Co-Director, Penn Urban Studies Program

University Overview

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

Co-Director, Penn Urban Studies Program

Job Profile Title

Associate Director D, Student Services, Undergraduate Programs

Job Description Summary

The role of the Co-Director of the Urban Studies Program is to participate in the formulation of the vision and mission of the program and translate it for different audiences – students, faculty, external audiences within the university such as related departments and SAS administration, city organizations that serve as internship sites and resources to our students, and the larger Philadelphia community. The position includes managing existing resources and providing leadership in communicating the vision of the program in order for it to flourish.

Job Description

Penn Urban Studies is an interdisciplinary program drawing on faculty and resources across the university and the city to offer students a multi-faceted approach to the study of urban trends. Our students are interested in applying what they learn in the classroom to the real world, so our program is driven by a commitment to the connection of theory and practice in its curriculum.  Our students experience a strong sense of community in the program as a result of small classes, an active Undergraduate Advisory Board, lots of extracurricular activities, and the opportunity to learn directly from people working in the field of urban studies.  Urban Studies also has a strong alumni network and opportunities for mentorship and career exposure.

Responsibilities:

The Co-Director of the Penn Urban Studies Program has the dual responsibility of academic leadership and guidance of the program as well as the responsibility all administrative tasks and management for the program.

This position is at the forefront of undergraduate and graduate student recruitment and advising, guiding majors/minors, and ensuring a supportive environment for the students’ academic success. They also handle non-standing lecturer recruitment for courses, offer troubleshooting support, and other supports for part-time faculty.

This position coordinates with the faculty director to establish and review major/minor requirements, collaborate on program goals, and assess student learning outcomes; additionally, they oversee course administration, including reviewing and responding to proposals for new courses, ensuring coverage of the Urban Studies roster, and supervising the setup of courses on SRS.

The Co-Director manages invaluable external relationships by recruiting agencies for internship opportunities and maintaining community partnerships that support the program.

The Co-Director manages and teaches one section of Senior Seminar and one section of Fieldwork Seminar courses for the program. They will plan and execute orientation sessions for potential seniors in the spring semester, including recruitment of faculty for the senior seminar based on enrollment needs. For the Fieldwork Seminar, the Co-Director supervises administrative staff and work study students in maintaining an extensive database of internship agencies while also coordinating the planning, recruitment, and oversight of fieldwork seminars.

As the staff director, this position provides direct supervision to the Urban Studies Administrative Coordinator, student workers, and other temporary staff. They will also lead the recruitment of part-time faculty, overseeing the personnel process to build an effective team.

The Co-Director plans and executes events for the program with the program’s Administrative Coordinator such as the Annual Public Lecture and the Student-Faculty Colloquium Series.

As the administrative leader of the program, this position manages the program budget and oversees financial recordkeeping. They also plan and guide program communications, the program’s website, publications, and outreach initiatives. This position also manages the implementation and use of information management systems including databases for students, program-related technology, and various Penn systems.

Qualifications:

• A PhD. in an urban-related field is required for this position, with at least 3 to 5 years of experience in an academic environment

• Academic leadership and program management experience, including undergraduate student recruitment and advising

• Experience teaching and pedagogy, including overseeing course development

• Administrative proficiency, including staff supervision, course administration, and budget management

• Ability to build and maintain external relationships, recruit internship agencies, and manage community partnerships

• Supervisory skills to lead administrative staff, student workers, and temporary staff, as well as manage lecturers

* 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

$61,046.00 - $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, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile. 

Affirmative Action Statement 
Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 
Background check 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.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay