Unidata Program Specialist IV (Community Services & Partnerships Manager)

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research•Boulder, CO

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

UCAR is seeking a Program Specialist IV (Community Services & Partnerships Manager) to build and sustain external partnerships that advance Unidata’s mission. This senior leadership role leads community engagement, business development, and liaison work with universities, federal agencies, the private sector, and international organizations. The position also manages the Community Services Group. NSF Unidata is a diverse community of education and research institutions focused on sharing geoscience data and tools for access and visualization. For over 40 years, Unidata has provided data, software tools, and support for Earth System education and research, primarily funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operating as part of UCAR's Community Programs (UCP).

Requirements

Master’s degree in science, education, or public administration
6 years of relevant program experience; Or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Subject-matter expertise: in-depth understanding of the principles underlying the Unidata Program, and of the broader agency landscape — especially NOAA line offices (NWS, NCEP, ESRL, NCEI) and NASA.
Business development acumen: understanding of the funding environment, and demonstrated skill identifying program and business development opportunities and translating them into actionable strategies.
People leadership: demonstrated experience supervising and mentoring staff, and leading senior-level interdisciplinary teams, including significant project management experience.
Meeting and workshop facilitation: advanced skill planning and conducting meetings, workshops, and online discussion groups, including use of digital collaboration tools.
Ability and willingness to travel.
Integrity and confidentiality: ability to handle confidential/sensitive information consistent with UCAR policy, acting with integrity and exhibiting behavior that merits public trust and confidence.
All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements.

Nice To Haves

10 years of experience in scientific program management (preferably within a governmental agency).

Responsibilities

Lead the Community Advisory Committee, including setting agendas, coordinating reports, and tracking action items. Manage recruitment and nomination of new committee members. Administer the Russell L. DeSouza award.
Initiate and manage collaborations with federal partner agencies (NOAA/NWS, NCEP, NASA, etc.), including business development and project liaison. Advocate for the Unidata community on data matters, negotiating data and software agreements, and maintaining relationships with agencies holding relevant data.
Track agency planning for new data and software systems and represent Unidata's interests at agency meetings and workshops, creating opportunities for Unidata involvement.
Assess community needs and foster interaction within the Unidata community to promote sharing of data, tools, and ideas.
Plan and lead community events, including the Unidata Users Workshop and sessions at professional meetings (e.g., AMS, AGU).
Broaden the network of partner institutions, including outreach to other geoscience communities.
Administer the Community Equipment Awards program.
Develop and execute Unidata's business development strategy, promoting products and services to expand funding relationships, secure new funding mechanisms, and pursue philanthropic sponsorship opportunities.
Identify and pursue additional funding opportunities aligned with the business development plan.
Serve as Principal Investigator on funded projects as needed, including management of project funds.
Oversee Community Services Group (CSG) activities and supervise staff (up to 2 direct reports).
Facilitate collaboration between CSG and Unidata technical staff.
Serve on the Unidata Management Team, advising the Unidata Director on relevant plans and activities.