Duties

Summary

The National Science Foundation is seeking qualified candidate for a Science Education Administrator (Program Evaluator) position for the Office of the Director (OAD) within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), Alexandria, VA.

For more information on EHR please click here .

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Responsibilities

The Evaluator reports to the Assistant Director (AD), collaborates closely with EHR Senior Advisors, and is responsible for a range of issues that require senior­ level coordination across the Directorate and the Foundation. The position is not supervisory.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is charged with promoting the vitality of the nation's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) research and education enterprises. As part of this mission, EHR has primary responsibility for providing national and research-based leadership in STEM education. The Directorate work is organized around three pillars is fulfilling this responsibility:

Broadening participation to improve workforce development;

Promoting learning through research and evaluation;

STEM learning and learning environments;

To address these themes, EHR's research and human capital investments are coordinated across programs in four divisions; the Divisions of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings (DRL), the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), the Division of Graduate Education (DGE), and the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD).

MAJOR DUTIES and RESPONSIBILITIES

• Contribute to the conceptualization and implementation of innovative approaches, including culturally relevant strategies, to evaluating the broad range of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education research and human capital development programs and initiatives supported by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources.
• Provide advice and technical consultation on the design of programmatic and thematic evaluations of EHR portfolios of investment to ensure that they meet high professional standards and programmatic needs.
• Independently and collaboratively design, lead, and report on ongoing and/or ad hoc monitoring and evaluation projects. Provide guidance on attending to equity, diversity and inclusion in data collection and monitoring.
• Organize professional development opportunities on evaluation, monitoring, and assessment topics for EHR staff.
• Support colleagues in identifying appropriate criteria, metrics, and designs, including culturally relevant designs, for assessing outcomes and impacts of EHR programs and portfolios of investment.
• Develop a deep understanding of NSF enterprise data to advise EHR programs and leadership on their use for monitoring and evaluative purposes and support the development of directorate-level systems and procedures for programmatic and thematic evaluations.
• Provide leadership and collaborate with the Senior Advisors to develop, maintain, and periodically update evaluation processes, standards, and guidelines for the Directorate.
• Participate actively in the EHR Evaluation and Monitoring Group, a cross-divisional team of program directors and staff works collaboratively to promote a shared culture of evaluation and support staff across the Directorate in obtaining and using evidence to inform program planning and management.
• Contribute to the development of statements of work for procurement of external monitoring, data collection, analysis, and evaluation services.
• Collaborate with EHR staff conducting data analysis (e. g. program analysts, science analysts, science assistants, data scientists, program officers, etc.) and create a mechanism for bridging NSF and EHR data sources and synthesizing data on critical topics
• Write and publish papers on EHR investment areas, in peer-reviewed and popular journals, working in conjunction with the AD, DAD, Communications Specialist, and OLPA.
• Provide executive support for the EHR AD and DAD, including recruitment, strategic planning, and writing reports, as needed.
• Undertakes other projects as assigned by the Assistant Director and Deputy Assistant Director for EHR.

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
04

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required for male applicants, unless exempt.

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

You will need to successfully complete a background security investigation before you can be appointed into this position.

All online applicants must provide 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.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

Please preview "Evaluations" section and "Qualifications" for additional requirements and Quality Ranking Factors.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a Ph.D. in an appropriate STEM 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.

This position is outside the competitive civil service.

You must meet eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

Additional information

Relocation expenses MAY be paid contingent upon the availability of funds

This announcement is open to (All US Citizens OR current NSF employees) who meet citizenship and eligibility requirements.

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.

The Selected Candidate(s) may be subject to a background investigation.

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

Knowledge of STEM education research and of current and emerging trends in STEM and STEM education and evaluation.

Knowledge of STEM education policy issues at Federal and state and/or local level.

Knowledge of research on equity, diversity and inclusion in STEM and demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

Recognized professional standing in the STEM, STEM education, evaluation and/or learning sciences communities, as evidenced by a sustained record of scholarship, professional, and leadership activities.

Demonstrated ability to anticipate, design, plan, coordinate, and manage policy-related tasks to achieve organizational objectives.

Ability to effectively and convincingly present and advocate policies and plans to peer groups, high-level decision making and policy groups, and Congressional staff, with major attention to STEM education research and policy.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)

Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

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. 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 submit 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.

We also ask that you complete and submit the Applicant Survey . This will help NSF to ensure that our recruiting efforts are attracting a diverse candidate pool; it will be used for statistical purposes only.

You should upload your letter of recommendation(s) or the individual(s) can email the letter of recommendation(s) to adsearch@nsf.gov ; please ask him/her to put your name and the job announcement number in the subject line.

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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.