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Interdisciplinary (Program Director)

National Science Foundation
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidate for an Interdisciplinary (Program Director) position for the Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) within the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), Alexandria, VA.

For more information on GEO please click here.

For more information on AGS please click here.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
01/27/2020 to 04/06/2020
Salary
$147,458 to - $189,056 per year
Pay scale & grade
AD 04
Location
Alexandria, VA
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Relocation MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
04
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
AGS-2020-0001
Control number
557836400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all US citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please see the "Other Information" section for further information.

Duties

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The AGS mission to extend intellectual frontiers in atmospheric and geospace sciences by making responsible investments in fundamental research, technology development, and education that enable discoveries, nurture a vibrant, diverse scientific workforce, and help attain a prosperous and sustainable future.

AGS funds research and facilities to add new understanding to the behavior of the Earth’s atmosphere and its interactions with the sun. Specific research areas supported by AGS include:

  • Studies of the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of Earth's upper and lower atmosphere and its space environment.
  • Studies to increase process understanding and predictability of weather and climate including on longer time scale
  • Studies to understand the natural global cycles of gases and particles in Earth's atmosphere.

AGS supports the atmospheric and related sciences community with a portfolio of observing facilities and through the National Center for Atmospheric Research, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center based in Boulder, Colorado. NCAR is currently managed under a cooperative agreement between the Foundation and the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a consortium of 120 North American universities. NCAR scientists conduct research in atmospheric and related sciences and work with universities and other organizations to coordinate large-scale research projects, such as Earth System modeling or observational field campaigns. In addition, NCAR and certain universities operate major aircraft, supercomputers, and other facilities that are used by researchers throughout the atmospheric science community.

The majority of NCAR’s funding is provided through AGS, and the scientific oversight of NCAR is the responsibility of the AGS NCAR and Facilities Section (NFS). NFS also manages the AGS programs in lower atmospheric observing facilities and in education and cross-cutting research.

The responsibilities of the NFS Program Director include, for example, long-range planning and budget development, the administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations, the preparation of press releases, feature articles and material describing advances in the research supported, and coordination and liaison with other programs in NSF, other Federal agencies and organizations.  Additional duties and responsibilities include:

Working closely with program officers in AGS and throughout NSF, the incumbent will participate in the programmatic oversight, management, planning and evaluation associated with the cooperative agreement under which NCAR is managed and operated. The incumbent will also perform program management activities associated with the Section’s other facilities, education and cross-cutting programs, with a particular emphasis on cyberinfrastructure programs. Specific duties will include:

  • Manage the review and evaluation of NCAR’s strategic, budget and program operating plans, to support close alignment with the emerging needs of the atmospheric and related science community, AGS priorities, and NSF strategic goals.
  • Provide programmatic oversight of NCAR’s cyberinfrastructure facilities, including budgets, expenditure and future strategies for meeting the computational needs of the user community.
  • Manage scientific reviews and performance evaluations of NCAR’s programs, facilities and management.
  • Provide programmatic oversight of NCAR’s capital infrastructure and facilities projects, monitoring budgets, plans and expenditures, and ensuring adherence to relevant federal policies and regulations such as environmental compliance requirements.
  • Support the proposal and award process for programs managed in the Section and elsewhere in NSF, including developing program plans and budgets, soliciting proposals, and managing peer review through a rigorous and fair process with appropriate participation by members of underrepresented groups.
  • Undertake other program officer responsibilities as needed.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Background investigation.
  • Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

It is NSF policy that NSF personnel employed at or IPAs detailed to NSF are not permitted to participate in foreign government talent recruitment programs.  Failure to comply with this NSF policy could result in disciplinary action up to and including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment and referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions

You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position.

All online applicants must provide 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.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Please preview "Evaluations" section and "Qualifications" for additional requirements and Quality Ranking Factors.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Atmospheric, Geospace, Ocean or Earth sciences, or a closely related field, plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position; OR a Master’s degree in Atmospheric, Geospace, Ocean or Earth sciences, or a closely related field, plus after award of the degree, eight or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

Within these disciplines, quantitative research experience in computational science is preferred.

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

Relocation expenses MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds

This announcement is open to (All US Citizens OR current NSF employees) who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements.

Federal Appropriations Law requires that Non-Citizens meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered. Therefore, Non-Citizens must certify eligibility 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.

This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation.

NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

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.  In some cases, additional assessment processes may also be used.

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 

  1. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the mission and goals of the National Science Foundation (NSF), how NSF interacts with the scientific community, and the role of NCAR as an NSF Federally Funded Research and Development Center in supporting the atmospheric and related sciences community.
  2. Proven expertise in managing large research-related projects and/or programs, including strategic planning, development of budgets and schedules, resource management, identification and mitigation of risk, and program evaluation.
  3. Proven expertise in financial management and oversight associated with contracts and/or cooperative agreements.
  4. Demonstrated ability to cooperate and work effectively across organizational boundaries.
  5. Demonstrated research, analytical, and technical writing skills that evidence the ability to perform extensive inquiry into a wide range of significant issues related to research programs and scientific centers and facilities and make recommendations based on findings.
  6. Demonstrated ability to develop and manage cross-disciplinary research programs, including cyberinfrastructure programs, and education and training opportunities for undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

To preview questions please click here.

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