Social Scientist (Program Director)

Summary The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Social Scientist (Program Director) within the Directorate for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE), Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SES) in Alexandria, VA. For more information on SBE please click here. For more information on SES please click here. Responsibilities SES programs cover Economics, Sociology, and Political Science topics such as Accountable Institutions and Behavior (AIB) and Security and Preparedness (SP). Interdisciplinary SES programs include: Decision, Risk and Management Sciences (DRMS); Law and Science (LS); Measurement, Methods, and Statistics (MMS); Science of Organizations (SoS); Science of Science: Discovery, Communication, and Impact (SoS:DCI); Science and Technology Studies (STS); and Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC). In addition to the core scientific programs within social and economic sciences, SES division also supports many cross-disciplinary ventures such as, Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier (FW-HTF), Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI), Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC), Designing Accountable Software Systems (DASS), Bioeconomy / Advanced Biotechnology and more. The SES Division therefore welcomes applications from experts who can help shape, invigorate, and manage any of funding programs including cross-disciplinary projects in SES. Program Directors help research activities and research communities thrive. This requires, for example: long-range planning and budget development; the administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations; the preparation of press releases, feature articles, and other materials describing advances in the research supported; as well as coordination with related programs in NSF or in other agencies and organizations. Every Program Director is guided by the goals of NSFs Strategic Plan: (I) enable the United States to uphold a position of world leadership in all aspects of science, mathematics, and engineering, (2) promote the discovery, integration, dissemination, and employment of new knowledge in service to society, and (3) achieve excellence in U.S. science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education at all levels. The core strategies NSF staff employ include developing intellectual capital, strengthening the physical infrastructure, integrating research and education, and promoting partnerships. Duties: PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Maintain a healthy portfolio of support for all the needs of the research and education enterprise either through program, division, directorate, Foundation, or interagency activities. Manage program resources so as to promote integrity, consistency, and good scientific judgement in the grant/declination process while avoiding conflicts of interest, imbalances of representation, or perceptions of partiality. Manage an effective and timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size, quality, and diversity of the reviewer pools, including participation by women, minorities and disabled scientists. Provide scientific expertise, evaluation, and advice for other research programs in NSF, including international or other cross-directorate programs. Advise and assist in the development of plans, both short and long-term, that establish compelling goals and objectives for research programs. Budget programmatic expenditures considering past, present and future fiscal years so as to allocate risk and resources appropriately. Maintain the rules, integrity, and reputation of NSF grantmaking. REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP Represent the Program, Division, and Foundation within the scientific community, with other NSF Divisions, with other appropriate 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, providing input relevant to Program area and/or Division. Pursue and/or be responsive to assignment on special projects and temporary working groups from across the Foundation to solve problems, to improve communication, and to coordinate special efforts. Contribute ideas and energy to improving the quality of NSFs policies and performance, including plans for strengthening research and education programs. Provide information to the community on how NSF is pursuing its mission and gather information from the community about perceptions of NSFs effectiveness. Prepare and disseminate a variety of documents which may include data on NSFs progress on meeting its goals, analysis of trends and opportunities, as well as budget plans. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Establish contacts and maintain active involvement in 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. Requirements Conditions of Employment This position is outside the competitive civil service. You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement. All online applicants must provide a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full/blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position. The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation. This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403. Requires an Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure OGE-450 Qualifications Candidates must have a Ph.D. in a Social Science field plus after award of the Ph.D., six or more years of successful research, research administration, and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position. Education Please refer to the Qualifications section. If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, you must also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency. Additional Information NSF offers a chance for scientists, engineers, and educators to join us as temporary detailees – called rotators. As a rotator, you will be in a prime position to collaborate with others and increase your visibility as you survey the entire breadth of U.S. and international science, engineering, and education in real time. In addition, as a temporary detailee, you can retain your ties to your current institution and return to it with new insights and experience for your team. Learn more about rotator programs at NSF The position will be filled under the following appointment option: 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 assignees salary and benefits. Salary: The salary noted above is based on the rate of pay for Federal Program Directors. The IPA assignment salary is based on the current salary at the IPAs home institution. 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 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 institutions contributions to maintain retirement and fringe benefits, 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. Foreign Talent Definitions 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. Only applications submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.