Senior Officer, Community Violence

The Government Performance Portfolio

Pew’s government performance work identifies and advances effective approaches to help solve complex challenges at all levels of government in the United States. 

The portfolio’s work can be traced back to our founders’ early efforts to improve the lives of Americans by supporting efforts that promoted health, civic engagement, and democratic ideals. Today, we conduct research on emerging topics, develop data-driven reports, and highlight innovative, non-partisan approaches in addressing complex problems at the federal, state, and local levels as well as the interplay that can occur between jurisdictions. Current initiatives focus on health, fiscal and economic policy, and safety and justice, and take into account significant trends such as evolving technologies, and the increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the United States population.

Our teams explore and advance effective, evidence-based policies using credible, timely, and accessible research, assessing public support for change, identifying approaches that have proved successful elsewhere, and bringing together diverse perspectives to find common ground. We work in collaboration with organizations that share our commitment to rigorous research, measurable results, and public service, and we focus on developing durable policy change. In addition, our teams use strategic outreach and dissemination to ensure that good information is widely communicated to decision-makers, media, influential stakeholders, and the public.

The Philadelphia Program

Through the Philadelphia program, Pew seeks to enhance civic life in its hometown. We partner with many local institutions in encouraging a thriving arts and cultural community, supporting the health and welfare of the region’s most vulnerable residents, informing discussion on important issues facing the city, and, more broadly, strengthening Philadelphia’s appeal to visitors and residents alike.

Reducing Community Violence in Philadelphia

Community violence is quickly returning to pre-pandemic levels in Philadelphia but continues to exact a horrible toll on individuals and families, particularly in neighborhoods of concentrated disadvantage. Pew aims to help our hometown achieve and sustain reductions in community violence by supporting the city’s governance, management, and cross-sector collaboration capacities (see this report for background).

Position Overview

The senior officer will support Philadelphia in its efforts to reduce homicides and non-fatal shootings. Reporting to the senior director of safety and justice, and working closely with the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services as well as our Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative, the senior officer will coordinate research, policy consultation, grantmaking, and convening efforts to advance the project’s goal of strengthening the city’s capacity to design, implement, and sustain an effective, unified violence reduction strategy.

Located in Pew's Philadelphia office, this position will participate in Pew’s core in-office days on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and will have flexibility to work from home the remainder of each week. 

Responsibilities

• Foster a work environment that is diverse, equitable, inclusive, and accessible and in line with Pew and the project’s related goals.
• Lead the execution of Pew’s strategy to reduce community violence, including oversight of policy and research consultants.
• Coordinate with the Pew Fund for Health and Human Services to support aligned, direct service grantmaking, and with Pew’s Philadelphia Research and Policy Initiative to support policymaker convenings and education, both within Philadelphia and with peer cities.  
• Serve externally as one of the project’s primary points of contact with government officials, philanthropic and other civic partners, and members of the news media.
• Develop and disseminate a variety of written documents and presentations conveying complex information to layperson, policymaker, media, and other stakeholder audiences, and work to develop effective public messaging, outreach materials, and communication strategies.
• Internally, oversee coordination with Pew’s program and operations units.
• Participate in activities that support program and Pew-wide objectives.

Requirements

• Track record of strong project management skills and experience producing measurable results.
• Savvy and politically astute. Aptitude to apply a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to projects that require support from a diverse set of stakeholder groups.
• Excellent analy