NSF Program Directors bear the primary responsibility for carrying out the agency's overall mission to support innovative and merit-reviewed activities in basic research and education that contribute to the nation's technical strength, security, and welfare.  To fulfill this responsibility requires not only knowledge in the appropriate disciplines, but also a commitment to high standards, a considerable breadth of interest and receptivity to new ideas, a strong sense o fairness, good judgment, and degree of personal integrity.

The National Science Foundation is seeking candidates for the position of Program Director within the Division of Astronomical Sciences (AST), Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS), Arlington, VA with expertise in any area of astronomy and astrophysics to join a flexible and versatile team whose responsibilities must adapt to the demands of the astronomical community.

The mission of the Division of Astronomical Sciences is to support forefront research in ground-based astronomy; to help ensure the scientific excellence of the U.S. astronomical community; to provide access to world-class research facilities through merit review; to support the development of new instrumentation and next-generation facilities; and to encourage broad understanding of and diverse participation in the astronomical sciences.

The Division supports research in all areas of astronomy and astrophysics and related multidisciplinary studies. Modes of support include single-investigator and collaborative awards, as well as funding for acquisition and development of astronomical instrumentation, technology development for future ground-based facilities, and educational projects that leverage the Division's research investments to build research and workforce capacity and to increase scientific literacy. Through the national observatories and international partnerships, the Division provides support for a system of multi-aperture, research-class telescopes as well as frontier facilities that enable transformational capabilities in both radio and optical/infrared astronomy.