Associate I, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative

Application Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025

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 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) analyzing administrative, demographic and polling data 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 www.pewtrusts.org/philaresearch.

Position Overview

The associate I will serve in a cross-cutting role across the Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative’s issue areas – including demographic benchmarking, housing, fiscal health, economic development, civil legal system modernization and public health—assisting in data collection and analysis in the early phases of project research. The position is also responsible for project conceptualization, background research and drafting analysis products with increasing autonomy.

The position, based in Pew’s Philadelphia office, reports to the manager, Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative and will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will have flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week.

Candidates reflecting the diverse backgrounds of Philadelphia residents are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the project’s related goals.
• Identify and gather data for analysis using research tools such as Excel, R, Stata, ArcMap, Tableau, SQL, SPSS, and Python to compose tables, charts, maps, and write-ups for use in public facing reports and data visualizations.
• In conjunction with issue area leads, conduct background research, including literature reviews, interviews, and media scans for research topics across PRPI issue areas, to determine project feasibility, scope and methods.
• Support issue area leads in organizing and writing reports, briefs, web analyses and social media postings. Take the lead on producing individual research products with increasing autonomy.
• Help catalog, index, and preserve the initiative’s data holdings, with the goal of keeping them accessible and current for ongoing tracking of issues. Proactively identify new or unexplored datasets that may reveal fresh angles or insights.
• Participate in conferences, seminars, trainings and other professional development activities to strengthen skills and keep current on data analysis tools, urban policy issues, project management and communications.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Experience, coursework or education in public policy, data science, economics, computer science, statistics/mathematics, urban planning, or another social science field preferred.
• Generally, one year of applicable experience in university research, private research services, data management and analysis, or the public sector preferred.
• Proven research and data analysis skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Excel required. Familiarity with at least one data analysis and visualization program a plus (e.g. R, Stata, ArcMap, Tableau, SQL, SPSS, Python).
• Demonstrated ability to produce clear, concise content across various formats, including but not limited to reports, articles, emails, and presentations.

• Adept at viewing an issue or question in terms of the data that may illustrate or shed light on it, and familiarity with public and proprietary datasets, a plus.

• Knowledge of current trends and issues affecting Philadelphia specifically and cities in general is preferred.

Travel

Occasional overnight travel for meetings and conferences as required, as well as travel to The Pew Charitable Trusts office in Washington, D.C.

Work Authorization

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the country for which they are seeking employment without visa sponsorship.

Salary Range

The salary range represents a reasonable estimate of the annual salary based on Pew’s commitment to provide equitable and market-competitive pay. The actual salary offered will take into consideration many factors including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills and experience, internal pay equity, and business need.

Total Rewards

We offer a competitive salary and benefit program, including: comprehensive, affordable health care through medical, dental, and vision coverage; financial security with life and disability insurance; opportunities to save using health savings and flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits to help prepare for the future; and work/life benefits to maintain a good balance.

The Pew Charitable Trusts is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Pew considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to age, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity, military/veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.