Program Director (Manufacturing Systems Integration Program)

Division: Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (ENG/CMMI)
Directorate: Engineering (ENG)
Job Type:
STEM
Appointment Type:
Temporary / Rotator
This job is open to the public

Application timeline

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

Position Summary

The Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) has recently established the Manufacturing Systems Integration Program (MSI). The design and manufacturing communities are actively engaged in digital design, digital manufacturing, the use of computer-based methods to efficiently coordinate and integrate the design, and production and distribution of products.  The pace of implementation of fully digital design and manufacturing has been hampered by a lack of fundamental principles for organizing the data that describes products, identifying the appropriate methods for producing them, controlling their production processes and configuring and coordinating the supply chains that acquire the required inputs and deliver finished products.  As a result, most digital design and manufacturing research is focused on proof-of-concept demonstrations that often do not scale.   This program will support fundamental research to investigate those underlying principles and their integration in manufacturing systems. Through this DCL, CMMI is announcing a nationwide search to fill the Program Director position to manage this new program.

Position Description

Program Directors have an unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure that NSF-funded research is at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of this, Program Directors are responsible for extensive interaction with academic research communities and industry, as well as interaction with other Federal agencies that may lead to the development of interagency collaborations. Within this context, Program Directors solicit, receive and review research and education proposals, make funding recommendations, administer awards, and undertake interaction with research communities in these fields. They are also responsible for service to Foundation-wide activities and initiatives that together accomplish NSF's strategic goals to: (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 Manufacturing Systems Integration Program (MSI) lies at the intersection of many CMMI programs – including Advanced Manufacturing (AM/088Y), Engineering Design and Systems Engineering (EDSE/072Y) and Operations Engineering (OE/006Y) – and cross-cutting solicitations – including Cyber Physical Systems (CPS/7918), Designing Materials to Revolutionize and Engineer our Future (DMREF/8292), Future Manufacturing (FM/142Y) and National Robotics Initiative (NRI/8013).  A new program director position for the MSI program is needed and the founding program director will be expected to coordinate with the programs inside and outside the NSF to maintain a sustained fundamental focus on design and manufacturing systems integration research. 

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. 

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. https://www.nsf.gov/careers/Definition-of-Foreign-Talent-HRM.pdf.

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 Citizenship Affidavit 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 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 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 of engineering or science plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position.

Effective oral and written communication skills, and 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 an individual contributor.  The candidate must also demonstrate a capability to work across government agencies to promote NSF activities and to leverage program funds through interagency collaborations. The successful candidate will have the broad perspective and technical awareness of national manufacturing R&D priorities needed to promote the engagement of research communities that have not traditionally sought support from CMII in convergent research projects that explore the use of methodologies that are widely applied in business and commerce but have received little attention from design and manufacturing researchers.   Positive candidate attributes include vision-forward systems thinking that appreciates the diverse technology ecosystem of the digital manufacturing future, manufacturing knowledge, and a multidisciplinary perspective to research and teaming. The position requires a commitment to high intellectual standards and ethical conduct, a considerable breadth of interest, receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

To apply, email a single PDF document that includes (i) a cover letter outlining qualifications for the position, (ii) a curriculum vitae, (iii) Citizen affidavit, as applicable.

  • Vacancy Contact: Dr. Alexis Lewis
  • Application Submission Email Address: alewis@nsf.gov

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