Applicants wishing to apply for a Federal Permanent Appointment should see Job Announcement PLR-2018-0006.
The NSF is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Program Director for the Arctic Sciences Section (ARCSS) Program in the Division of Polar Programs (PLR), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) in Alexandria, VA. The Division of Polar Programs is responsible for planning, funding, and implementing scientific research programs in both Polar Regions. Its management activities extend to both Arctic and Antarctic research, meeting its objectives through award of merit-reviewed research grants, interagency and cooperative agreements, contracts for operational and logistical support and international agreements. More information about PLR and its programs can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/about.jsp.
The discoveries of disciplinary science increasingly highlight the need for integrative approaches to forge new understanding of the complex interactions that govern Antarctica and its past, present and future roles in the earth system. To respond to this need and foster progress on some of societies’ most pressing issues on a planet subject to potentially accelerated change.
More information about the Arctic System Science Program, please visit ARCSS Program.
Summary
Applicants wishing to apply for a Federal Permanent Appointment should see Job Announcement PLR-2018-0006.
The NSF is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the position of Program Director for the Arctic Sciences Section (ARCSS) Program in the Division of Polar Programs (PLR), Directorate for Geosciences (GEO) in Alexandria, VA. The Division of Polar Programs is responsible for planning, funding, and implementing scientific research programs in both Polar Regions. Its management activities extend to both Arctic and Antarctic research, meeting its objectives through award of merit-reviewed research grants, interagency and cooperative agreements, contracts for operational and logistical support and international agreements. More information about PLR and its programs can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/geo/plr/about.jsp.
The discoveries of disciplinary science increasingly highlight the need for integrative approaches to forge new understanding of the complex interactions that govern Antarctica and its past, present and future roles in the earth system. To respond to this need and foster progress on some of societies’ most pressing issues on a planet subject to potentially accelerated change.
More information about the Arctic System Science Program, please visit ARCSS Program.
The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director are constantly evolving. The Program Director is guided by the goals of NSF’s Strategic Plan: (1) transform the frontiers of science and engineering; (2) stimulate innovation and address societal needs through research and education; and (3) excel as a Federal Science Agency. The core strategies NSF staff employ include developing intellectual capital, strengthening the physical infrastructure, integrating research and education, and promoting partnerships. Duties include the following:
PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Maintain a healthy balance of support for all the needs of the research and education enterprise either through program, division, directorate, Foundation, or interagency activities.
Manage program resources so as to provide optimal appropriate scientific judgment to insure integrity and consistency in the grant/declination process without conflict-of-interests, and with balance among appropriate sub-fields and institutions, and participation of all qualified scientists. Incorporate cross-directorate responsibilities into program administration.
Manage an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size and quality of the reviewer pools and insuring participation by women, minorities and disabled scientists.
Provide scientific expertise, evaluation and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, other research programs, and cross-directorate programs.
Work with the research community to develop innovative approaches to encourage and support convergent scientific approaches to understand the Arctic’s social, natural and built systems and their intersections.
Advise and assist in the development of short- and long-range plans, establishing goals and objectives for research programs. Plan the budget for the programs/programs considering past, present and future fiscal years, allocate resources within that budget distributing scarce resources among major competitive programs, and manage post-award evaluation.
Control waste, fraud and abuse.
REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP
Represent the Program, Division and Foundation with the scientific community, with other NSF Divisions, with other appropriate agencies and organizations, and with the public, accurately reflecting NSF policy and positions.
Create and maintain linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies in pursuit of the overall NSF mission.
Participate in staff, panel, committee and other meetings, providing input relevant to Program area and/or Division.
Pursue affirmative action and EEO goals.
Pursue and/or be responsive to assignment on special projects and temporary functional teams from across the Foundation to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special programs.
Contribute ideas and effort to improving the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission. Develop policies and plans for strengthening research and education programs. Provide information to the community on how NSF is pursuing its mission and gather data impressions from the community on the effectiveness of NSF's performance of its mission.
Prepare and disseminate a variety of informational documents which may include data on progress being made toward NSF's goals, trends and opportunities papers, and budget plans.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Establish contacts and maintain active involvement in Program and related areas through participation in professional activities. Maintain familiarity with salient current research developments. Pursue individual research as workload and travel funds permit.
Expand administrative capabilities through training courses or assumption of new management responsibilities.
Preview questions at bottom of Qualifications & Evaluations--see tab above.
You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position.
Please preview "Evaluations" section and "Qualifications" for additional requirements and Quality Ranking Factors.
Qualifications
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in an appropriate field plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research support and/or research administration experience pertinent to the position that demonstrate a progressively increasing level of responsibility; OR a Master’s degree in an appropriate field plus after award of the Master’s degree, eight or more years of successful research, research support and/or research administration experience pertinent to the position that demonstrate a progressively increasing level of responsibility. An appropriate field is a science pertinent to the activities of the Arctic Observing Network (biology, geology, geophysics, oceanography, physical science, etc.) experience as evidenced by lead-authorship in peer-reviewed publications and/or demonstrated leadership role in science projects.
This position is outside the competitive civil service.
Additional information
If you do not have civil service status or reinstatement eligibility, you will not obtain civil service status if selected. If you are currently in the competitive civil service, you will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected.
This Program Director position is in the bargaining unit.
Relocation expenses may be paid subject to funds availability.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, expertise, education, and research activities relevant to the duties of the position. We strongly encourage you to specifically address the Quality Ranking Factors below. This will ensure that you receive full consideration in the evaluation process.
Quality Ranking Factors
Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and theories applicable to activities within the purview of the Arctic Program.
Research, analytical and technical writing skills which evidence the ability to perform extensive inquiry into a wide variety of significant issues and make recommendations and decisions based on findings.
Professional bearing, interpersonal communications skills and ability to present and convincingly defend program policies and plans to peers, the science community, managers of related organizations and senior managers in NSF.
Ability to engage the research community to develop creative solutions to support system and convergent scientific approaches.
Ability to work well with peers, members of the scientific community, science managers from other organizations, and related stakeholders (including international partners) to effectively develop program policies, plans and goals.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
In order to be considered for federal appointments, Non-Citizens must affirm that they meet the Appropriations Law eligibility criteria by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. Non-Citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered. Non-Citizens who are exempt from the Appropriations Law requirements due to their status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on December 16, 2009 must provide a statement with their application noting their exemption with documentation of proof of status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on that date.
You are strongly encouraged to submit a current performance appraisal and/or letter(s) of recommendation and a supplemental statement that describes how your background relates to the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) listed in the Qualifications and Evaluation Requirements section of this announcement. This information will be used in the evaluation process.
We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey Form. This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.
You can fax or upload your letter of recommendation(s) or the individual(s) can email the letter of recommendation(s) to rotator@nsf.gov; please ask him/her to put your name and the job announcement number in the subject line.
Transcripts are not required; however, please indicate the year that each degree was obtained on your application materials.
All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Your application must be submitted online and all document faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Frequently Asked Questions.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
If you are unable to apply electronically, please use the Contact Information below for special instructions on how to submit your application materials. Hearing impaired individuals may call TDD (703) 292-8044 for assistance.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
2415 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22230
United States
Next steps
Shortly after the announcement closes, you will be notified as to whether or not you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you do, you will receive further consideration and evaluation. If the position is in the bargaining unit, and your application is referred to the selecting official, you will be contacted for an interview. Interviews for positions not in the bargaining unit may be conducted at the discretion of the selecting official. All qualified applicants will receive final notification of the outcome of the job opportunity announcement.
You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
In order to be considered for federal appointments, Non-Citizens must affirm that they meet the Appropriations Law eligibility criteria by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. Non-Citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered. Non-Citizens who are exempt from the Appropriations Law requirements due to their status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on December 16, 2009 must provide a statement with their application noting their exemption with documentation of proof of status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on that date.
You are strongly encouraged to submit a current performance appraisal and/or letter(s) of recommendation and a supplemental statement that describes how your background relates to the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) listed in the Qualifications and Evaluation Requirements section of this announcement. This information will be used in the evaluation process.
We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey Form. This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.
You can fax or upload your letter of recommendation(s) or the individual(s) can email the letter of recommendation(s) to rotator@nsf.gov; please ask him/her to put your name and the job announcement number in the subject line.
Transcripts are not required; however, please indicate the year that each degree was obtained on your application materials.
All faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. If you are faxing your information, please use extreme care in dialing the fax number to assure we receive your information. You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your faxed/uploaded document(s).
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
Your application must be submitted online and all document faxing/uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date. You must answer all of the job-related questions to ensure full consideration for this position. For more detailed information, please review our NSF eRecruit Frequently Asked Questions.
WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
If you are unable to apply electronically, please use the Contact Information below for special instructions on how to submit your application materials. Hearing impaired individuals may call TDD (703) 292-8044 for assistance.
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
2415 Eisenhower Avenue
Alexandria, Virginia 22230
United States
Next steps
Shortly after the announcement closes, you will be notified as to whether or not you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you do, you will receive further consideration and evaluation. If the position is in the bargaining unit, and your application is referred to the selecting official, you will be contacted for an interview. Interviews for positions not in the bargaining unit may be conducted at the discretion of the selecting official. All qualified applicants will receive final notification of the outcome of the job opportunity announcement.
You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
