Duties of the Program Director are 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 incumbent Program Director will be knowledgeable in the scientific areas covered by the Division, will have strong interest in fostering the development of future Earth scientists, and will help identify emerging opportunities in the Geosciences. In addition, the incumbent will be required to undertake the design, development, analysis, documentation, management and implementation of programs and activities within the program and across disciplinary boundaries. The responsibilities of the Program Director will include long-range planning for the activities represented by the program; administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations; preparation of press releases, feature articles, and material describing advances in the research supported; and coordination with other NSF programs as well as those at other Federal agencies and organizations.

PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

• Maintain a healthy balance of support for the needs of the research and education enterprise through program, division, directorate, Foundation, and interagency activities.
• Exercise appropriate scientific judgment to ensure integrity and consistency in the grant/declination process without conflicts-of-interest, and with balance among appropriate sub-fields and institutions, and participation of all qualified scientists.
• Manage an effective and timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size and quality of the reviewer pools and ensuring participation of diverse groups, including women, minorities, and disabled scientists.
• Provide scientific expertise, evaluation, and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, and cross-directorate programs.
• Advise and assist in the development of short- and long-range plans and in establishing goals and objectives for research programs. Plan the budget for program/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.
• Prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.

• Represent the Program, Section, Division, and Foundation within the scientific community; with other NSF Divisions; with other 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 and represent the Program in interdisciplinary and cross-directorate activities and programs.
• Pursue affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity goals.
• Pursue and/or be responsive to assignments on special projects and temporary functional teams across the Foundation to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special programs.
• Contribute ideas for improving the quality of policies and NSF’s performance of its 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 and impressions from the community on the effectiveness of NSF’s performance of its mission.
• Prepare and disseminate informational documents that may include data on progress being made toward NSF’s goals, trends, and budget plans.

• Establish contacts and maintain active involvement in research areas supported by the 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.

Conditions of employment

• Background investigation.
• 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 a discipline relevant to Earth sciences and a strong interest in fostering the development of future Earth scientists, in addition to six or more years of successful research experience, research administration, and/or substantial managerial experience in academe, industry, or government after award of the Ph.D.

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

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:

1. Knowledge and understanding of scientific principles and theories relevant to Earth Sciences as demonstrated by publications, invited talks, and other professional activities and recognition.
2. Research, analytical, and technical writing skills that demonstrate the ability to perform extensive inquiry into a variety of significant issues, as well as the skills to make recommendations and decisions based on findings.
3. Ability to organize, implement, and manage an externally-reviewed, proposal-driven grants program, allocating resources to meet a spectrum of program goals.
4. Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to interact effectively and productively with peers, co-workers, and management at all levels of NSF; members of the scientific community; related organizations; other federal agencies; and international programs to effectively present, advocate, and advance program policies, plans, and goals.