Information Technology Director

The Wharton School•Philadelphia, PA

74d•$120,000 - $130,000

About The Position

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a diverse population of staff, representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is the global standard for academic and institutional business research. We are looking for an enthusiastic, talented, self-motivated Director to lead the Data Team. We have a great work environment and expect you to bring not only your amazing skills, but also your positive attitude to the table. Part supervisor and part project manager, help incredible people do incredible things. Lead a team of data engineers working on a Petabyte of data, using it for everything from full-text search to natural language processing to fast retrieval for the development of research algorithms.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 5 to 7 years of experience in technical fields or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Experience managing technical teams and 5 to 7 years of overall experience preferred.
Previous management experience.
Experience with technical project management and portfolio management.
Understanding of the system development life cycle
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
Positive outlook and ability to work well in groups.
Strong diagnostic and problem-solving skills.

Responsibilities

Responsible for leadership and oversight of data management at WRDS, one of the most visible aspects of the platform.
Set goals and objectives for the Data Team to implement strategic projects.
Translate feature requests into actionable tasks; perform project management.
Direct day-to-day operations.
Balance operations and enhancements - the need to keep things running well as they are vs. the opportunity to improve how things are done.
Oversee the Data Team.
Mentor and provide opportunities for growth.
Facilitate collaboration within the team and between other teams.
Set technical standards and professional norms.
Report to senior WRDS management on the status and needs of the team.
Interact with customers via data and technical support.
Interact with current and potential vendors of data and software.
Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

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