CPAESS Program Specialist I

Job Description Summary:

UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the CPAESS Program Specialist I role working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Project Office. This position will support activities of interest to NASA’s Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry(OBB) program, supporting the planning, coordination, and communication of OBB-related research and application activities. It is anticipated that this person will contribute to the organization of activities and foster effective communication among researchers and other stakeholders.

They will also support the management of U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program activities identified by the Director, Executive Committee members and/or the US carbon cycle community. This will require engagement with the communities including relevant partner programs such as the North American Carbon Program (NACP) and the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry Program (OCB).

CPAESS serves the Earth System Science community in three distinct areas of service. We partner with federal agencies and businesses to hire critical scientific staff enabling a more robust workforce. Through our scientific programs we seek to edify new research with our postdoctoral programs, our visiting scientist and internship programs, along with our interagency support programs. We also help build the Earth system science community by convening and managing summer schools and institutes, conferences, and advisory committees.

Position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

No

Job Location:

Greenbelt, Maryland

Position Type & Term:

Full time, Term - 6 months or more (Fixed Term)

$52,657 - $65,821

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.*

Application Notes

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59:59 pm MT on Friday, June 6, 2025. Applications will not be accepted past this date.

Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format): 

• Resume

• Questionnaire - (to be completed when submitting your application) In lieu of a traditional cover letter, the hiring team wants to learn more about your skills/experiences regarding very specific questions related to the critical skills needed to be successful in this position. Your responses to these questions will be read and weighed equally to your resume, so please ensure you're providing detailed, yet informative, responses based on your previous work experiences. That being said, we encourage you to keep responses to 1 - 3 paragraphs.

  • Please describe your experience and skills in supporting stakeholder engagement activities, particularly in organizing and facilitating workshops, conferences, or collaborative meetings.

Background checks are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location:  This position is open to candidates seeking in-person, hybrid (combination of in-person and remote), and/or fully remote opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories. CPAESS staff deployed to federal agencies must abide by their respective federal agency requirements concerning remote/flexible work arrangements.

What You Will Do

Here is a summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Support NASA’s Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry Program 

• Support stakeholder engagement activities, such as workshops, conferences, and meetings.

• Promote the use and utility of NASA Ocean Biology and Biogeochemistry (OBB) data (both in situ, suborbital, and orbital) within the scientific community, across the government, and with the broader public, by participating in research conferences and relevant meetings.

• Assist with communications relevant to OBB messaging, including work being undertaken by OBB interns; this includes developing original stories, co-writing AV scripts and podcast materials, and long-form articles. Collaborate with existing partners, such as The Oceanography Society, to highlight ocean importance and build social media content as appropriate. 

• Support the OBB program as needed in program related activities including, but not limited to, summarization of activities, review of reports, and preparation of results.

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders as needed to identify research needs and priorities relevant to OBB.

Support for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Project Office

• Support the Project Director, the Executive Council (EC), and Working Groups (WG).

• Organize teleconferences, webinars, and workshops in coordination with the Director and members of the groups such as the Third Decadal US Carbon Cycle Science Plan Author Working Group.

Serve as a U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Project (U.S. CCSP) Office communication and outreach team member. 

• Update the U.S. CCSP website and other social media platforms in coordination with the CPAESS Web Developer and Communications Manager.

• Develop town halls and other events at national meetings (e.g. AGU, OSM) to update the community on ongoing or newly proposed program activities.

• Support the development of the bi-monthly community newsletter to include program activities and relevant science highlights. 

Support the organization of the Third Decadal Carbon Cycle Science Plan Author Workshops in partnership with the Director, the Third Decadal Plan Lead Authors, and/or UCAR CPAESS meeting and travel coordinators. 

• Responsibilities include:

  • Assist the point of contact for attendees and CPAESS support staff

  • Support attendees

  • Develop workshop agenda in collaboration with lead authors

 

Travel

• Projected meetings may include:

  • Third Decadal US Carbon Cycle Science Plan Author Workshops.

  • Travel for engagement with partners as needed.

​

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
   

(Education) Desired, but not required:

• Bachelor’s degree in physical sciences (e.g. oceanography/marine science, atmospheric science, geology)

(Experience) Desired, but not required:

• Bridging science to applications, in particular related to Earth System Science and carbon-related products.

• Processing and management of oceanographic data, including satellite observations (visible and infrared), autonomous ocean instrumentation, and laboratory measurements. 

• Writing grants and conducting peer review on research proposals. 

• Working with stakeholders. 

• Coordinating research projects and managing budgets. 

• International ocean observing projects. 

• Providing presentations to broad audiences.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The ability to:

• Plan and organize community workshops to develop inputs for program review and consideration. 

• Summarize general information amongst diverse stakeholders for briefing documents  and presentations, and to guide decision-making and actions that are responsive to program positions and strategic interests. 

• Identify opportunities to guide implementation actions and partnering necessary to address program goals and objectives. 

• Manage multiple tasks, often under time pressure, and establish priorities for assigned work. 

• Support project website content. 

• Maintain confidentiality with sensitive information, acting with integrity and exhibiting behavior that merits public trust and confidence.  

• Accommodate a flexible work schedule in order to attend online meetings across multiple/global time zones. 

• Travel for meetings and events as needed.

Desired, but not required:

• Knowledge of remote sensing data applied to oceanography, particularly focusing on ocean color and aquatic carbon.

• Knowledge of the NASA ocean biology/biogeochemical satellite and in situ data assets and distribution systems.

• Proficiency in scientific data analysis software and statistical tools.

• Familiarity with basic project management best practices. 

• Basic understanding of grants-administration for effective management of assigned programs.

Benefits Overview 

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits. In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance,  UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

• Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities

• UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one

• Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions)

• 10 paid holidays

• 10 days of sick leave each year

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave

• Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary

• EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost

Commitment to Job Application Fairness

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

Some Final Considerations

At UCAR|NCAR|UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science  problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun’s core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy. Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Visa Wait Times

Please consider the length of visa procurement when applying for this posting, understanding that you will not be able to begin employment until you are able to get a visa and enter the U.S.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing the way society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.