Research Support Director

Research Support Director

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach toscholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been rankednationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbeswho named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city ofPhiladelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urbancampus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, andrecreational activities. With its historical significance andlandmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety ofatmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home forwork and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includesexcellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and theirfamilies, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety ofprofessional development opportunities, supportive work and familybenefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources,and much more.

Posted Job Title

Research Support Director

Job Profile Title

Director, Research Support

Job Description Summary

Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school,the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping thefuture of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, andcreating leaders who change the world. With campuses in bothPhiladelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, afaculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careersthrough Wharton Executive Education's individual,company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Whartonalumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transformbusiness every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community ofstaff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, andperspectives. To learn more, visit

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is a comprehensive researchplatform operated by the Wharton School of the University ofPennsylvania that provides research tools and access to a widerange of financial, economic, and business research datasets. It iswidely used by academic institutions, researchers, andprofessionals for data analysis, empirical research, and financialmodeling.

The Research Support Director -WRDS will work with a team ofPh.D.'s on Finance or Accounting and IT professionals withexpertise in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Statistics, andComputer Science to help WRDS Community by providing high qualityresearch programs, analytics, applications, research databaseevaluations, research replications and related research tools usingPython, SAS and Machine Learning in big data environments. Advanceon best practices of conducting empirical research with WRDS data.Act in a leading role in creating and delivering new financial andanalytical products to academics and corporate customers that arespecialized, complex, and based on academic research. Presentanalytics in a user-friendly format; assist WRDS users on researchand data-related issues; and conduct academic and corporatetraining sessions for WRDS users around the world, includingscholars in finance, accounting, economics, and other businessdisciplines. Stay abreast of research at the frontier to helpidentify new finance research directions and trends. Advise theWRDS, Data, and IT teams on data integrity processes to enhancecurrent products and to contribute to the design of new productsand services that facilitate research accuracy and reliability.Conduct research and data-related academic training seminars forWRDS users. Provide content support for research using academicdatabases, including CRSP, Compustat, and/or IBES.

Job Description

Responsibilities will include:

• Provide to WRDS Academic Research Community and CorporateClients high quality Analytics, Research Programs, Applications,Financial engines and related research tools to improve theirresearch productivity.
• Provide support to faculty and PhD users by offeringconsultative guidance on empirical research best practices,troubleshooting data and tool issues that may affect researchresults, and conducting site visits and training sessions topromote the effective use of WRDS for academic research.
• Keep track of the evolution of top academic research in financeand accounting to help WRDS both creating their own signatureresearch products and providing new data sources to the researchcommunity.
• Construct and enhance existing data-research products byrefining analytics, research tools, and applications using WRDSdata to improve data usability, research accuracy andefficiency.
• Evaluate and recommend new datasets based on their potential toadvance new research and enhance WRDS data offerings.
• Perform additional duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Ph.D. (or foreign equivalent) in Finance or Accounting. Therequirement of a Ph.D., usual for faculty recruiting, means that anapplicant must have received the degree or be at least "ABD,"meaning all requirements for the degree except the dissertationhave been completed, with an understanding that the dissertationwould be completed in the same academic year.

Must have 1 year of post-bachelor's experience (may be gainedpre-Ph.D. degree), in the following:

• Providing high-quality research programs, analytics,applications, research replications, and related researchtools.
• Constructing and enhancing data-research products by evaluatingresearch datasets focused on new research and providing new datasources to the research community.
• Performing academic research through the WRDS system on financeor accounting using Python and/or SAS programming skills in bigdata environments and Textual Analysis using Machine Learning;
• Performing empirical academic research with CRSP, Compustat,IBES and/or Household-Finance datasets.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• It could require 15% national and international travel.

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$80,891.00 - $145,000.00 Annual Rate Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to therequirements of the position, and in alignment with salary rangesbased on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to therequirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
  
• Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
  
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
  
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
  
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject tounderwriting.
  
• Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
  
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
  
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
  
• Discounts and Special Services : From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
  
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
  
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
  
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.
  

To learn more, please visit:

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer.Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race,color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenshipstatus, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.