April 27, 2015

Dear Colleague:

The Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) within the Directorate of Geosciences (GEO) announces a nationwide search for a rotator position in the Physical Oceanography Program. We will consider filling the position at either the Associate Program Director or the Program Director level and will determine the applicant’s qualifications from the submitted application.

The Physical Oceanography Program supports research on a wide range of topics associated with the structure and movement of the ocean, with the way in which it transports various properties, with the way the ocean's physical structure interacts with the biological and chemical processes within it, and with interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere, solid earth and ice that surround it.

Formal consideration of interested applications will begin May 27, 2015 and will continue until a selection is made.

NSF Program Directors are in charge of specific research areas. They solicit, receive and review research and education proposals, make funding recommendations and administer awards. They are also responsible for the expansion and evolution of the program, interaction with other Federal agencies, forming and guiding interagency collaborations, and for service to Foundation-wide activities.

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.

This specific position requires an individual with broad expertise and demonstrated experience in physical oceanography. Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. in the area of physical oceanography or a related discipline such as environmental fluid dynamics, plus at least four or more years of successful research, research administration and/or managerial experience pertinent to the position after award of the Ph.D. The position requires effective oral and written communication skills; familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable. The incumbent is expected to function effectively both as an individual within the specific NSF program and as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams. The incumbent must also demonstrate a capability to work across government agencies to promote NSF activities and to leverage program funds through interagency collaborations.

The position recruited under this announcement will be filled under one of the following appointment option:

Intergovernmental Personnel Assignment (IPA) Act: 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.

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 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.

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.

Persons wishing to apply for this position are referred to the Divisional web page, https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?org=OCE, for a description of the relevant programs. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the Physical Oceanography Program Director: Eric C. Itsweire (703-292-7582 or eitsweir@nsf.gov) for more information.

For additional information on NSF's rotational programs, please visit: https://www.nsf.gov/about/career_opps/rotators/.

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 to be considered for Federal appointments (i.e., Visiting Scientists, Engineers and Educators (VSEE) program and Temporary Excepted Service). Non-citizens who do not provide the affidavit at the time of application will be considered only for the IPA program.

Applications of interest should be submitted electronically and must include contact information, a current CV, a letter briefly describing the candidate's background that specifically relates to the program objectives, availability time frame, and a list of references.

Please make electronic submission to eitsweir@nsf.gov.

Dr. Eric C. Itsweire
Program Director
Physical Oceanography Program
Division of Ocean Sciences
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
703-292-8582

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