Job Description

Job Description Summary

The Penn Wharton Budget Model (PWBM) is a non-partisan, research-based initiative that provides analysis to policymakers to assess the effects of policy on budgetary outcomes (government revenues and costs) and various economic variables. PWBM’s work is widely cited and has been influential in many key recent policy discussions, including tax reform, infrastructure, budget reconciliation, pre-K education, paid family leave, universal basic income, debt, Social Security, health care and many other areas.

The PWBM team consists of roughly 30 PhD economists, policy analysts, research analysts and software engineers, developers, and architects. This role is responsible for the engineering and computational systems that support and enable research and policy analysis conducted by the Penn Wharton Budget Model, including providing vision, leadership, planning, and management for the design, development, and implementation of these systems. The Director also is responsible for optimizing the performance of the many and varied components (including dataflows based on model inputs and outputs) that comprise the Budget Model and ensuring a codebase that is scalable and maintainable.

The Director is responsible for translating business goals and requirements to engineering strategies -- including clear data design abstractions and methods that scale across multiple models – and ensuring a successful implementation of those strategies in a SaaS environment.

The Director is a member of the leadership team and reports to the Faculty Director.
Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Provide vision, leadership, planning, and management for the design, development, and implementation of the engineering and computational systems that support and enable research and policy analysis (at a SaaS level) conducted by the Penn Wharton Budget Model. The Director also is responsible for optimizing the integrated performance of the many and varied components (including dataflows based on model inputs and outputs) that comprise the Budget Model and ensuring a codebase that is scalable and maintainable.
Liaise with other functions within PWBM to understand business requirements and goals. Ensure those are translated to effective engineering strategies -- including clear data design abstractions and methods that scale across multiple models – and implemented successfully in a SaaS environment.
Supervise and lead a team of software developers, engineers, and architects. Build and develop their expertise in modern design principles by providing mentorship, training, and hiring as necessary.
Conduct hands-on technical work, including code review and refactoring, and developing new functionality.
Mentor and train approximately 20 economists, policy analysts, and research analysts on best-practices for software development and coding. Provide input regarding individual adoption and implementation of these practices to the relevant supervisors for inclusion in performance reviews. Train relevant staff on numerical methods and optimization techniques.
Member of the leadership team. Develop and manage the PWBM IT operating and capital budget.
Qualifications

A Master’s Degree or PhD in a related field and 10 plus years of related experience required.
Minimum 5 years of experience leading teams of developers, engineers, and data scientists in software development and release of commercial software products.
Experience designing distributed and data-driven architectures based on advanced data abstractions and algorithms.
Experience translating business goals to engineering strategies especially those involving data abstraction, design patterns and SaaS dataflow.
Possess systems engineering and systems thinking skills, strong problem-solving skills, and the ability to anticipate potential issues.
Demonstrated ability to solve technical problems with fast, maintainable, and scalable code.
Extensive experience using machine learning, statistics, and mathematical optimization.
Advanced programming skills in Python (five years minimum experience at the advanced level).
Interest and familiarity or training in economics and policy analysis along with experience working with economists, statisticians and/or data scientist is strongly desired.
Experience with MATLAB, C++, and parallel computing frameworks.
Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Position is contingent on continued funding.

Department / School

Wharton School
Pay Range

$110,850.00 - $215,000.00 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.