Director, Research

at  THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR GREATER PHILADELPHIA

The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia (The Chamber) brings area businesses and civic leaders together to amplify the impact of business in the region, advocate for a competitive business climate and grow a vibrant and diverse business community in order to achieve our vision: The Greater Philadelphia Region is a top global destination for business and a leader in inclusive growth.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• 7-10 years of professional relevant experience required
• 3-5+ years of leadership and direct management experience working with diverse teams
• A passion for solving challenges in the economic development space; content knowledge and existing relevant relationships a plus
• Undergraduate degree in business, economics, data science, urban and regional planning, statistics, or related field required. Masters degree preferred.
• Proven ability to form relationships and credibility with a diverse set of people. Strong executive leadership skills, including ability to collaborate and influence others without direct authority.
• Excellent organizational, planning, problem solving, quantitative, and strong critical thinking skills with the flexibility to respond to shifting priorities and new opportunities
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; professional presence
• Experience presenting data to senior level audiences, with emphasis on highlighting the meaning, implications, and key insights about regional economic competitiveness issues and economic trends
• Proficient in MS Office Suite, research tools, database software, and project management

PRIMARY PURPOSE

We are currently seeking a Director of Research to play a key role in expanding the Chamber’s research function, which will be critical to informing the region’s economic development strategies and tactics, creating and sharing the narrative of comparative advantages and business impact for visibility and marketing, supporting pursuit of new commercial and investment opportunities, informing policy and tracking regional performance.
The Research Director will apply advanced quantitative and qualitative methods to source and interpret data on the region’s economy, industry sectors, assets, and challenges in support of decision-making and program activities by regional economic development partners and the Chamber. The Research Director will help to shape the agenda and be responsible for producing or overseeing outputs such as dashboards, briefs, and topical reports.
This role, reporting to the SVP, Economic Competitiveness, is an opportunity to shape and lead a new and growing function while still doing hands-on data analysis work. It involves interaction with both senior economic and workforce developers who use research and coordination with other researchers throughout the region.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Regional Research Hub

• Work with the Chamber and other regional economic development leaders to implement a shared data and research function.
• Build and execute an annual research agenda and workplan, in collaboration with regional partners, including production of outputs such as sector studies, forward-looking issue / impact analyses on economic drivers, and dashboards with regular updates on aspects of economic performance and competitiveness.
• Manage a regional advisory group to guide and coordinate research activities and cultivate and lead other strategic partnerships and collaborations as needed.
• Serve as a thought leader in the field, actively engaging with regional stakeholders and leaders to shape a data-driven narrative and enable evidence-based decisions on the economic future of the region
• Regularly review data and reports produced by regional partners, to understand landscape of data available to shape regional narrative.

Research Analysis, Production, and Communications

• Lead research projects including qualitative and quantitative primary research, strategy projects, secondary research analysis and other research projects as business needs warrant.
• Engage in comprehensive analyses of the region’s economic landscape, examining factors that influence development and identifying key trends, challenges, and untapped opportunities, shaping a path for sustainable growth.
• Conduct or manage econometric and statistical analyses of economic and demographic data.
• Manage research analyst(s) and potential contractors in conducting analysis and producing research products.
• Oversee and evaluate effectiveness and maintenance of research resources, including proprietary and third-party databases and subscriptions, research tools, and online resources.
• Ensure that all data visualizations and reports are kept up to date with latest data

Chamber Research Management

• Design and manage a research workplan to support the Chamber’s institutional responsibilities, such as regional promotion and policy development as well as answers to some individual queries responding to a particular opportunity or member or stakeholder question.
• Foster quality data and research within the organization, developing team members’ skills and capacities.
• Contribute to Chamber mission through information sharing, collaboration, revenue generation in service to achieving the organization’s goals; collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to identify opportunities to utilize research and intelligence to inform Chamber’s and partners’ efforts.
• Contribute to the efficiency of the organization by performing other duties and participating in special projects as assigned.