Senior Officer Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative: The Pew Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. For more than 70 years, we have focused on serving the public, invigorating civic life, conducting nonpartisan research, advancing effective public policies and practices, and achieving tangible results. Through rigorous inquiry and knowledge sharing, we inform and engage public-spirited citizens and organizations, linking diverse interests to pursue common cause. We are a dedicated team of researchers, communicators, advocates, subject matter experts, and professionals working on some of today’s big challenges – and we know we are more effective and creative collectively than we are individually. With Philadelphia as our home town and the majority of our staff located in Washington, D.C., our U.S. and international staff find working at Pew personally and professionally rewarding.

Wise stewardship of resources allows Pew employees to pursue work that strategically furthers our mission in significant and measurable ways. We collaborate with a diverse range of philanthropic partners, public and private organizations, and concerned citizens who share our interest in fact-based solutions and goal-driven initiatives to improve society. Pew attracts top talent, people of integrity who are service-oriented and willing to take on challenging assignments. We provide competitive pay and benefits, a healthy work-life balance, and a respectful and inclusive workplace. Pew employees are proud of their colleagues, proud of where they work, and proud of the institution’s reputation.

The Philadelphia Program Through the Philadelphia Program, Pew seeks to enhance civic life in its hometown. We partner with many local institutions in encouraging a thriving arts and cultural community, supporting the health and welfare of the region’s most vulnerable residents, informing discussion on important issues facing the city, and, more broadly, strengthening Philadelphia’s appeal to visitors and residents alike.

Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative The purpose of the Philadelphia research and policy initiative is to enable policymakers to identify and enact policies and practices that improve city government and the well-being of the city’s residents by conducting rigorous research regarding important challenges and trends facing Philadelphia. Central to this policy work is the production of timely, well-documented and reports on these issues for the benefit of policymakers, the news media and the public at large. Working directly with stakeholders, the initiative conducts in-depth research, looking beyond the city and region for relevant information from comparable locales. Our approach includes: (1) researching important policy topics and solutions; (2) benchmarking demographic data and polling to benchmark progress; (3) holding policy-oriented convenings; and (4) engaging extensively with policymakers and influential stakeholders before and after convenings to increase the impact of our work and consider promising solutions. Examples of the initiative’s work are available at

Position Overview The senior officer develops, in consultation with the director and other senior leadership, the processes and implementation strategies that leverage in-depth research to inform and enable Philadelphia policymakers. The senior officer is responsible for leading the conceptualization, design, editorial operations, and implementation of policy research and communication on key issues affecting the city of Philadelphia. This includes leading team editorial and messaging in conjunction with communications, and proving input to and helping to oversee high-quality, evidence-based research in conjunction with the Washington, D.C.-based research review and support team, ensuring that all projects are unbiased, methodologically sound, and accurate.

The senior officer reports to the director, Philadelphia research and policy initiative, and is based in Pew’s Philadelphia office. The role requires collaboration with Washington, D.C.-based teams, bringing to bear Pew’s state and national expertise on issues that are important to Philadelphia. The position has a set time frame that could be extended based on the success of the program, funding sources, and board decisions on continued support.

Responsibilities

• Lead conceptualization, design, editorial operations, and implementation of policy research and communication, identifying and honing key questions, shaping findings and messaging, participating in the oversight of team projects through the editorial and approval process.
• Participate in and provide expertise to the initiative’s research plans, ensuring high-quality data and strong, evidence-based research methodologies and practices. Conceptualize research strategy, including collaboration with Pew’s Washington, D.C.-based team, partnerships, and outside experts and consultants.
• Craft, manage, edit, and disseminate reports and research findings in ways that are highly relevant to local policy leaders, have practical applications, and are easily understood by the public and media.
• Work with Pew’s communications staff to shepherd research to publication and to develop an effective dissemination plan through media interviews and press conferences, online communications strategies, and presentations of findings. Contribute to the development of an overall strategic communications plan and play a key role in drafting press releases, op-eds, memos, and speeches.
• Serve as a spokesperson on important policy topics to cultivate and engage the public and key constituencies on core issues. This includes representing Pew at meetings, conferences, and/or on expert panels/groups, and providing interviews to outside sources.
• Work with an outside polling research firm to develop questions for annual benchmarking and other surveys of city residents. Package survey results into an insightful and meaningful analysis.
• Identify emerging urban policy issues relevant to Philadelphia and to the priorities of the initiative, including leveraging Pew’s national expertise.
• Conceive of relevant policy briefs that are easily understood by the public, media and policymakers by monitoring publications and participating in conferences and seminars.
• Superior project and process management, and organizational skills. Contribute to other work tasked to the initiative as well as broader Pew-related projects and activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• At least 10 years of professional experience, preferably in a research, policy analysis, and/or journalism capacity. Staff management experience including experience managing performance management processes for direct reports and providing career development and counseling support is preferred.
• Strong editorial and communication skills such that complex ideas, thoughts and concepts are clearly articulated for a general audience. Clear, effective writing style. Media-savvy and politically astute with a nonpartisan perspective and approach.
• Ability to synthesize and summarize large amounts of information and to focus quickly on the essence of an issue, determine whether it is ripe for in-depth analysis, and identify the means to research and communicate about it.
• A task-oriented style, with focus on achieving clear and ambitious goals. Demonstrated ability to meet multiple deadlines by maintaining a high level of organization. Attention to detail, including exacting standards to maintain accuracy and impartiality in all work products.
• Strong interpersonal skills; able to develop and manage productive relationships internally and externally with staff, consultants, partners, and other stakeholders.
• Seasoned judgment, ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive, clear and firm with consultants, colleagues, and partners. Successful experience in leveraging ideas and creating projects that produce measurable results.
• Possesses a strong network of relevant contacts, including connections with local government officials, academics, civic leaders and journalists, who can provide expert information and advance results. Able to leverage relationships to influence desired outcomes.
• Relevant experience in public policy, academia, journalism. Knowledge of current trends and issues that are affecting Philadelphia specifically and cities in general.