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A Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) is an informal correspondence which is written by a Requesting Office and distributed to communities within a specific program area, to attract individuals eligible under a Visiting Scientist, Engineer, and Educator (VSEE) appointment, an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment and/or a Federal Temporary appointment. These letters may be circulated in paper form through internal mail, distributed electronically using listservs or accessed through NSF.gov’s Career Page.

Physical Science Administrator (Program Director)

Division: Ocean Sciences (GEO/OCE)
Directorate: Geosciences (GEO)
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 Physical Oceanography Program (PO) within the Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) in the Directorate of Geosciences (GEO) announces a nationwide search for a Program Director (Rotator) with experience and expertise in any aspect of physical oceanography. The anticipated start date is August 2020.

Position Description

The PO Program supports research on topics associated with the physical structure and movement of ocean water masses and quantities within them, across a wide range of spatial and temporal scales. This includes interactions of ocean circulation and fluid dynamics with ocean biology and chemistry, and with the atmosphere, solid earth and ice. The person selected for this position will work with the other Program Officers who oversee the PO Program to balance the award portfolio across the entire range of topics supported by the Program.

NSF Program Directors bear the primary responsibility for carrying out the agency's overall mission to support innovative science and merit-reviewed activities in basic research and education that contribute to the nation's technical strength, security, and welfare. This responsibility requires the appropriate scientific expertise and breadth of knowledge as well as a commitment to high standards, receptivity to new ideas, and a high degree of personal integrity.

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.

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 Physical 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; OR a Master’s degree in an appropriate field of Physical Science 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 include areas such as Physical Oceanography, Fluid Dynamics, and Climate or Earth System Science.

Applicants should have excellent oral and written communications skills.  Familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable.  The successful applicant will be expected to work effectively in a team environment both within the Program and as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams within the Directorate and Geoscience and NSF at large. 

Applications of interest should be submitted electronically and must include contact information, a current CV, and a statement briefly describing the candidate's background that specifically relates to the position duties and requirements. Applicants may also wish to include their timeframe of availability and a list of references.

Vacancy Contact:

Baris Mete Uz

Lead Program Director

Physical Oceanography

 

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