LSST Head of Education and Public Outreach

The Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA) operates several observatory centers (including the National Optical Astronomy Observatory, the National Solar Observatory, Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the Gemini Observatory) in the United States and Chile under cooperative agreements with the National Science Foundation.

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) Project Office seeks an individual with demonstrated leadership in science education and engagement at the national level for the position of LSST Head of Education and Public Outreach (EPO). The successful candidate will provide the EPO leadership for the construction phase of LSST’s unique EPO program, including shepherding the development of its strategic and creative vision.

LSST is a large aperture, wide-field, ground-based facility designed to survey the entire southern sky down to faint magnitudes in six optical colors every few nights. As such it will enable a broad array of diverse scientific investigations ranging from studies of moving objects in the solar system to constraining the structure and evolution of the universe as a whole. Through an ambitious EPO program, non-specialists will access LSST data products to actively engage in science discovery and the research process, gaining awareness, skills, and knowledge. LSST EPO will be at the forefront of highlighting the facility's unique contributions, including time domain science (supernova, gamma-ray bursts, asteroids, comets) and galactic structure (tidal streams, dark energy, dark matter).

Formal construction of this world-leading survey facility began in August of 2014 as a joint project of the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, resulting in the anticipated onset of operations in late 2022. During the ongoing construction phase, funding has been allocated for the design, development, and evaluation of LSST EPO infrastructure, tools, and educational materials as preparatory groundwork for full EPO operations in 2022. One centerpiece of EPO’s community mission will be the delivery and support of a state-of-the-art online portal with an interface designed to give non-specialists unprecedented opportunities to work with the LSST public database. Additionally the portal will deliver a suite of learning experiences and tools designed to engage the general public, citizen scientists, and students in formal classroom settings, as well as multimedia modules intended for content creators at science centers and planetariums.

The LSST Head of Education and Public Outreach reports to the LSST Project Manager and works closely with the EPO Project Manager to support and manage the efforts of the LSST EPO subsystem. The LSST Head of Education and Public Outreach will be responsible for ensuring the EPO construction deliverables are educationally valid, address user needs, are compatible with existing community resources, and ready for operations. Additionally, research pursuits in areas of science and science education are encouraged in accordance with LSST policy. This full-time position is based in Tucson, Arizona. The position will remain open until filled, but applications received by June 30, 2016 will be given priority.

Essential Functions:

    Develop a vision for LSST EPO that maximizes the transformational potential of the facility, and is aligned with national priorities and builds on the expertise and collective planning of prior work.
    Lead the development of educational products and programs that allow LSST EPO data products, use cases, and activities to effectively engage the target communities.
    Engage with the community and build sustainable partnerships to ensure successful tool development and dissemination of EPO products during operations.
    Collaborate with the EPO Project Manager to establish EPO deliverable requirements and acquisition strategies.
    Coordinate with the LSST EPO and the Data Management groups to define user interfaces and data products that leverage efforts of the Data Management team.
    Work with the EPO Project Manager to establish progress metrics for EPO construction activities and deliverables, and develop an evaluation program for operations.

Requirements:

Experience leading the development, implementation, and evaluation of education programs.
    Master’s degree or PhD in STEM related field and/or science education.
    Evidence of expertise working in formal and/or informal education settings.
    Demonstrated leadership qualities and ability to build sustainable partnerships.
    Willingness to travel occasionally (nationally/internationally) and comfortable presenting to technical and non-technical audiences.
    Comfortable interacting with individuals remotely using a variety of technologies, including: email, phone calls, instant messaging, teleconferencing.

Preferred Qualifications:

    Basic familiarity with high-level technical concepts, such as cloud computing, mobile touch interfaces, and analytics.
    Experience working with international learners and multi-language education programs.
    Multi-lingual (especially Spanish) is a plus, but not required.