Job Description Summary:
This position provides leadership and management of the Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO), an NSF NCAR facility, regarding daily operations and data dissemination.

The director will develop strategies to maximize MLSO's scientific value in a way that is aligned with the NSF NCAR and the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) strategic plans.

Provides HAO solar observational space weather science leadership, in collaboration with NSF NCAR and community scientists. Leads future instrument and observatory development efforts, including the Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO).

Position Details:

Visa Sponsored Job:
Yes

Relocation Assistance Eligible:
Yes

Job Location:
Boulder, Colorado

Position Type & Term:
Full time, Regular

Compensation Range:

Annual Hiring Range:

As Scientist III: $126,076 - $157,594
As Senior Scientist: $156,625 - $195,780

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

Application Notes

Job Location: Boulder, CO

Position Type & Term: Full-time, Regular

Job Type: Hybrid (minimum of 3 days a week is required to be on-site)

Visa and Relocations: Available for this position

Application Deadline: March 31, 2025

Required Application Materials:

1. Resume/CV
2. Questionnaire: As part of your application, you must complete a questionnaire. Please take the time to answer each question thoroughly. Incomplete questionnaires will result in your application being disqualified.
Please tell us why you are the best candidate for this position.
Please expand on your experience leading and/or managing a scientific facility and handling large data sets.
Please share your experience with community engagement for a scientific facility and communicating data products.
What would be your strategy to ensure MLSO and HAO are tuned in with the science community?
Elaborate on your experience with calibrating and analyzing solar observations.
Elaborate on your knowledge of spectropolarimetric observations.
Share with us a relevant publication that speaks to your recent research.

Key Responsibilities:

Mauna Loa Solar Observatory management

Responsible for the facility's overall success, instruments, data quality, and timely availability of all data to the community.
Work with the High Altitude Observatory (HAO) Director and scientists on developing strategic direction, including identifying future science goals for MLSO.
Works with the MLSO team to improve current instrumentation, ensure proper operations to maximize data science quality, and identify and develop new data products, tools, instrument upgrades, and future instrumentation to meet science goals.
Advocates for MLSO data to the broader community, NSF NCAR, and NSF management. Provides MLSO reports to NSF NCAR, HAO management, NSF, and external advisory committees on observatory, personnel, and instrument status; instrument upgrades, data products and tools, and user metrics including community publications using MLSO observations.
Leads proposals to funding agencies and serves as PI or Co-utilizing MLSO observations, including opportunities for MLSO input into space weather research-to-operations (R2O) applications.
Identifies resource needs (personnel, computing, hardware, etc.) and works with the Administration and Procurement staff to meet these needs where appropriate. Oversees the MLSO budget, including spending management and developing or adjusting future need projections.
Responsible for MLSO data management and archival. Ensures all MLSO data (1980 to present) are easily accessible, always available to the community, and properly archived.
Uses MLSO data for scientific research, presents results to the national scientific community, and may present results to the international scientific community.
Supervises MLSO staff, including hiring, training, mentoring, coaching, and providing performance feedback and evaluation

Future Observatory Development

COSMO Site and Design Advancement (COSADA):
- Responsible for oversight of remaining site selection activities, including instrument installment, data analysis, and summary of site down select criteria, in collaboration with COSADA Project Manager (PM) and other team members
- Responsible for oversight of remaining COSMO Large Coronagraph (LC-design activities and milestone reviews, in collaboration with COSADA PM and other team members
- Reports on COSADA and LC to NSF NCAR, COSMO Steering Committee, and the NSF.
- Leads ongoing COSMO proposal development, including consideration of costing/implementation options (single-site, single-site/MLSO, Diamond Ring).
Participates in new solar instrumentation opportunities such as a ground-based coronagraph network (NG-GONG).
Coordinates outreach and advocacy, including COSMO talks/presentations.
Organizes and engages the community - including MLSO data user workshops, early-career development activities, and COSMO Steering Committee activities, with support of COSMO Project Scientist (PS).
Navigates the political landscape and interacts with stakeholders in collaboration with the HAO Director and with support from COSMO Project Leadership (PM, PS).

Education & Experience REQUIRED:

As a Research Scientist (Scientist III)

Ph.D. in a relevant science and at least 7 years of experience in the scientific field of specialization or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

As Sr. Research Scientist (Sr. Scientist)

Ph.D. in a relevant science and at least 12 years of experience in the scientific field of specialization

Education & Experience DESIRED but not required:

Experience leading and/or managing a scientific facility and handling large data sets.
Experience with community engagement for a scientific facility.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities REQUIRED:

Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and collaborate with multidisciplinary teams of scientists and software engineers to meet project objectives.
Demonstrated project-management skills.
Demonstrated ability to conduct nationally and internationally recognized, high-quality, impactful, independent research in solar science.
Ability to work independently and lead project teams effectively.
Ability to keep abreast of cutting-edge solar and space weather technology and research advancements.
Advanced knowledge of solar / heliophysics/space weather research.
Expertise with calibrating and analyzing solar observations.
In-depth knowledge of spectropolarimetric observations.
Advanced knowledge of developing scientific imaging instruments, preferably solar instrumentation, and developing and validating data calibration and analysis algorithms and methods

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.

National Center for Atmospheric Research jobs

Mauna Loa Solar Observatory (MLSO) Director