Employment Opportunity for an Associate Program Director Position, National Science Foundation

CMMI 18-003Dear Colleague Letter: Directorate for Engineering (ENG), Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI) - Employment Opportunity for an Associate Program Director Position (Open Until Filled) 

February 20, 2018

Dear Colleagues:

The Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation (CMMI), within the Directorate for Engineering (ENG), at the National Science Foundation, announces a nationwide search to fill an Associate Program Director position.

Formal considerations will begin March 1, 2018 and will continue until a selection is made with an intended start date in the spring or summer of 2018.

Associate 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, Associate 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, Associate 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.

An Associate Program Director performs many of the duties of a Program Director and provides backup and support to the Program Director(s). The Associate Program Director will be involved in activities that cut across several CMMI programs and provide support to the Division Director and Deputy Division Director. The position requires a commitment to high standards of intellectualism and ethical conduct, a considerable breadth of interest across topics of relevance to CMMI, receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

Most of the Associate Program Director's time will be in support of several materials-related programs and initiatives; the Materials Engineering and Processing (MEP), the Mechanics of Materials and Structures (MOMS) programs and initiatives related to materials design. Accordingly, while knowledge across the full programmatic scope is not necessary, the preferred candidate will have some combination of expertise with respect to the processing, performance, design and mechanics of materials, especially soft materials and composites, and a mathematical background sufficient to contribute effectively in these disciplinary areas. Please follow the links to the web sites for detailed information regarding these programs.

Qualifications of a successful candidate include a PhD. degree in an appropriate field plus, after award of the PhD, four years or more of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position or a Master's degree in an appropriate field plus, after award of the degree, six years or more of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position. The position requires 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 position may be filled under one of the following appointment options:

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 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 or Educator (VSEE) Appointment: 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 institutions 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 institutions or to the carrier. Appointments are usually made for a one-year period and may be extended for an additional year by mutual agreement.

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. 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 to a maximum of four years total.

For additional information on NSF's rotational programs, please see "Programs for Scientists, Engineers, and Educators" on the NSF website at https://www.nsf.gov/careers/rotator/.

Applications will be accepted from US 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. We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey Form. This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.

Applicants should indicate in their cover letter that they are applying to the Associate Program Director position for materials-related programs and submit their application including their curriculum vitae via email to:

CMMI Materials Associate Program Director Search Committee
Mary M. Toney, Ph.D.
National Science Foundation
Directorate for Engineering
Division of Civil, Mechanical and Manufacturing Innovation
2415 Eisenhower Ave.
Alexandria, VA 22314
mtoney@nsf.gov

NSF IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER COMMITTED TO EMPLOYING A HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF THAT REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR NATION.