Research Director - Penn Center for Media, Technology, and Democracy

University of Pennsylvania•Philadelphia, PA

44d•$95,136 - $125,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (Penn MEDIATED) works to advance the scientific understanding of the information ecosystem and leverage that research to strengthen the foundations of democracy. Penn MEDIATED seeks a Research Director to develop data pipelines, visualization dashboards, analytical tools, and data-driven analyses based on Penn faculty research. The Research Director will start by selecting impactful research and methods developed by Penn MEDIATED faculty, working with Penn MEDIATED leadership. They will then work with a small team to deploy and scale this research into continuously operating tools, analytical systems, and visualizations. The goal of these tools is to more broadly inform the public, journalists, civil society, policymakers, and industry on the state of, and challenges to, the U.S. information ecosystem, thereby expanding the reach and impact of Penn MEDIATED’s affiliated faculty research. An ideal candidate will be an experienced data scientist with some background in computational social science research. Further, the candidate should have some background or interest in media, journalism, or the broader information ecosystem; as well as experience translating research into public impact. They will be able to understand computational research of the information ecosystem and recognize the value of that research for promoting democracy. Computational social scientists, data scientists or analysts, and data journalists may all be competitive applicants if they have drive and vision for advancing Penn MEDIATED’s mission. The Research Director will work closely with and report to the Executive Director. The Research Director may supervise a data team, including a data engineer, data journalist, and student data analysts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study and at least seven years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
OR PhD in a relevant field of study with at least three years of relevant experience.
Ability to conceptualize and execute on projects to translate research into continuously operating tools and analyses that lead to public impact.
Excellent data science skills and data analytical skills, including developing statistical analyses and deploying machine learning models for continuous analytics tools and dashboards.
Strong data engineering skills, especially developing data pipelines from one-time data collections used for research projects.
Ability to understand, analyze, and clearly communicate computational social science results for broader audiences.

Nice To Haves

Experience in using computational social science methods, and especially as used to study the information ecosystem (preferred).
Experience in data visualizations and data-driven storytelling (preferred).
Expertise and background in media studies or journalism, or otherwise a deep understanding of the information ecosystem, preferably in the United States, as well as demonstrated commitment to promoting democracy (preferred).
Experience working in academic institutions, or related environments such as think tanks or research institutions (preferred).

Responsibilities

Working with Center leadership to identify projects, the Research Director will then apply data science and computational social science skills to develop data infrastructure, analytical tools, dashboards, and visualizations that expand the reach and impact of Penn MEDIATED research of the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy.
Supervise and mentor a small data team (1-2 employees) and part-time student data engineers or research analysts.
Inform and assist with the Center’s ongoing programmatic functions such as annual grant-making, the affiliated scholars program, and the research seminar.
Work with the Executive Director and faculty co-Directors to steer the strategic direction of Penn MEDIATED.