University of Pennsylvania Hiring for Research Investigator Senior, Penn GSE at Graduate School of Education Full Time

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 TitleResearch Investigator Senior, Penn GSEJob Profile TitleResearch Investigator, SeniorJob Description SummaryServe as principal investigator, project director, and/or research staff of sponsored research, including leading, performing, and collaborating on research with faculty and researchers at the Penn Center for Learning Analytics and the Graduate School of Education. Seek funding from a variety of sources, including foundations, corporate sponsors, and federal agencies. Supervise and conduct research using methods such as educational data mining, large language models, intelligent systems, information systems, and artificial intelligence and education, and innovate in these methodological areas.Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Provide intellectual leadership as a principal investigator or senior researcher in the design and execution of research projects in online learning, including oversight of all aspects of research projects (including research design, data collection, primary and secondary data analysis, and report writing).

• Seek funding opportunities and develop funding proposals (including seeking funding opportunities, developing relations with and presenting proposals to potential funders).

• Supervise researchers and support staff.

• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL:

• PhD or EdD in intelligent systems, information management, artificial intelligence, learning analytics, or related field is required.

• Minimum 5 – 7 years of applied research experience and 5 years supervising people and/or projects are required.

• Knowledge and experience with education data mining/learning analytics methods, large language models, information management, and intelligent systems is required.

• Excellent analytic, writing, and communication skills are necessary.

• Advanced professional skills.

• As a Senior Research Investigator with the Penn Center for Learning Analytics, a successful candidate will provide intellectual, managerial, and research leadership on both organizational strategic direction and on sponsored projects. The candidate should have strong research skills and substantive experience using and innovating in areas such as educational data mining, large language models, intelligent systems, information systems, and artificial intelligence and education. The individual will help to seek funding through a variety of traditional and non-traditional means. He/she will have strong research and management skills and be capable of leading and participating in research projects. Entails both management of relationships with partners and funders and staff supervision.

PREFERRED:

• Candidates who have experience with online data management platforms are preferred.

• Candidates who have experience in working with online learning platforms and research facilitation tools based on artificial intelligence are preferred.

• Candidates who have implemented intelligent systems are preferred, with particular preference for candidates who have implemented such systems that leverage large language models.

• Candidates who have past experience developing and evaluating educational data mining algorithms are preferred.

• Ability to use Python and SQL are strongly preferred.

• Experience with OpenAI and AWS APIs is strongly preferred.

Job Location – City, StatePhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaDepartment / SchoolGraduate School of EducationPay Range$36,368.00 – $105,000.00 Annual RateSalary 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.

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