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)

Compensation Range:

$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, s