A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) is responsible for overseeing the City of Philadelphia’s daily operations and delivering efficient, effective, and responsive public services in every neighborhood in Philadelphia. The Managing Director’s Office is a cabinet-level office with oversight of the City’s operating departments. The MDO works with operating departments to (for additional information go to: https://www.phila.gov/departments/managing-directors-office/)

1. Create and successfully enact new policies

2. Deliver efficient, effective, and responsive public services

3. Implement the mayor’s vision

The MDO Policy Unit has responsibility for managing high priority initiatives that cut across multiple City agencies and affect the lives of the City’s most vulnerable residents. The Overdose Prevention Research and Data Manager will be part of a team that works on key high-priority cross-systems projects, such as quality of life initiatives, gun violence reduction, PPD priority efforts like civilianization, benefits access, and other projects as needed.

This individual will be a part of the MDO Policy team and will focus on leading data strategy and analysis for the Opioid Response Unit (ORU). Established in February 2020, the ORU is a permanent unit within the Managing Director’s Office that ensures that City departments are operating under a unified strategy in response to the overdose crisis in Philadelphia. The ORU works across departments to expand the prevention and treatment of substance use disorder, while helping impacted communities recover through coordinated efforts in community support and public safety. The ORU also collaborates with residents, providers, and community partners to mobilize a community-based response and support impacted areas.

The Overdose Prevention Research and Data Manager will proactively respond to the overdose epidemic by developing and implementing research projects, converting raw data into information that is used to support overdose policy and practice, and conceptualize and execute data analysis projects.

In partnership with City Executive Leadership and program staff from a wide range of agencies, this role will involve developing and implementing the Opioid Response Unit Research and Analytic plan.  Deliverables will include literature reviews, descriptive statistics, research papers, dashboards or other regular reporting tools, outcomes analysis and creating geospatial data products. We are looking for a detail-oriented leader with a passion for data-driven decision making and improving city government. This position requires advanced knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research, statistics, data visualization, and ArcGIS software.

Essential Functions

• Develop data analysis and research projects in support of the ORU’s strategic goals and coordinate extensively with subject matter experts, technical staff, and end-users.
• Process confidential information in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations
• Access, manipulate, and combine varied datasets, including administrative City data, US Census data, and data from other publicly available sources.
• Respond to ad-hoc requests for descriptive data analysis, including producing professional-looking documents or data visualizations.
• Write reproducible data analysis code in R or another language.
•  Review literature and/or peer city experiences to creatively inform City policies and program designs.   
• Perform spatial analysis for reports, graphics, and maps in support of planning activities.
• Present and interpret data analysis to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships across City departments and external partners to support priority projects.
• Manage projects that cross City departments and require sustained engagement, follow-up, and relationship-building  
• Proactively provide ideas and critical feedback—as well as being open to such constructive dialogue—as part of constantly improving ORU’s work.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Rigorous: Driven by thoughtful, quality, and detail-oriented processes, project output, and client/team interactions.
• Organized: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects, estimate timelines, rework a project approach based on unforeseen challenges, work well under pressure, and set/meet reasonable deadlines.
• Protective: Values protecting clients’ private information, understands relevant privacy laws, and the has ability to faithfully implement related security policies.
• Excellent communicator: Ability to explain technical concepts to general audiences, explain the logic behind research decisions, craft compelling narratives about data, write and speak clearly, and cultivate effective communication among team members.
• Relationship-builder: Ability to work with a variety of people and personalities, listen and ask questions to identify new inquiry opportunities, and cultivate strong relationships to ensure seamless collaboration and continued project support.
• Curious: Ability to practice active listening, ask questions to get at the root of a problem, be open to receiving/giving constructive feedback, and have a sincere interest in learning new skills or growing old ones.
• Action-oriented: Ability to see opportunities, navigate barriers, be self-directed, and problem-solve solutions that enhance the City’s deliverables, processes, and practices.
• Resilient: Ability to have a sense of humor, learn from mistakes, and/or return to work after experiencing a setback.
• Amplifier: Ability to amplify others’ strengths and successes and operate beyond ego and self-interest.

Work-Life

Working hours are generally 37.5 hours per week.  Our team is currently hybrid with both virtual and in-office days, however the position can opt to come in the office each day if desired.

• A minimum of 5 – 7 years’ experience in public health or social services policy research, evaluation, and/or data analysis, with at least 1 year specifically in the field of substance use
• Proficiency in applied quantitative and qualitative research methods & statistics and/or program evaluation
• Experience with at least one statistical programming language, such as R (preferred), Python, SAS, STATA, etc.
• Ability to perform geospatial visualization and analysis (maps, dashboards, etc.), preferably using ESRI’s ArcPro and/or ArcOnline software
• Experience developing data visualizations consistent with the principles of inclusive design
• Experience working with relational datasets
• Experience in data management and cleaning best practices
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Experience leading projects, particularly projects that require collaboration across different groups or teams.
• Education: At a minimum, a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in public policy, psychology, sociology, political science, statistics, economics, mathematics, urban planning, or another field of relevance to local government. Master’s degree preferred.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx