June - December 2025: This is a 6 month position to fill in for the current PISEC director, Dr. Jessica Hoehn, while she is on parental leave.
We are accepting applications for an Interim Director position for the Partnerships for Informal Science Education in the Community (PISEC) program at JILA, University of Colorado Boulder. PISEC is a community partnership-based informal physics program that connects university volunteers with local K-12 students to engage in inquiry-based science and engineering experiments and projects. The program aims to co-create transformative and empowering experiences with science for youth participants while also providing university volunteers with teaching, professional development, and community-building opportunities.
The Interim Director will be responsible for oversight and management of the PISEC program, including:
- 1 program site in the summer
- 7-8 program sites (10-12 different groups of volunteers) in the fall semester
- Supervision of and collaboration with 6-7 student site leaders
- Recruitment, training, and supervision of ~50 volunteers
The ideal candidate will have a PhD or Masters degree in physics, physics education research, or related field, and will have experience with, or strong interest in, informal science education (outreach, public engagement, community engagement, etc.). Attention to detail, organization, good oral communication skills, community-building skills, and ability to work professionally with various stakeholders (K12 teachers, university faculty, undergraduate/graduate students, school administrators, community partners, etc.) will be highly valued. Prior experience or familiarity with the PISEC program is not required, but highly valued.
The Interim Director will be part of the JILA Physics Frontier Center, and is welcome and encouraged to interact with the large and vibrant Physics Education Research Group at CU Boulder. This position is ideal for someone with experience in informal science education or education research OR someone who is considering a career path in those areas.
To learn more about the position, please do not hesitate to contact Jessica Hoehn (jessica.hoehn@colorado.edu).
To apply, please send the following materials to Jessica Hoehn (jessica.hoehn@colorado.edu):
· Cover letter that answers the following questions
o What is your prior experience with informal science education (outreach, public engagement, etc.)?
o How do your prior experiences prepare you to manage many student volunteers and site leaders and work with a variety of local community partners?
o Why do you want this position? What are your goals and how do you see this position aligning with them?
· CV with references listed
The University of Colorado is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to building a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans.
