Senior Director of Leadership Research

University Overview

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 Title

Senior Director of Leadership Research

Job Profile Title

Director D, Research

Job Description Summary

Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

The Wharton School's 20+ research centers and initiatives serve as a hub for exchange and study where faculty, students, and members of the business community address pressing global business challenges. Their work generates courses, academic programs, community outreach, working papers, published research, and partnerships among academics, industry, and government. Wharton's Leadership Research Pillar supports and disseminates cutting-edge work across centers, programs, and initiatives in Leadership, covering areas including management, people analytics, human resources, operations and decisions, and leadership and change management.

Under the leadership of the Executive Director for the McNulty Leadership Program, the Senior Director of Leadership Research for the Wharton Leadership Pillar plays a strategic and integrative role in building Wharton's leadership research mission and priorities. This position drives collaboration and alignment across multiple faculty-led research centers to amplify Wharton’s global impact on leadership-related research and practice.

The Senior Director of Leadership Research works in close partnership with the Leadership Research Pillar faculty lead, advancing the Pillar's research agenda by translating faculty research and institutional priorities into coordinated research themes, high-impact conferences and sponsored research opportunities. The Senior Director works with the McNulty Leadership Program Senior Leadership team and other institutional partners to set research priorities, identify emerging trends, and elevate the centers' collective research strengths into influential outputs and high-profile engagement opportunities. This is a newly established position with an evolving research pillar, and a high degree of initiative, comfort with ambiguity and the ability to build structure amd moment from the ground up is needed.

The Senior Director has the opportunity to teach up to 1 course (1 C.U.) per year, based on availability and background.

Job Descriptio