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Associate Director

Associate Directors of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Executive Office of the President
Responsibility
Management Scope

OSTP has historically varied quite significantly in size based on the goals of the Administration. During the Obama administration, it has grown to approximately 120 full time employees including employees of the Executive Office of the President, detailees, fellows and others. Historically there have been 4 Senate-confirmed Associate Directors reporting to the Director: for science, technology, national security and international affairs and energy and the environment. The role of Chief Technology Officer was added during the Obama administration.

Primary Responsibilities

• Identifies and prioritizes topics for the division (and thus, the executive branch) to focus on, and leads the division as it leads interagency efforts on those topics
• Identifies individuals who can lead activities within the division, and determines how to get them detailed to work at OSTP while being paid by others
• Represents the administration and the global science community in policymaking activities of other EOP agencies
• Serves as the administration’s figurehead on the priority topics in discussion with the science community, other government entities and the public.

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Recognized educational background and experience within at least one priority topic area for the division
• Understanding of the federal science and technology ecosystem, budget development and implementation, and EOP processes
• Established relationships within the federal government and private-sector science communities
• Experience leading disparate groups to consensus

Competencies

• Ability to convene groups with divergent agendas and lead them to consensus, without having the power to mandate
• Ability to deeply understand both technical issues and strategic opportunities and constraints, and to chart an optimal path forward
• Skill as a collaborative individual able to build relationships with, and influence others
• Strong communication skills for succeeding in a variety of contexts: deep technical discussions, policy/budget deliberations and advocating and justifying priorities
• Facility for working comfortably in a high-stress, high-visibility position, in which success is dependent on the work of others, most of them outside direct control, but responsibility for failure rests with the associate director

Past Appointments
AGENCY

Executive Office of the President

Mission: The mission of the Office of Science and Technology Policy is threefold: first, to provide the president and his senior staff with accurate, relevant and timely scientific and technical advice on all matters of consequence; second, to ensure that the policies of the executive branch are informed by sound science; and third, to ensure that the scientific and technical work of the executive branch is properly coordinated so as to provide the greatest benefit to society.1

COMPENSATION

Level III $165,300 (5 U.S.C. § 5314)2

REPORTS TO

Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy

SENATE COMMITTEE

Commerce, Science and Transportation

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Footnote
  1. https://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ostp/about
  2. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
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