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The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Physical Science Administrator (Program Director) position for the Geoinformatics program in the Division of Earth Sciences (EAR) within the Directorate for Geosciences (GEO), Alexandria, VA.
For more information on GEO please click here.
For more information on EAR please click here.
Learn more about this agency03/03/2020 to 04/27/2020
$147,458 - $189,056 per year
AD 04
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Yes—Relocation MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds.
Permanent
Full-Time
Excepted
04
No
No
EAR-2020-0005
561764900
Applications will be accepted from all US citizens who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please see the "Other Information" section for further information.
The incumbent Program Director will require expertise in geoinformatics and areas of Earth sciences supported by EAR. EAR supports geoinformatics infrastructure efforts that are innovative, community-based and serve the research needs of the broader Earth science community. These efforts often extend beyond the scope of a single discipline or program and include partnership with programs from across EAR, into other divisions within the GEO and across NSF. As such, the program director is expected to collaborate with, for example, the EarthCube program and with the “10 Big Ideas: Harnessing the Data Revolution” working group.
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 have expertise within the scientific areas covered by the Division of Earth Sciences and will help identify emerging opportunities in the areas covered by the Directorate for Geosciences. In addition, the incumbent will be required to undertake the design, development, analysis, documentation, management and implementation of programs and activities within the Geoinformatics program and other programs within EAR. The responsibilities of the Program Director will include long-range planning for the areas of science represented by the Geoinformatics 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.
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
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 resources among major competitive projects and manage post-award evaluation.
Prevent waste, fraud, and abuse.
REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP
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 (EEO) 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.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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.
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.
Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Earth Sciences, plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.
This position is outside the competitive civil service.
You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Relocation expenses MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds
This announcement is open to All US Citizens 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.
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
All applicants must submit a resume in any format, and may also submit a cover letter.
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. 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 adsearch@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).
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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 Applicant Guide.
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.
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 if interviews are conducted. 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.
We highly recommend that all candidates opt to receive email notifications for job status updates.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/561764900. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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Applicants wishing to apply for a Federal Temporary, VSEE or IPA Appointment should see Job Announcement EAR-2020-0006.
