Staff Careers

The SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO) at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking an experienced program manager/continental coordinator to support hubs and ongoing projects in Amazonia and Central America. The position will complement a large and dynamic applied sciences group and, as a core member of the SCO team, this position will oversee SERVIR Science-for-Development activities over the Americas. The incumbent will have deep experience in the region, a desire to provide thought leadership and strategic planning to achieve NASA and USAID goals, a strong background in theoretical and practical aspects of international development, as well as practical experience in coordinating or managing large, multi-institutional teams. The position will work alongside colleagues at SCO as well as NASA, USAID, and other partner organizations and will entail domestic and international travel.

SERVIR is a joint development initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and works in partnership with leading regional organizations worldwide to help developing countries use the information provided by Earth-observing satellites and geospatial technologies for managing climate risks and land use. SERVIR’s goal is to empower decision-makers with tools, products, and services to act locally on climate-sensitive issues such as disasters, agriculture, water, ecosystems, and land use.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Oversee Science-for-Development over multiple SERVIR hubs and projects in the Americas, to include identify opportunities for science support and service development by maintaining active communication and collaboration with regional partners.
• Leverage background and experience in international development thought and practice to lead strategic engagement initiatives across the Americas.
• Lead NASA’s presence for SERVIR-related events in the Americas.
• Support hub and project coordination, communication, and collaboration with other relevant global/regional initiatives
• Regular coordination w/ hubs, Applied Science Team (AST), and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) on status and progression of services and activities.
• Primary SCO (Science Coordination Office) reviewer of hub work plans as well as primary author for SCO work plan sections pertaining to the Americas, ensuring NASA feedback is integrated and harmonized.
• Work with Thematic and Geospatial Information Technology (GIT) teams to identify SCO direct science & GIT support, SMEs, and Technical Assessment Groups.
• Communicate frequently within SCO for cross-regional and thematic awareness and reporting, and with the USAID-funded SERVIR Support Team (SST) as appropriate (e.g., Knowledge Management; Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning).
• Manage internal and external communications through use cases, impact stories, events, and reporting to NASA HQ and USAID

• Master’s degree in International development, Project management, Earth Sciences, Social Sciences, or a similar field (A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and years of experience may be accepted in lieu of the Master's degree, provided that such is in addition to required years of experience)
• Minimum of 5-7 years of full-time verifiable related professional experience (to include 5 years experience working on development issues, especially focused in America)
• Advanced expertise in regional/international development issues, including geopolitics and the landscape of relevant organizations
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience leading complex projects with multiple institutions
• Willingness to work closely with others in diverse team environments
• Periodic international and domestic travel is a requirement of the position
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity pertinent to diverse SERVIR regions and supporting locally-led development
• Familiarity with applied EO science/geospatial technology
• Project management skills, including communication, coordination, problem-solving, and teamwork skills related to technical, schedule, or budget oversight
• Language(s) relevant to SERVIR regions in the Americas (English, Spanish, Portuguese)

• Ph.D. in International Development, Project management, Earth Sciences, Social Sciences, or a similar field, or an equivalent combination of education and years of experience is preferred
• Experience working with NASA or other Federal agencies is desired

$76,634 - $126,446