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Head of Education
Summary
Title:Head of Education
ID:1008-HRSG-CP
Department:APS Programs
Location:College Park, MD
Description

Head of Education
College Park, MD

Who We Are
The American Physical Society (APS) is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. APS represents over 55,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and throughout the world. Society offices are located in College Park, MD (Headquarters), Ridge, NY, and Washington, D.C.

Position Summary
The Head of Education sets the direction for the APS education programs area in consultation with the Director of APS Programs and key APS leaders. This position leads education programs, engages key stakeholders and works synergistically with other program areas. This position reports to the Director of APS Programs.

A Typical Week May Look Like This…
Lead education programs
  • Develop and advance high impact education programs that embody APS priorities, in consultation with the department director and key APS leaders.
  • Maintain deep knowledge of peer-reviewed literature, reports and other publications to inform program development.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of education programs using best practices and makes changes informed by evaluation results.
  • Write proposals to fund education programs and help identify potential funding sources.
  • Lead staff teams to implement programs and assume primary responsibility for the success of education initiatives. 
Engage key stakeholders to help define and advance education priorities
  • Serve as a liaison to the Committee on Education (COE) and engage members in actively shaping and implementing the APS education agenda.
  • Serve as a liaison to the Forum on Education (FEd), the Topical Group on Education Research (GPER) and other APS units interested in education, and seek to engage executive committees in working collaboratively toward common goals.
  • Build and maintain relationships with education leaders in the physics community and other organizations to understand trends, challenges, best practices, and opportunities.
Work synergistically with other APS program areas and relevant departments
  • Collaborate with Public Engagement, Diversity, Careers, International Affairs and the Office of Governmental Affairs in areas of common interest, leveraging the expertise of other program areas to enhance public engagement initiatives and vice versa.
  • Work closely with Communications to effectively reach target audiences.
Is This You?
  • PhD (preferred) or MS (required) in physics or closely related field, including physics education research and science education.
  • Minimum of five years of experience leading education programs.
  • Experience with proposal writing and project management.
  • Supervisory experience is highly desirable.
  • Possess a deep knowledge of physics education, including effective practices and peer-reviewed literature.
  • Strong, polished interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
  • Ability to handle several complex projects simultaneously, possess excellent organizational skills, and meet deadlines.
  • Able to proactively identify and respond to needs, and exercise judgment.
  • Customer service orientation desired, including ability to resolve conflicts constructively, and to empathize and understand perspectives and widely varying backgrounds of others.
  • Able to manage up, manage down, and manage across effectively.
  • Demonstrate a collaborative style to engage committee members and membership units in advancing outreach objectives, and partner effectively with APS staff in synergistic areas.
  • Build and maintain good relationships with key stakeholders in the physics education community.
  • Able to gather strategic input and use results of strategic analyses to identify new directions and refine existing programs, in consultation with the department director and key APS leaders.
  • Understand and employ principles of project management and program evaluation.
  • Competence in managing grants, proposal writing and budgetary management practices.
  • Able to set expectations, monitor and assess performance, and establish accountability.
  • Understand and apply basic supervisory principles involved in allocating resources, delegating work, motivating people and resolving conflicts.
  • Sensitive to the reactions of others and offer appropriate responses, so they feel their perspectives are heard and taken into account.
  • Must be able to travel several times per month.

This is Us!
Our Mission: 

To advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community, we:

  • Provide a welcoming and supportive professional home for an active, engaged, and diverse membership
  • Advance scientific discovery and research dissemination
  • Advocate for physics and physicists, and amplify the voice for science
  • Share the excitement of physics and communicate the essential role physics plays in the modern world
  • Promote effective physics education for all

The core values that drive our mission are:

  • The Scientific Method
  • Truth and Integrity
  • Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
  • Partnering, Cooperation, and Open Collaboration
  • Speaking Out
  • Education and Learning

 

The American Physical Society is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, ancestry, pregnancy (including childbirth or related condition), citizenship, familial status, mental or physical disability, veteran status, generic information, other non-disqualifying disability, or any other characteristic protect by law. 

We welcome you to apply today! 

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