UCAR Science Education Program Specialist II

Visa Sponsored Job:

No

Relocation Assistance Eligible:

No

Job Location:

Boulder, Colorado

Position Type:

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

Compensation Range:

$34.65/hr - $43.32/hr

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

Job Description Summary

The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is excited to announce the job opening for a Science Education Program Specialist II. The UCAR Center for Science Education (UCAR SciEd) connects students, educators, and the public with the cutting-edge Earth system science happening at UCAR, the National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF NCAR), and UCAR member universities. As a Program Specialist II, you'll play a central role in bringing that mission to life — coordinating programs, events, and workshops; developing and disseminating educational resources; and supporting science exhibits and public programming at the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab.

A key part of this role is amplifying UCAR SciEd's impact: communicating the story of our work, partnerships, and outcomes to both internal UCAR audiences and the broader science education community. If you're energized by the intersection of science, education, and public engagement — and you bring strong organizational and communication skills — this is a role where your work will reach learners of all ages and backgrounds.

Job Description

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59:59 pm MT on Friday, May 22. Applications will not be accepted past this date.

Required application materials :

• Resume (preferably in PDF Format)

• Questionnaire - to be completed when submitting your application
In lieu of a traditional cover letter, answer the following prompts that address the critical skills needed for this position. Your answers will be read and weighed equally to your Resume/CV and should provide specific, detailed, and informative responses based on your direct and previous work experiences. Please keep responses to 1-3 paragraphs per prompt.

• Project Coordination
Describe a time you coordinated multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines. What tools or systems did you use to stay organized, and how did you prioritize when demands shifted? In your response, please explain your decision-making process and the overall outcome

• Writing Sample: Science Storytelling
UCAR SciEd has just completed a successful Super Science Saturday event at the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab, drawing approximately 1,400 visitors, including families and K-12 school groups.

Write a 2-3 paragraph summary of the event (approximately 200-300 words) for the UCAR SciEd newsletter, which reaches K-12 educators locally and nationwide. Feel free to invent reasonable details about activities, themes, or highlights. We are looking for clear, engaging writing that reflects an understanding of how to communicate science education programming to a K-12 teacher audience.

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

Work Location Expectations:  This position is open to candidates seeking in-person or hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote) opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

Position Type & Term: This position is full-time and term-limited through September 30, 2026, with the possibility of extension based on funding and performance.

What You Will Do

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

Key Responsibilities

Project Coordination

• Use Asana and other project management tools to coordinate SciEd programs, exhibits, and projects (e.g., developing timelines, identifying tasks and dependencies, clarifying team roles, and tracking deliverables).

• Communicate proactively with team members and project leads, adjusting plans as priorities and needs evolve.

• Coordinate workflow with external vendors, including graphic designers, translators, and contractors, to develop scopes of work, gather estimates, and oversee delivery in coordination with administrative staff.

• Monitor budgets and spending for assigned projects in support of principal investigators and leadership.

Program and Event Planning

• Coordinate scheduling and logistics for Mesa Lab field trips, virtual programs, tours, and teacher professional development workshops.

• Support planning of the annual Super Science Saturday event, including coordination of volunteers and vendors.

• Coordinate SciEd's participation in public science events hosted by external organizations at the local, regional, and national level.

• Administer event management tools including Calendly, Zapier, and Eventbrite.

Communications, Partnership Support, and Science Storytelling

• Help tell the story of SciEd's programs, partnerships, and impact through written communications, social media, newsletters, and event representation (for both internal UCAR audiences and the broader science education community).

• Maintain clear, consistent communication with team members, administrative staff, and external networks, including supporting the K-12 newsletter and occasional meeting agenda development.

• Support partnership communications and relationship maintenance with external collaborators and community partners.

Content Development and Web Support

• Conduct content reviews, copyediting, and consistency reviews of educational, exhibit, and marketing materials; develop and format resources with an eye toward brand standards and accessibility.

• Produce graphic design work primarily in Adobe InDesign; conduct accessibility reviews using Adobe Acrobat and other tools.

• Edit and update SciEd websites, including content and formatting changes in Drupal and occasional HTML editing.

• Organize, brand, and format files produced by educational designers and program leads; manage inventory, printing, shipping, and reorder requests for educational materials.

Who We'd Love To Join Our Team

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

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in science, education, public administration, or a related field;

• 2 years of relevant program experience;

• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience (such as a Master’s degree and one year of experience).

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong oral and written communication skills, including the ability to represent SciEd clearly and compellingly to internal audiences, external partners, and the broader science education community.

• Demonstrated project coordination skills, including developing timelines, managing tasks and dependencies, and tracking deliverables across multiple concurrent projects.

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing priorities with general supervision.

• Skill in drafting budgets and monitoring expenditures for assigned projects.

• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain partnerships and communicate effectively with external collaborators, community partners, and vendors.

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as a member of a collaborative team.

• Demonstrated experience in event planning and logistics coordination.

• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Forms, Sheets, Drive) and project management tools such as Asana.

• Proficiency with Adobe Creative Suite, including InDesign and Acrobat, with familiarity in accessibility review practices.

• Familiarity with Drupal or similar content management systems, basic HTML editing, and event management platforms such as Eventbrite, Calendly, and Zoom.

Desired, but not required:

• Demonstrated knowledge of Earth system science content and science education programs, applicable to coordination of SciEd programs and events.

• Skill in social media content development, community engagement, and analytics across platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Bluesky.

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.

• 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 NSF NCAR| UCAR | 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 and work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

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.