January 5, 2017

OPEN PERIOD: December 30, 2016 to February 10, 2017

The Head of the Polar Environment, Safety and Health (PESH) Section is responsible to the Office Director for the Office of Polar Programs (OPP) for the overall planning, coordination and management of policy and direction for all aspects of environmental, safety and health related to OPP-supported activities. The incumbent will develop environmental, safety and health program plans for the U.S. programs in polar regions in support of long-range scientific and national goals; establish priorities for environmental, health and safety activities and provide the Office Director with the technical, budgetary, and programmatic information needed for the formulation of Office-wide budgets and long-range plans; provide oversight of the environmental, safety and health related aspects of facilities of the U. S. Antarctic Program, including those at three land-based medical clinics, in the isolated sick bays aboard research vessels, and at remote field stations, together with associated emergency response coordination; oversee the development, review and evolution of health screening criteria for participants in the U.S. Antarctic Program and an appropriate subset of participants in projects supported by the Arctic Section; and supervise a staff of safety and health experts as well as Deputy U.S. Marshals assigned to Antarctica, and assure appropriate independence of decision-making on these issues while providing oversight leadership to reduce safety, financial and legal risks. The responsibilities extend to the activities of all Federal agencies in Antarctica.

The PESH Section Head serves as a member of the OPP leadership team and promotes liaison between the Section and other units of the Office and NSF, and other agencies and international organizations involved in support of environmental, safety and health goals in polar regions. OPP consists of four sections with a staff of approximately 60, and administers an annual budget of $450 million. OPP supports research in all areas of fundamental science and engineering in polar regions through research grants and awards to universities and other research organizations and through the provision for logistics support and infrastructure in the remote polar regions.

Applicants for this position should review announcement PLR-2017-0006.

The position requirements and application procedures are located on the NSF Home Page at http://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/. Hearing impaired individuals may call TDD (703-292-5090).

Applications must be received by February 10, 2017.

NSF is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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