SEP Program Description The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) seeks an individual with experience in science and/or health education to join the team at the Science & Health Education Partnership (SEP). SEP is a nationally recognized organization that fosters interest in science, builds scientific literacy, and connects the scientific community with the public. Through our programs, we aim to advance diversity and inclusivity in science; efforts include facilitating teachers and scientists co-teaching to support science learning in K-12 classrooms, providing science content and pedagogy professional development for K-12 teachers, hosting research and public health programs for high school students who are historically underrepresented in the sciences, and organizing the Bay Area Science Festival. The candidate can expect to interact with graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff from UCSF; K-12 teachers and students from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD); industry-based STEM professionals, and the general public.
In order to be strategic and intentional about how to be anti-racist in our work, our staff is committed to ongoing learning to address equitable power, access, opportunities, treatment, practices, impacts and outcomes for staff and program participants. We are actively engaged in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion work through ongoing training, assessment, and coaching.
Position Description SEP is seeking three Academic Coordinators to join our team. Each coordinator will work on a variety of SEP’s programs, depending on their interest, expertise, and experience.
Our newest program will support a collaborative community of 25 students, or Teen Leaders, who will participate in an intensive leadership experience focused on adolescent health issues. Working closely with SEP staff and UCSF faculty, graduate and medical students, the Teen Leaders will learn about current health issues and work together to plan a culminating event, the Teen Health Summit, for their peers. The coordinator’s responsibilities will include recruiting the Teen Leaders, building a collaborative community of students, designing and leading culturally responsive learning experiences, facilitating students’ understanding of health topics in collaboration with UCSF researchers and experts in the Summit’s selected topic, supporting students through the planning and implementation of the annual Summit for a diverse SFUSD student population, collaborating with learning researchers to develop and test an instrument to measure student “Belonging in Science,” and publishing the results in peer-reviewed journals.
In addition to the new program, we are seeking individuals to help coordinate SEP’s existing programs. These programs include classroom-based teacher-scientist partnerships where SFUSD K-12 teachers and UCSF scientist volunteers co-plan and co-teach a series of science lessons. SEP’s High School Intern Program supports high school students in conducting research and preparing for college. Interns become comfortable working in a laboratory environment, begin to conduct experiments independently, learn about scientific rigor and reproducibility, and present scientific research in oral and written formats. The Cellular Construction Workshop is a two-week summer workshop for high school teachers and students where they participate together in design challenges as they learn about cellular engineering. SEP also organizes the Bay Area Science Festival, a unique celebration of our region’s science and technology. Scientists and engineers from UCSF and other local universities, companies, and museums share their stories and passion for what they do at over 50 public science events designed to engage and inspire our community.
Coordinator responsibilities include recruiting UCSF researchers, recruiting SFUSD teachers and students for program participation, maintaining communication with program participants and SEP colleagues on an on-going basis, supporting program participants through a variety of activities and events, providing informal science and health lesson consultation to UCSF researchers and SFUSD teachers through the Daly Ralston Resource Center, visiting K-12 school sites, and contributing to program evaluation. SEP uses a team-based model: most programs are managed by 2-3 coordinators. Qualification Requirements The successful candidate will have:
- Experience in K-12 science or health education, scientific research, public health, K-12 classroom or informal science teaching, public science events, and/or educational research; - Demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in science, health, and/or the workplace; - Demonstrated ability to work with high school students, K-12 teachers and/or researchers from the health and scientific community; - Strong written and oral communication skills; - Excellent organizational abilities and interpersonal skills; - The abilities to prioritize tasks, engage in long- and short-term planning, be flexible and adaptable to changing circumstances and environments, and handle a variety of demands simultaneously; - A willingness to embrace new challenges, persist through difficulty, and problem-solve creatively. - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. - Candidates must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule, including occasional travel, weekends, and extended hours during periods of intense activity. Flexible work-from-home schedule available between in-person staff meetings, programs, and events (if desired). In-office work a few days a week can be expected. Candidates must reside locally. - Candidates must meet the required qualifications at the time of appointment. - Candidate's CV or cover letter must state qualifications (or if pending) upon submission.
Other work at SEP includes grant writing, writing reports and publications, presenting at conferences, robotics and coding, and working directly with English Language Learners and culturally diverse populations at many levels. If you have any skills, experiences, or interests in these areas and/or if you are proficient in another language besides English, please include it in your application.
We seek candidates with a range of experiences and skills; these positions could be filled by candidates with few to many years of experience. Given SEP’s suite of programs, each position and its responsibilities will be defined depending on a candidate’s background and interests.
Appointment & Application Procedure Pending academic review, this appointment will be classified as a year-round Academic Coordinator I or II, depending on experience, with annual salary ranges from $65,000-$95,000. The appointment is subject to the UC academic review process. The University of California offers a wide array of high-quality benefit plans from which to choose. These include comprehensive health and welfare insurance plans, a pension plan, and optional retirement savings opportunities. Benefits packages are based on job classification, the nature of employment and the number of hours worked. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/index.html. UCSF employees receive 16 holidays per year; Academic Coordinators accrue one sick day and two vacation days per month.
Submit a letter of application, resume/CV, and the names of three (3) professional references through AP Recruit: https://aprecruit.ucsf.edu/JPF03712. Application review will begin in December 2021. Interviews will be conducted in January 2022, with an anticipated start date in spring 2022.
UC San Francisco seeks candidates whose experience, teaching, research, or community service that has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status.
The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is a leading university dedicated to promoting health worldwide through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and high-quality patient care. It is the only UC campus in the 10-campus system dedicated exclusively to the health sciences.