Director of Portfolio Development



Director of Portfolio Development



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 Employers By State in 2021.

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.

COVID-19 vaccination is a requirement for all positions at the University of Pennsylvania. New hires are expected to be fully vaccinated before beginning work at the University. For more information about Penn's vaccine requirements and the use of Penn Open Pass, visit the Penn COVID-19 Response website for the latest information. 

Posted Job Title
Director of Portfolio Development

Job Profile Title
Associate Director E

Job Description Summary
The Director of Portfolio Development is a senior leadership position within the Palliative and Advanced Illness Research (PAIR) Center responsible for strategic development of faculty research portfolios, providing wide-ranging support for large-scale complex funding proposals, and forging relationships with external health care organizations and stakeholders for future proposals and expansion of currently funded programs. Examples of direct proposal support will include budget development and resource allocation, management of external partnerships and C-suite engagement, content development for all non-technical sections of grant proposals, facilitation of subawards, consultation on study implementation and regulatory issues, liaison with technical experts (e.g., analysts, data scientists, implementation scientists, qualitative experts), and management of proposal support personnel.

The Director will facilitate proposal preparation-related education and training for faculty, trainees, and staff within the Center and sister Centers, including development of shared resources, regulatory updates, and proposal writing support tools and graphics. The Director will lead grant and philanthropy prospecting efforts to identify new funding sources across multiple sectors (e.g. federal funding agencies, foundations, etc.), work with individual faculty in strategic areas to develop responses to specific calls, and conduct periodic needs assessments to assess overlapping research interests and opportunities for collaboration. 

In addition to providing wide-ranging support to faculty across all stages of grant applications, both external and internal, the Director will serve as a central resource and leader for project start-up for newly funded proposals. This support includes project set up (JIT, accounts, subawards, IRBs, project management) and securing staff resources. Like all members of the PAIR Center Senior Staff, the Director will also be responsible for providing direct project management oversight of clinical trials within the Center and training and mentorship to senior research investigators, project managers, and other staff. The Director will provide research administrative support and oversight of the long-standing T32 Critical Care Health Policy Research program and its five-year renewal. The T32 grant supports 6 critical care postdoctoral students per year who undertake at least one, but usually multiple, research projects as part of their Master of Science in Health Policy Research program. The Director will develop tools for communicating funding opportunities for internal pilot programs such as Pitch An Idea for Research with PAIR (PAIR with PAIR) and the Roybal Center on Palliative Care in Dementia, serve on review committees and develop mechanisms for providing feedback to both successful and unsuccessful pilot applicants.

The Director of Portfolio Development will be responsible for building productive collaborative relationships within the Penn Medicine community including, but not limited to the Office of Research Services; the Institutional Review Board; the Penn Implementation Science Center; the Data Analytics Center; the Biostatistics Analysis Center; the Penn Medicine Predictive Healthcare team; REDCap; and Way to Health.

The Director will be a standing member of the Center's Steering Committee and Advisory Boards. This position will report to the Faculty Director and regularly interact with faculty, research administrators, the Office of Research Services, and the Center's Managing Director (a peer position) and Manager of Administration and Finance. A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible managerial and leadership experience, preferably in an academic medicine environment, is required. The successful candidate should be an individual passionate about supporting research and continuous improvement in a changing academic environment.

Position is contingent upon funding.

Job Description

Associate Director E/Director of Portfolio Development

QUALIFICATIONS: (Qualifications should clearly indicate those that are required and those that are preferred.)

  • Master's degree and 5-7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
  • Progressively responsible managerial and leadership experience, preferably in an academic medicine environment
  • Prior experience with grant-funded research is required; Expert knowledge of grant funding programs and funding rules, with specific knowledge in relation to the National Institutes of Health and PCORI 
  • Prior experience in health services research is required, as is a demonstrated ability to manage several projects concurrently
  • Superior written and verbal communication skills required



Personal Characteristics of the ideal candidate

  • A person of integrity and accountability with a proven ability to build strong working relationships, be flexible, and thrive in a changing academic environment
  • Expert planning and management skills with a proven record of influencing and engaging others with leadership skills.
  • Passionate about supporting research and continuous improvement
  • Strong problem-solving skills and comfortable making independent judgments.
  • Ability to navigate complex organizations and interact and negotiate with stakeholders professionally and effectively.
  • Demonstrated ability to write for different media, including manuscripts, progress reports, proposal development, briefs, executive summaries, annual reports, etc.
  • Persons with backgrounds or personal characteristics that are historically underrepresented in science or medicine are particularly encouraged to apply.



This postion is contingent upon funding.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range
$72,837.00 - $138,391.00

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 opens new window" target="_blank" href="https://apptrkr.com/get_redirect.php?id=2574925&targetURL=https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay">https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 


To apply, visit https://wd1.myworkdaysite.com/en-US/recruiting/upenn/careers-at-penn/job/Blockley-Hall/Director-of-Portfolio-Development_JR00042855-2 





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