The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) at the University of Colorado Boulder invites nominations and applications for the newly created position of Senior Director for Science. The development of the position provides a unique opportunity to help define the future of one of the world’s premier space research institutions.
As a key member of the laboratory’s executive leadership team, reporting directly to the Director of LASP, the Senior Director for Science will shape LASP’s long-term scientific vision, champion emerging research frontiers, cultivate scientific excellence across a multidisciplinary community, and help position the laboratory to lead the next generation of transformative discoveries and missions.
Senior Director of Science
Reporting to LASP’s Director, the Senior Director for Science is responsible for advancing the lab’s scientific leadership, maintaining and growing the excellence of its research community, and ensuring the long-term success and competitiveness of its research and science mission portfolio. This Senior Director for Science leads the multidisciplinary 80-100 person Science Division and supports the development of strategy for LASP’s long-term scientific vision and priorities, working in collaboration with the lab Director and LASP’s leadership team. The Senior Director also identifies and champions high-impact opportunities in missions, instruments, interdisciplinary research, and emerging scientific frontiers; is LASP’s scientific representative for partnerships with government agencies and national and international partners; and creates a collaborative and inclusive scientific community within LASP. The role is approximately 60% leadership and 40% scientific research.
Key Responsibilities
Laboratory-Level Scientific Leadership
- Foster a vibrant multi-disciplinary and inclusive scientific community of researchers within LASP’s science division.
- Provide strategic leadership for the scientific direction of LASP and advise the Director on all matters related to scientific institutional positioning.
- Define, articulate, and implement LASP’s long-term scientific vision.
- Enable institutional strategy that ensures continued competitiveness in major research programs and space missions.
- Guide the direction of major proposals, new research initiatives, and investment in capability development, including identification of LASP-internal leaders for these.
- Oversee tenure-track faculty lines, including recruitment, retention, promotion, and salary structures, working with the Director.
- Establish policies affecting the scientific workforce and oversee their implementation, such as hiring, evaluation, and promotion.
- Make staffing decisions that provide leadership structure for the Science Division and oversight for LASP’s faculty, researchers, postdoctoral scholars, and science students.
- Facilitate cross-divisional collaboration across LASP’s science, technical and operational teams.
- Provide guidance to scientific teams facing leadership or organizational challenges.
- Collaborate with divisional assistant directors to provide structures and policies that foster mentorship, growth, and career opportunities for LASP scientists.
- Execute their own scientific research program with excellence.
External Scientific Leadership and Representation
- Work closely with the Director to promote and advocate for LASP’s scientific mission and programs, representing LASP science in interactions with university leadership, industry, federal agencies, and national and international scientific communities.
- Strengthen LASP’s leadership within the national and international space science community.
- Shape national and international scientific agendas through leadership and participation in panels, advisory bodies, and public-facing communications.
- Support the Director in serving as one of LASP’s primary scientific representatives to NASA, NOAA, NSF, and federal agencies; National Academies panels and advisory bodies; international space agencies and global research partners; and commercial and philanthropic partners.
- Promote the participation of LASP scientists in national and international leadership, identifying opportunities and providing mentoring.
- Strengthen collaborations with CU Boulder departments, institutes, and external research organizations.
Plus other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Required
- Ph.D. in a relevant scientific discipline (e.g., atmospheric science, planetary science, solar physics, space physics, or related fields).
- An internationally recognized record of scientific achievement and research leadership.
- Leadership of major research programs, mission science teams, or research organizations.
- Demonstrated success in scientific leadership, mentorship, and team development.
- >10 years’ experience with large interdisciplinary collaborations and complex research initiatives.
- Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication of science at expert and layperson levels.
Preferred
- Scientific expertise in multiple of LASP’s scientific and technical disciplines.
- Prior experience in senior leadership roles within research institutes, universities, or space mission organizations.
- Experience interacting with federal research agencies such as NASA, NOAA or NSF.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and execute long-term scientific strategy.
- Experience managing faculty or research scientist career-track systems.
- Strong commitment to fostering a multi-disciplinary and inclusive scientific community.
Additional Leadership Attributes
- Visionary scientific leadership.
- A collaborative and inclusive leadership style.
- Strategic thinking and institutional perspective.
- Commitment to mentoring and developing scientific talent.
- Ability to represent LASP effectively across the national and international research landscape.
Due to requirements governing access to export-controlled data and information, only U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (green card holders), or other protected individuals (i.e., persons designated as an asylee, refugee, or temporary resident under amnesty provisions) are eligible for hire.
LASP
The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is one of the largest research institutes of CU Boulder, the #1 public university recipient of NASA research grants, and one of America’s leading aerospace universities. With a focus on solar, stellar, space plasma, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, LASP employs both experimental and theoretical approaches to answer key science questions. Since its inception in 1948, LASP has developed, operated, and analyzed the data from scientific instrumentation for solar science, earth atmospheric, planetary, deep-space, and Earth-orbiting spacecraft missions investigating the Sun, all eight planets, Pluto and beyond. The progressive development of research capabilities and use of innovative technologies in pursuit of emerging research initiatives ensures a continued leadership role for LASP in today’s growing “new space” era. Since 2013, LASP has secured over $1.75B in grants and contracts.
Thanks to its distinctive combination of scientific and engineering expertise and its ability both to manage long-term collaborations with agencies such as NASA and to respond to faster-moving opportunities with private sponsors, LASP has grown rapidly in the last decade, with expenditures that exceed well over $150M annually, secured through grants, contracts, and other funding vehicles. Some 400 of LASP’s 600-person staff are technical staff and research scientists. The LASP community includes tenure/tenure-track faculty, approximately 110 student employees, 69 graduate students, and 10 postdocs.
An important element of LASP’s mission is to train the next generation of space scientists and engineers: through wide-ranging research and flight projects, LASP participates actively in the development of the future leaders of space research and is a leader in educating students with highly valued technical and scientific skills. Undergraduate and graduate student participation is integral to LASP’s R&D and operational success. In this regard, LASP has been both a contributor to and beneficiary of the remarkable growth of the state of Colorado’s space sector.
Search Process and Employment Information
The annual salary range for this position is $263,000 to $300,000, plus moving allowance. The University of Colorado offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit, and ECO Pass.
The University of Colorado and LASP have engaged Opus Partners (www.opuspartners.net) to support the recruitment of the Senior Director for Science. Craig Smith, Managing Partner and Jeffrey Stafford, Senior Associate, are leading the search. Candidates should send their CV and letter of interest to jeffrey.stafford@opuspartners.net. Nominations, recommendations, and inquiries should go to the same address. Every effort will be made to ensure candidate confidentiality. Applications received by August 1, 2026, will receive full consideration. The search process is confidential.
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
