CPAESS Program Specialist II

Position Type: Regular Visa Sponsored Job: No Relocation Assistance Eligible: No Hiring Range: 72,082.00 USD - 90,103.00 USD *Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role. Application Closes at 12:00am MST on: 2026-07-24 About the Role UCAR is excited to announce the job opening for the Program Specialist II role with the Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS). This position serves as Event and Travel Team Lead for UCAR’s Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS). With broad direction, draws upon excellent project management, organizational and time-management skills to successfully manage events and travel at the programmatic level. Two of CPAESS’s core themes are Community Building and Scientific Programs. Community Building assembles the scientific community for conferences, workshops, and events. CPAESS provides a comprehensive suite of services to sponsor organizations including in-person, virtual and hybrid meetings, planning and management, financial management, broadcasting capabilities, website development, registration services, digital communications, and a multitude of other logistic capacities. Within the CPAESS core theme of Scientific Programs, CPAESS also holds educational events such as summer schools, institutes, and special events such as symposia. These two thematic areas enable sharing and deepening of specific scientific topics as well as training and networking opportunities. 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. Job Description Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59pm MT on Friday, July 24. Applications will not be accepted past this date. Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format, when possible): Resume 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. Program & Event Management Describe a time you managed a complex, high-stakes event or program with a tight timeline and multiple stakeholders (e.g., budget constraints, vendor negotiations, competing sponsor priorities). What was your approach to keeping the project on track, and what specific decisions or trade-offs did you make when things didn't go as planned? What was the outcome? Team Leadership & Development Tell us about your experience supervising or leading a team - including someone whose performance needed active management. How did you approach goal-setting, feedback, and professional development, and how did you balance your team's day-to-day workload with your own project responsibilities? Stakeholder/Partnership Management Describe a situation where you had to assess a stakeholder, partner, or client's needs and translate them into a proposal, budget, or plan - particularly one where expectations, scope, or resources shifted along the way. How did you manage the relationship and communicate changes, and what did you do to maintain trust and a positive outcome? 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). UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories. What You Will Do Here is a summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role. Key Responsibilities Program & Event Management Provide high-level project management of CPAESS events and subawards, including budgets, vendor negotiations, deliverables, and reporting. Manage a portfolio of meeting and subaward projects on a day-to-day basis, including complex, time-sensitive deliverables. Drive standardization of project management best practices; identify opportunities to improve program effectiveness and recommend courses of action. Act as Meeting Planner or Travel Coordinator as needed; serves as staff specialist for event and travel support. Team Leadership & Supervision Manage a team of event coordinators and travel arrangers, including annual performance evaluations and development/monitoring of SMART goals. Forecast staffing requirements and oversees training, development, and professional growth of team members. Partner with the CPAESS Assistant Director on staffing actions, and recommend salaries for promotions and merit increases. Maintain processes that build a diverse and inclusive workforce and workplace environment. Sponsor & Stakeholder Engagement Serve as the primary point of contact to assess sponsor needs, budgets, and new event opportunities. Develop proposals and budgets in collaboration with the CPAESS Assistant Director and leadership team. Represent CPAESS to sponsors and external stakeholders. 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 experience in event and program planning; Or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. Desired, but not required: CMP or PMP Certification. Experience with content management software, such as Drupal. Knowledge of travel planning and program management processes, including UCAR's travel policies and procedures. Experience with Cvent Event Management Software. Knowledge of relevant UCAR policies. 2 years of supervisory experience. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Project Management Demonstrated project management skills, including prioritization, risk assessment and mitigation, budgeting, and project accounting; ability to develop a project risk management strategy and report on status to the CPAESS director and stakeholders. Advanced skill in organizing, coordinating, and prioritizing a wide variety of tasks, working independently across multiple concurrent deadlines while maintaining high quality and quantitative standards. Core competencies include initiative, communication, critical thinking, creativity, analytical reasoning, and process management. Understanding of government contracts management processes; ability to work with UCAR Contracts personnel to meet contractual project needs. Supervision Demonstrated ability to supervise the work of others, interpret and apply policies and procedures, and handle confidential information with discretion. Skill in identifying program opportunities and problems and recommending courses of action. Event Planning & Technical Demonstrated knowledge of event planning and logistics, including AV equipment, onsite support for in-person events, and online meeting/registration platforms; experience with tools such as Zoom, WebEx, and Slido. Proficiency with relevant business software: Google's suite of apps, Concur travel and expense management, and standard word processing, database, presentation, and spreadsheet tools. Experience developing events, proposals, and budgets in partnership with steering committees. Other Professional and collegial attitude when managing stressful timelines and complex programmatic situations. Demonstrated ability to adapt to a changing work environment. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to perform well as an effective team member within diverse groups. Proven ability to develop and foster positive relationships with a variety of stakeholders. Advanced oral communication skills; proficient written English communication, including drafting, editing, and proofreading complex materials for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and clarity. Ability to travel when required (4-6 domestic trips per year, with trips lasting up to a week at a time). Preferred Qualifications Hiring Range: $72,082 - $90,103 *Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, and skills relevant to the role.* Application Requirements Cover Letter, Resume/CV For full consideration, all application materials must be submitted by 12am (MST) at the start of the application deadline. These should highlight how your skills and experiences align with the responsibilities of this position. We recognize that no candidate will meet 100% of the listed qualifications. If you believe your background has prepared you for success in this role, we encourage you to apply. Supplemental questionnaires are often requested in lieu of a cover letter, where you address critical skills needed for the position. Your answers will be read and weighed equally to your resume and should provide specific, detailed, and informative responses based on your direct and previous work experiences. Background checks and/or federal screenings are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Benefits Overview UCAR offers a comprehensive benefits package: health insurance, dental, retirement plan, leave plans, tuition assistance, and employee assistance programs: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Short & Long Term Disability Insurance Generous retirement plan - UCAR contributes of 10% of base salary Time Off Plans Minimum 20 days of annual PTO 10 paid holidays 12 weeks of paid parental leave FAMLI Leave Tuition Assistance Program Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) eligible employer UCAR is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from all individuals. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, age, sex, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants are not required to provide age-related information (like date of birth or graduation dates) in initial submissions. For sponsored positions: UCAR can sponsor individuals for H-1B status only if they are already in the U.S. in H-1B status or another visa status that allows them to change to H-1B status within the U.S. UCAR is unable to sponsor new H-1B visas for individuals who are outside the U.S. and need to obtain H-1B status through Consular Processing. While UCAR does not prohibit the use of AI tools in job applications, we strongly recommend that applicants submit primarily original work. All roles require compliance with U.S. export control regulations and work location requirements. All hybrid staff are expected to work on-site approximately 3 days per week. At NCAR - the National Center for Atmospheric Research - we study weather, water, climate, air quality, and space weather to help protect lives and livelihoods, grow the economy, and enhance our nation’s security and well-being. We collaborate with research partners to advance the science that makes predictions better and with end users to develop applications for forecasters, farmers, resource managers, retailers, the military, and many other stakeholders. UCAR - the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - manages NCAR on behalf of the National Science Foundation. We are a nonprofit consortium of more than 115 colleges and universities with research and training programs in Earth system science. We bring together the academic community and provide the operational management that are both essential to NCAR's success. UCAR’s community programs, from educational resources to data delivery and other services, extend the reach and impact of NCAR’s world-class research to the community and society. We seek talented people with diverse backgrounds, training, and skills to join us in our mission of science in service to society. Want to learn more? Visit ucar.edu.