Dear Colleague:

The Division of Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) announces a nationwide search to a Program Director position for the Engineering Research Center program. Program Directors at the National Science Foundation (NSF) are in charge of specific research areas. They solicit, receive and manage the review of research and education proposals, make funding recommendations and administer awards. They are also responsible for interaction with other Federal agencies, forming and guiding interagency collaborations, and for service to Foundation-wide activities.

Formal consideration of interested applications will begin February 22, 2016 and will continue until a selection is made. The selected candidate will be expected to start no later than June 2016.

Program Directors have an unparalleled opportunity and responsibility to ensure NSF-funded research is at the forefront of advancing fundamental knowledge. In support of that, 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 development of interagency collaborations. Within this context, 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. The position requires a commitment to high standards of intellectualism and ethical conduct, a considerable breadth of interest, receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense of fairness, good judgment, and a high degree of personal integrity.

The ERC program was launched in 1985 and it continues to be a landmark program in federal support for university research and education in partnership with industry. These centers provide an interdisciplinary environment where academe and industry focus together on advances in complex engineered systems that can transform industrial processes, develop new product lines, and/or build new infrastructures important for the Nation's future. They create an interdisciplinary culture that joins discovery to innovation to explore technological realities through proof-of-concept testbeds and prepare the future engineering professional workforce. Now in their third generation, ERCs establish innovation ecosystems, which include: partnerships with center member firms/practitioners to strengthen the ERC and streamline technology transfer; translational research partnerships with small firms to accelerate commercialization of high risk ERC advancements; and innovation partnerships with local organizations to stimulate entrepreneurship and job creation as well as enable technological innovation. For more information, please visit the Division’s website.

The successful candidate will be a member of the team of Program Directors and staff responsible for the selection and post-award oversight of centers. The incumbent will also coordinate with the other ERC program directors and EEC members to synthesize the outcomes/metrics from the centers' research, workforce development, and innovation ecosystem efforts and help develop future solicitations. The current ERC program solicitation can be found at: https://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf15589.

Qualification requirements for the position are a Ph.D. and/or equivalent professional experience in the discipline of engineering, plus six or more years of successful research, research administration and/or managerial experience in academe and industry. The position requires effective oral and written communication skills, and familiarity with NSF programs and activities is highly desirable. The incumbent is expected to function effectively both as individual within the specific NSF program and as a member of crosscutting and interactive teams. Experience with center-level research organizations is desirable. 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 Program Director position recruited under this announcement may be filled under one of the following appointment options:

Visiting Scientist, Engineer or Educator (VSEE) Appointment: Visiting Scientist 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. Visiting Scientist appointments may be convertible to permanent appointments. See https://www.nsf.gov/careers/rotator/vsee.jsp for additional information.

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. Temporary Excepted Service appointments may be convertible to permanent appointments.

Permanent Federal Employee: Applicants wishing to apply for the Permanent Appointment should see Job Announcement EEC-2016-0004 at www.USAJobs.gov.

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/about/career_opps/rotators/ and https://www.nsf.gov/careers/rotator/microsite/.

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 be considered for IPA only. 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 for the ERC Program Director position. Should you or your colleagues be interested in this position, please email a current CV accompanied by your cover letter highlighting the background that specifically relates to the position duties and requirements to:

ERC Program Director Search Committee
Dr. Don Millard
Deputy Division Director
Division of Engineering Education and Centers
Directorate for Engineering
National Science Foundation
Arlington, VA 22230
Email: dmillard@nsf.gov

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