Open Source Science Program Manager
The primary role of the Open Source Science Program Manager is to connect open science stakeholders using and developing open source software through the NumFOCUS Open Source Science (OSSci) initiative. You will facilitate networking opportunities that bring together individuals from NumFOCUS projects, academia, government, and industry to collaborate on common goals. You will oversee the work of the OSSci Committee and serve on the Steering Committee.
You will work closely with other NumFOCUS team members, including the event and marketing teams and the developer advocate, to promote building, using, and connecting open source software tools in science. You will generate attention and support by applying your technical knowledge, passion for open source science, and excellent communication skills.
As OSSci Program Manager, your work will include:
- Outreach to academic institutions, government labs, and industry
- Outreach to NumFOCUS projects
- Oversight of working group leads
- Oversight of the blog
- Managing the OSSci Hub, a web portal for OSSci to allow open and easily accessible stakeholder communication (under development)
- Coordinating communication between funders of the initiative and NumFOCUS
- Coordinating workshops and events supporting the working groups and projects with support from the events team
- Exploring joint funding initiatives with public/private partnerships and government programs
About NumFOCUS
NumFOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes open practices in research, data, and scientific computing by serving as a fiscal sponsor for open source projects and organizing community-driven educational programs.
You will work with a small team of friendly and dedicated nonprofit professionals. NumFOCUS staff supports the international community of researchers and data scientists whose work accelerates life-changing research and scientific discoveries for a better world. Our community is made up of lots of incredibly smart and passionate people!
More information on our mission and programs is available on our website: www.numfocus.org.
Our Core Values are the guiding principles by which NumFOCUS makes decisions and defines our culture.
- Inclusivity: Commitment to diversity and a welcoming, friendly community.
- Transparency: Open access creates a collaborative community in which the best ideas can come forward.
- Curiosity: Passion for learning and commitment to scientific inquiry.
- Collaboration: The best ideas come from a diverse group of individuals working together.
What Makes This Job Awesome
Our team works together closely, and we support one another to do our best. We enjoy generous benefits (medical/dental/vision) and paid time off (including parental leave). Our staff vibe is casual and friendly. We value diversity and have team members from various walks of life and many passions and pursuits.
The OSSci Program Manager enjoys opportunities to travel and can expect to spend around ten days per year traveling to conferences and events.
About You
You are passionate about the value of open source software to scientific research and innovation. You are comfortable writing code using open source tools. You are able to use GitHub and understand the culture and typical functioning of an open source software community. You are also an excellent communicator and understand how to facilitate communication between others. If you don’t know how something works, you proactively find the answers.
You are patient; you are willing to invest the time necessary to understand where someone is coming from and communicate their needs and perspective to whoever needs to hear it. You can see both sides of an issue, find productive ways to address problems, and smooth any ruffled feathers. You hate to leave anyone hanging and diligently respond to incoming messages promptly. You communicate proactively so everyone has the necessary information without asking for it. You are always careful to craft your communications with the appropriate audience(s) in mind.
You have experience working in complex organizations with diverse stakeholders. You are comfortable with ambiguity and the roll-up-your-sleeves ethos of a startup-type culture. You love sharing your passion with others and exhibit good judgment in selecting strategic opportunities. You don’t just want to be part of the open science movement, and you want to be out front leading it.
Responsibilities
- Work closely with internal stakeholders from our open source projects to identify areas of need that can be met through the work of the OSSci Committee.
- Work closely with external open science stakeholders to facilitate an active network for communication, collaboration, and needs assessment.
- Help NumFOCUS projects connect with researchers across academia, government, and industry to understand their needs.
- Demonstrate value realization of the program by providing tangible results, documenting processes, tracking progress, and resolving issues.
- Represent OSSci at key events to raise awareness of its work and educate attendees about its projects and NumFOCUS’s mission.
- Support other NumFOCUS functions as needed.
Required Skills
- Experience in open source software. (We are open to practitioners who use any language: Python, R, Julia, or otherwise.)
- Must be detail-oriented, task-driven, reliable, and able to complete work on time. We will depend on you to independently complete work that is essential to the success of our organization.
- Strong organizational and interpersonal skills and demonstrated experience working with stakeholders
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written. You’re comfortable interacting with a wide variety of people on a daily basis. You can explain things (including technical concepts) in ways people understand and by which they are inspired. You are able to work cooperatively.
Preferred Qualifications (nice-to-have, not required)
- Experience working in or with Open Science
- Familiarity with some of our open source communities and tools
- Experience working with a distributed/remote team
Required Education and Experience
- Graduate degree or equivalent work experience
- Minimum of 3 years experience in a similar role
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to stand, walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Application Instructions
Email your resume and a cover letter detailing your interest and relevant experience to hiring@numfocus.org with the subject line, “Open Source Science Program Manager.” This is a full-time remote position. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.
