Senior Program Manager, Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP)

Senior Program Manager, Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP)

The University of Pennsylvania's Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP) seeks a Senior Program Manager to support the disciplined scale-up and institutionalization of Baltimore's Group Violence Reduction Strategy (GVRS). This role provides targeted technical support, operational problem-solving, and structured follow-through with government partners to reinforce management routines, sustained follow-through and coordinated, consistent execution during the scale-up of GVRS and other key public-safety reform efforts. The Senior Program Manager serves as a strategic deputy to CJP's Director of Violence Reduction Policy and Programs, providing high-level support to reinforce focus, follow-through, and strong, reliable management practices for priority violence-reduction and institutional reform initiatives. The ideal candidate brings rigor, structure, and a bias toward action. The role incorporates applied research practices to strengthen institutional learning, strategy execution, and evaluation alignment. This position is based in Baltimore.

This position is based in the Crime and Justice Policy Lab (CJP), a research group within the University of Pennsylvania Department of Criminology. The mission of CJP is to apply rigorous methods of scientific research to improve public safety in disadvantaged communities, centering those communities in the design and execution of policy ideas, and ensuring that research and government policy is being done with communities rather than to communities. The end goal for our work is that citizens in Philadelphia and other major cities are able to enjoy safety, and equitable treatment and outcomes in their day-to-day lives. CJP works primarily in Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Oakland, and San Francisco, and with several federal government partners and international partners in Latin America and the Caribbean. CJP projects often pursue a "triple bottom line"our successful projects are ones that reduce violence that is affecting communities, reduce incarceration, and lessen the burden of policing on communities by generating fewer and more just interactions between police and community members.

Duties / Job Responsibilities :

• Provide collaborative, strategic, and performance-focused guidance to senior government leaders, strengthening management routines, consistent follow-through, and execution across GVRS and related public-safety workstreams.
• Advance structured implementation and scale by coordinating priority workstreams, surfacing and jointly addressing operational barriers, and aligning partners around shared goals and a clear, practical path forward.
• Develop briefings, tracking tools, timelines, and other materials that enhance decision-making, transparency, and accountability.
• Contribute to the citywide GVRS evaluation by reinforcing reliable data routines, documentation, and shared standards for implementation fidelity, and by synthesizing insights for internal and external audiences.
• Incorporate applied research practicesincluding field documentation, fidelity observations, hypothesis development, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative learningto translate research evidence into operational decisions and to institutionalize continuous-improvement and learning practices.

Qualifications :

Preferred Qualifications :

Personal Attributes :

This position is contingent upon grant funding and is based in Baltimore. Job Location - City, State Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pay Range $79,500.00 - $120,000.00 Annual Rate.

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization 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), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law . Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.