Chemist (Program Director) - Alexandria, Virginia

Job Summmary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidates for a Chemist (Program Director) position within the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Division of Chemistry (CHE), Alexandria, VA. For more information on MPS please click here. For more information on CHE please click here.

Who can apply

1. Internal to an agency - appears on USAJOBS

Job Duties

NSF Program Directors bear the primary responsibility for carrying out the agency's overall mission to support innovative and merit-reviewed activities in basic research and education that contribute to the nation's technical strength, security, and welfare. To fulfill this responsibility requires not only knowledge in the appropriate disciplines, but also a commitment to high standards, a considerable breadth of interest and receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity. The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director include, for example, long-range planning and budget development for the Program, the administration of the merit review process and proposal recommendations, the preparation of press releases, feature articles and material describing advances in the research supported, and coordination and liaison with other programs in NSF, other Federal agencies and organizations. Additional duties and responsibilities include: PROGRAM PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Maintains a healthy balance of support for all the needs of the research and education enterprise through program, division, directorate, Foundation, or interagency activities. Manages program resources to provide optimal appropriate scientific judgment to insure integrity and consistency in the grant/declination process without conflict of interests, and with balance among appropriate sub-fields and institutions, and participation of all qualified scientists. Incorporates cross-directorate responsibilities into program administration. Manages an effective, timely merit review process, with attention to increasing the size and quality of the reviewer pools and insuring participation by women, minorities and disabled scientists. Provides scientific expertise, evaluation and advice for other programs in NSF, including international programs, and other research programs, and cross-directorate programs. Advises and assists in the development of short-and-long range plans, establishing goals and objectives for support of research programs. Plans the budget for the program/programs considering past, present and future fiscal years, allocates resources within the budget by distributing scarce resources among major competitive programs, and manages post-award evaluation. Controls waste, fraud and abuse. REPRESENTATION, COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP Represents the Program, Division and the 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. Creates and maintains linkages to other NSF units and other Federal agencies in pursuit of the overall NSF mission. Participates in staff, panel, committee and other meetings, providing input relevant to program area and/or Division. Pursues affirmative action and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) goals. Pursues and/or is responsive to assignment on special projects and temporary function teams across the Foundation to solve problems, improve staff communication, and effect coordination for special programs. Contributes ideas and effort to improving the quality of policies and NSF's performance of the overall mission. Develops policies and plans for strengthening support of research and education programs. Provides information to the community on how NSF is pursuing its mission and gathers data and impressions from the community on the effectiveness of NSF's performance of its mission. Prepares and disseminates a variety of informational documents which may include data on progress being made toward NSF goals, trends and opportunities, and budget plans. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Establishes contacts and maintains active involvement in Program and related areas through participation in professional activities. Maintains familiarity with salient current research developments. Pursues individual research as workload and travel funds permit. Expands administrative capabilities through training courses or assumption of new management.

Requirements

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. This position is in the bargaining unit represented by AFGE Local 3403. The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

Qualification

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in Chemistry or closely related 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. The position to be filled is in our Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) as well as our Macromolecular, Supramolecular and Nanochemistry (MSN) Programs. Applicants should demonstrate breadth of knowledge regarding how REU Programs are managed to be successful, and must demonstrate expert chemistry knowledge in macro/supramolecular (including polymers) and/or nanochemistry. Commitment to high scientific standards, high ethical standards, problem solving skills, and the ability to effectively lead individuals and work within teams are a must. Experience in managing budgets and working with NSF electronic and financial systems is desirable.

Education

Please refer to the Qualifications section. If your degree was obtained from a foreign institution, please also submit the certification from the Association for International Credential Evaluation Professionals, or certification equivalency.

Additional information

Relocation expenses WILL NOT be paid. This announcement is open to current NSF employees who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements. Please note: NSF IPA's are not considered agency employees and are not eligible to apply. 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 & including removal from Federal Service or termination of an IPA assignment & referral to the Office of Inspector General. Foreign Talent Definitions Federal Appropriations Law requires that Non-Citizens 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. This announcement may be used to fill like positions in other organizations within the National Science Foundation. NSF has determined that all of its positions are eligible for telework. Work suitable for telework depends on job duties; therefore, employees must receive approval from their supervisor for telework and have a telework agreement in place. Entering into a telework agreement is voluntary.

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How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated on the extent and quality of your experience, expertise, education, and research activities relevant to the duties of the position. In some cases, additional assessment processes may also be used. We strongly encourage you to specifically address the Quality Ranking Factors below. This will ensure that you receive full consideration in the evaluation process. Quality Ranking Factors Demonstrates expert knowledge of current research in chemistry, specifically related to macro/supramolecular (including polymers) chemistry and/or nanochemistry, and demonstrates broad knowledge regarding how Research Experiences for Undergraduates programs are managed to be successful. Serves as a liaison to scientific community on behalf of NSF and as the chemistry community's representative to the Federal government. Communicates with members of the scientific community about what they envision- identifying new directions and trends in the field and writing with colleagues to help push the vision forward and shape chemical sciences. Selects top researchers and experts for the peer review process and manages proposal review at all junctions, including conducting fair and objective reviews and ensuring compliance with NSF regulations and procedures. Makes funding decisions and recommend awards to the most worthy proposals, ensuring that those funded reflect a diverse range of scientific opportunities and strong broader impacts (e.g., advancing discovery and understanding; promoting teaching, training, and learning; broadening participation of underrepresented groups; enhancing infrastructure for research and education). Participate in coordination groups, special working groups, conferences, and other joint initiatives to collaborate with peers and experts across disciplines, Federal and state agencies and/or private sector organizations.

Document Requires:-

All applicants must submit a resume in any format and may also submit a cover letter. In order to be considered for federal appointments, Non-Citizens must affirm that they meet the Appropriations Law eligibility criteria by signing and attaching this Citizenship Affidavit to their application. This also applies to individuals considered for Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignments to NSF. Non citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will not be considered. Non Citizens who are exempt from the Appropriations Law requirements due to their status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on December 16, 2009 must provide a statement with their application noting their exemption with documentation of proof of status as officers or employees of the U.S. government on that date. You are strongly encouraged to upload a current performance appraisal and/or letter(s) of recommendation and a supplemental statement that describes how your background relates to the Quality Ranking Factors (QRFs) listed in the Qualifications and Evaluation Requirements section of this announcement. This information will be used in the evaluation process. Transcripts are not required; however, please indicate the year that each degree was obtained on your application materials. All uploading must be completed before 11:59 PM Eastern time on the vacancy closing date.

How to appy this Job

Applicants must complete and submit an application online at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) USAJOBS website at https://www.USAJOBS.gov. An account must be established at the OPM website following the instructions provided in order to apply for the position. Once you have completed the USAJOBS process, you will be re-directed to the USA Staffing system to complete your application process, answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. Applications submitted other than the USAJOBS online application WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED under this announcement. - Your application and all supporting documents must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Applicants applying online for this position will be able to apply until 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of this announcement. Please allow adequate time to complete your application. -If you encounter technical difficulties during the process, please submit a USA Staffing Help Ticket for assistance. If you have technical difficulties applying to the vacancy on the USAJOBS website, click on Contact USAJOBS. It is suggested that you do not wait until the last day to apply for a vacancy announcement. We will not accept applications other than those submitted through USAJOBS. - As the applicant, it is your responsibility to verify that information entered, uploaded, and submitted is received and is accurate. Ensure that your application includes the required documents listed under "Required Documents" and that they are uploaded in the appropriate fields. - If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of this application and hiring process, please notify the point of contact on this job opportunity announcement. IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR DATE OF BIRTH ON YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS. WARNING! Applications submitted online must have a valid email address. If your email address is inaccurate or your mailbox is full or blocked, you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.

Apply Online

Next Step after Apply

You may check the status of your application at any time on the USAJOBS website Applicants should click 'Track this Application' in the Applicant Dashboard to receive application updates.