UCAR Deputy Chief Operating Officer

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Relocation Assistance Eligible:

Job Location:

Position Type:

Salary Range: $183,265 - $229,080

*Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role.*

Application Deadline: This position will be posted until 11:59:59 pm MT on Friday, January 23, 2026. Applications will not be accepted past this date.

Required application materials (preferably in PDF Format):

• Resume

• Cover Letter

Background checks are conducted for candidates selected for hire. Learn more.

Work Location Expectations: This position is open to candidates seeking in-person, hybrid (combination of 3 days in-person and 2 days of remote), or fully remote opportunities. UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories. CPAESS staff deployed to federal agencies must abide by their respective federal agency requirements concerning remote/flexible work arrangements.

Here is a summary of what one would expect to be generally responsible for in this role.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Organizational Alignment

• Lead development and implementation of enterprise-level strategic initiatives aligned with UCAR's mission and organizational goals.

• Establish cross-functional governance structures to drive strategic priority-setting, resource allocation, and operational alignment across all Laboratory, Center, Program, and Office (LCPO) functions.

• Develop and monitor performance metrics that assess operational effectiveness, strategic progress, and organizational risk.

• Integrate risk identification and mitigation into strategic planning and decision-making processes.

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement

• Lead enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives that enhance operational performance, cost efficiency, and compliance through stakeholder engagement, satisfaction surveys, and data-driven analysis.

• Design and implement operational workflows that improve quality, timeliness, consistency, and risk management across the organization.

• Establish, monitor, and report on enterprise-wide key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure operational impact and inform evidence-based recommendations for continuous improvement.

• Direct change management efforts including stakeholder engagement, communication strategies, training, and adoption support.

Financial Stewardship & Budget Management

• Monitor operational budgets and provide strategic analysis and recommendations on current-year and forward-year resource allocation, financial tradeoffs, and risk mitigation.

• Partner with the COO in budget planning, execution, and reconciliation to ensure optimal deployment of resources aligned with organizational priorities.

Enterprise Operations Leadership

• Serve as acting COO during absences, providing continuity of executive leadership.

• Oversee UCAR's organizational project portfolio, delivering strategic guidance and performance oversight to the COO.

• Lead preparation and submission of critical federal deliverables, including the annual operating plan, NSF management review, and performance-based management plan.

• Direct bi-annual operational satisfaction surveys and translate findings into actionable improvements.

• Contribute to organizational governance through participation in investigations, hiring committees, and other executive initiatives as needed.

Successful candidates will ensure their application materials speak to the following criteria:

Education & Experience

• Master's degree in business or related operational management, or 10 years of comparable operational management leadership experience

• 5 years of cross-functional management experience.

Desired, but not required:

• Previous experience supporting C-level executives in a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) or similar environment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Operational Leadership - Comprehensive knowledge of enterprise business operations across finance, facilities, infrastructure, compliance, and administrative functions, with proven ability to lead in complex, federally funded research environments.

• Strategic & Financial Acumen - Expertise in strategic planning, budget management, and financial analysis with demonstrated ability to align resources to organizational priorities and navigate multi-year funding cycles.

• Process Excellence - Track record of leading enterprise-wide process improvement and change management initiatives that deliver measurable results in operational efficiency, quality, and cost-effectiveness.

• Risk Management & Compliance - Strong capability in identifying, assessing, and mitigating organizational risk, including regulatory compliance, governance, and federal reporting requirements.

• Executive Presence & Stakeholder Engagement - Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with ability to influence and engage effectively across all organizational levels, from individual contributors to boards and federal partners.

• Project & Portfolio Leadership - Demonstrated success managing complex, cross-functional initiatives from conception through implementation, including coordinating diverse stakeholders and competing priorities.

• Analytical & Systems Thinking - Advanced ability to synthesize complex data, assess organizational performance against metrics, and develop evidence-based recommendations for strategic and operational decisions.

• Collaborative Leadership - Proven capacity to build high-performing, collaborative teams, integrate diverse perspectives, and foster organizational alignment in matrixed environments.

• Sound Judgment & Discretion - Established track record of handling confidential, sensitive, and high-stakes matters with appropriate judgment, professionalism, and executive-level decision-making capability.

• Adaptability & Resilience - Ability to thrive in rapidly evolving environments, anticipate emerging challenges, and proactively drive organizational readiness and continuous improvement.

UCAR affirms its commitment to employees through competitive benefits. In addition to medical, dental, vision, retirement, and life insurance, UCAR offers a variety of programs focused on work-life balance and professional, and personal development. These include:

• Tuition Assistance, time off allowance to attend classes, and other professional development opportunities.

• UCAR contributes 10% of your eligible pay into your retirement account; 100% fully vested on day one.

• Starting minimum accrual of 20 days of personal time off each year (prorated for less than full-time positions).

• 10 paid holidays.

• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.

• Short-term medical leave paid at 100% of your regular salary.

• EcoPass for local Colorado residents to use the Denver and Boulder-area transit system at no cost.

Applicants are not required to provide age or age-related information and may redact information related to age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution from any submissions during the initial application process.

At NSF NCAR| UCAR | UCP, you will work alongside a dedicated team of professionals conducting critical research and community outreach to solve complex Earth system science problems including climate change, air pollution, extreme weather, floods, drought, wildfires, and space weather, all with the goal of improving human life and reducing economic loss. Each of us, from scientists to the professionals who support their work, serves the public and a collaborative community of scientists in our mission to understand the complex processes that make up the Earth system, from the ocean floor to the Sun's core.

Flexible Work

At UCAR, we are committed to supporting our mission by giving staff the flexibility to find the schedule and location that works best to maintain their own work-life circumstances and reach their full potential as professionals. Many positions within our organization are eligible for fully on-site, hybrid (three days per week) and/or flexible work hours.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UCAR is committed to providing equal opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment and does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or pregnancy.Whatever your intersection of identities, you are welcome at UCAR.

Export Control

All positions are required to comply with U.S. export compliance regulations and work location requirements regarding access to facilities and research systems.

Work Location

UCAR requires ALL positions to be performed within the U.S., excluding U.S. Territories.

AI Software

ChatGPT and similar AI software are powerful tools that are changing theway society receives, processes, and leverages information promptly. While we acknowledge its benefits and do not restrict leveraging it with job applications, we highly encourage a majority of the applicant material to be original work.