiarity with AI, machine learning, and big data applications in development research and evaluation.
Minimum five years of field experience training and managing evaluations or research teams in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Experience managing client relationships with donors such as USAID, MCC, the World Bank, or similar agencies.
Experience drafting and managing quarterly and annual performance reports, work plans, and donor deliverables.
A high level of proficiency in Stata or R is required.
Proficiency with electronic data collection tools (e.g., SurveyCTO, ODK).
Familiarity with donor contracting and compliance procedures.
Strong organizational, problem-solving, and project management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and a proven ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment with attention to detail and follow-through.
Proactive, self-directed, and capable of providing timely advice and guidance to team members.
This position is a 2-year term appointment.
*For consideration, please submit a cover letter as well as a resume in the CV section of your application. You can upload multiple documents to the "Resume/CV" section."
Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Department / School
School of Arts and Sciences
Pay Range
$66,000.00 - $95,000.00 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, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.
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
Link to job posting: https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Perelman-Center-for-Political-Science-and-Economics/Research-Manager--DevLab-Penn_JR00107733