The responsibilities of the NSF Program Director are constantly evolving. The Program Director is guided by the NSF vision of advancing discovery, innovation and education beyond the frontiers of current knowledge, and empowering future generations in science and engineering through three interrelated strategic outcome goals of Transform the Frontiers, Innovate for Society, and Perform As a Model Organization.

The individual selected for this temporary position will provide stability and agency expertise to the Accelerator. With other Accelerator staff members, the selected candidate will participate in planning, implementing, assessing, and optimizing the various initiatives and activities of the program. Each staff member will contribute to the Office’s responsibilities for establishing goals and objectives, initiating new program thrusts, and/or revising and improving current activities. In addition, he/she will possess strong skills in partnership development, entrepreneurship, the management of fast-paced teams, and/or the transition of convergence, interdisciplinary research into practice.

The selected individual will also work in close collaboration with the NSF Convergence Accelerator Office Head, and assist other staff by providing information on new developments and opportunities; by maintaining and further strengthening linkages with collaborative programs at NSF and other relevant Federal agencies; by participating in technical management and financial oversight of various funded projects; and/or by representing the NSF Convergence Accelerator at relevant national and international events.

Specific Duties 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, Office 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.