Physical Scientist (Program Director)

Office: Polar Programs (GEO/OPP) Directorate: Geosciences (GEO) Job Type: STEM Appointment Type: Temporary / Rotator Pay Grade/Scale: AD-04 Salary Range: $, - $, This job is open to the public

Application timeline

Date Posted: September 29, Closing date: Open until filled Formal consideration of interested applicants will begin October 1, and will continue until a selection is made.

Position Summary

for a Temporary/Rotator Program Director in Polar Cyberinfrastructure and Novel Technology Development. Formal consideration of applications will begin on October 1, and will continue until a selection is made.

The Office of Polar Programs supports innovative research, engineering, and education in the Arctic and Antarctic across all scientific disciplines central to the National Science Foundation's (NSF) mission. Investments catalyze fundamental discovery of polar systems and their influence on global Earth processes to inform the nation and advance the welfare of all people. OPP also supports world-class astrophysical facilities essential for advancing understanding of the universe’s origins. OPP’s Polar Cyberinfrastructure and Technology Programs transform polar science by facilitating the transmission and integration of data and knowledge across the polar research and cyberinfrastructure communities, and by supporting the development of novel technologies that seek to expand the observing capabilities available to polar researchers. These programs serve both the Antarctic and Arctic Sciences sections.

Position Description

The Program Director (Temporary/Rotator) for Polar Cyberinfrastructure and Novel Technology Development manages OPP’s strategic investments in advancing cyberinfrastructure and new observing technologies related to polar science and education, and has the opportunity to shape future research directions. The successful candidate will be engaged in defining and communicating cyberinfrastructure and technology needs and opportunities through interactions with the research community, related research programs within OPP (both Antarctic and Arctic), in other divisions of NSF, and in other organizations external to NSF. We are seeking an individual who is not only versed in cyberinfrastructure and/or the development of new observing technologies capable of operating in remote environments, but that also has experience in their application to the diverse fields of science that OPP supports. The incumbent will play an active role in developing and managing joint funding competitions with the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, The Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, and other organizations within NSF.

The position recruited under this announcement will be filled under the following appointment option(s):

Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Assignment: Individuals eligible for an IPA assignment with a Federal agency include employees of State and local government agencies or institutions of higher education, Indian tribal governments, and other eligible organizations in instances where such assignments would be of mutual benefit to the organizations involved. Initial assignments under IPA provisions may be made for a period up to two years, with a possible extension for up to an additional two-year period. The individual remains an employee of the home institution and NSF provides the negotiated funding toward the assignee's salary and benefits. Initial IPA assignments are made for a one-year period and may be extended by mutual agreement.

Temporary Excepted Service Appointment: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Candidates who do not have civil service status or reinstatement eligibility will not obtain civil service status if selected. Candidates currently in the competitive service will be required to waive competitive civil service rights if selected. Usual civil service benefits (retirement, health benefits and life insurance) are applicable for appointments of more than one year. Temporary appointments may not exceed three years.

Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) Program: Appointment to this position will be made under the Excepted Authority of the NSF Act. Visiting Scientists are on non-paid leave status from their home institution and placed on the NSF payroll. NSF withholds Social Security taxes and pays the home institution's contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits (i.e., health benefits and life insurance), either directly to the home institution or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

Applications will be accepted from U.S. Citizens. Recent changes in Federal Appropriations Law require Non-Citizens to meet certain eligibility criteria to be considered. Therefore, Non-Citizens must certify eligibility by signing and attaching this to their application. Non-Citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered eligible. Non-Citizens are not eligible for positions requiring a security clearance.

To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order on Requiring Coronavirus Disease Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in an appropriate field (see below), 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 Masters degree in an appropriate field plus after award of the degree, eight or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

Appropriate fields are those involving the application of cyberinfrastructure and/or development of novel technologies to/for the diverse scientific disciplines that OPP supports. Relevant experience includes research, engineering and/or technology development, research administration/management, and/or polar science/research/facilities support and planning.

A successful candidate will have effective oral and written communication skills. Familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable. The candidate is expected to function effectively as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams as well as be an individual contributor. The candidate must also demonstrate a capability to promote NSF activities and to work closely with a broad spectrum of polar researchers while advancing polar cyberinfrastructure capabilities and novel technology development in support of discovery-based research.