October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 1 Briefing on Staff Development Plan and Implementation S. Kahn & D. MacFarlane October 2, 2008

Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 2 History of input on staff development *SSRL task force –Produced a 4-step staff development plan in May 2007 for a career pathway involving associate (term), staff, senior staff, and distinguished staff appointments –Implemented in SSRL and adopted by Photon Science *PPA task force –Produced a similar recommendation for a 4-step staff physicist development plan in 2007 –Also examined the applicability of the SSRL plan, and observed several important differences Main objections were to a standing outside promotions committee vs a faculty-appointed standing committee on staff promotions and ad hoc committees for recommendations on individual promotions Also objected to “scientist” vs “physicist” titles

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 3 Creating a lab-wide staff development plan *In May, Executive Council asked Jo Stohr and dbm to look at outstanding differences and create a common staff development plan for the lab as a whole *Common feature of both PPA and SSRL plans was a 4- level pathway, but found it useful to consider a overlay based on the appointing organization –Directorate-level appointments: Associate, Staff Scientist, Senior Staff Scientist –SLAC-level appointments: Distinguished Staff Scientist *ALDs all believe strongly that there needs to be a term- appointment capability for project development –Address concerns about appropriate mentoring by distinguishing name for these positions and nature of future commitment

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 4 Staff scientist career paths

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 5 Brief position descriptions *Associate Staff Scientist –Fixed-term entry-level position for 3-5 years, made on the basis of an expected long-term need and stable funding stream *Staff Scientist –Continuing appointment based on demonstrated ability to conduct own research projects and/or take responsibility for areas of instrumentation or methodology development *Senior Staff Scientist –Intended for individuals who have achieved recognition of leadership nationally or internationally as a result of original developments or scientific research *Distinguished Staff Scientist –Reserved for a small group who have made extraordinary scientific achievements and are recognized authorities inside and outside SLAC

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 6 Security of employment *Over all intentions for staff scientist careers at SLAC: –Staff scientists are intended to be career appointments of individuals who are key elements of defining and pursuing the forefront scientific mission of the laboratory *Senior staff scientists: –Expected to assume positions of scientific and management leadership within PPA, and, assuming a continuing high level of performance aligned with the PPA scientific mission, are envisaged to be a major component of the ongoing scientific program as long as it remains funded at the laboratory *Distinguished staff scientists: –Expected to assume high level of leadership and scientific performance aligned with the ongoing laboratory scientific mission, and carries a laboratory-wide long-term employment commitment co-terminus with the SLAC M&O contract

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 7 PPA appointments and promotions *Associate Staff Scientist –An ad hoc search committee will be constituted to a conduct a broad international search for suitable candidates –Search committee recommendation and the recommendation the sponsoring Department Head will be brought to the PPA Director –PPA Director will also seek the consent of the PPA Faculty, who will advise on the suitability of the candidate *Staff Scientist –An ad hoc promotion committee will be constituted to examine the case: includes 3-5 senior, distinguished staff or faculty –PPA Director will also seek the consent of the PPA Faculty, who will advise on the suitability of the candidate

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 8 PPA appointments and promotions *Senior Staff Scientist –An ad hoc promotion committee will be constituted to examine the case: includes 3-5 senior, distinguished staff or faculty –Other science Directorates will nominate one representative each to serve on PPA ad hoc promotion committees for a minimum of one year –PPA Director will also seek the consent of the PPA Faculty, who will advise on the suitability of the candidate

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 9 PPA appointments and promotions *Distinguished Staff Scientist –An ad hoc promotion committee will be appointed by the SLAC Director to examine the case: includes 3-5 senior, distinguished staff or faculty, with at least 1 external member –Input required by the candidate letter of support from the appropriate ALD and 5 suggested referees, at least 3 external –Promotion committee can seek additional recommendations and input –Sponsoring ALD can seek appropriate advice before providing letter of recommendation For example, the PPA Director will, among other steps, seek the consent of the PPA Faculty, who will advise on the suitability of the candidate –Access to housing benefits likely to be an attractive feature in retention and recruitment…still investigating

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 10 Transitioning to the new system *PPA plan for implementation –Existing permanent staff will be grandfathered; some may wish to be considered for appointments in the new system –Continuing staff physicists will normally be put into staff scientist positions –About 10-20% of these cases will be considered for promotion to senior staff scientist and, at the few % level, distinguished staff Promotion advisory committee will advise of list to be considered for promotion Intend to exercise new promotion process for these decisions –A few cases where physicists are presently in other job classifications (most engineering physicist) who may be considered for staff scientist positions Promotion advisory committee will identify and PPA management will invite candidates who will then be considered using the new promotion process, including PPA Faculty review of the case

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 11 Promotion Advisory Committee: Task 1 *Promotion Advisory Committee established to make recommendations on candidates for promotion to Senior or Distinguished levels –Charge is to review the complete list of staff scientists and provide a set of recommendations for who should be considered for promotion Those recommended would then be reviewed through the procedure described in the Staff Development Plan –Advice and input being sought from PPA faculty –Will review requests for promotion consideration from individual staff, but you are urged to discuss such a request with your supervisor first

October 2, 2008Staff Development Plan & ImplementationPage 12 Promotion Advisory Committee: Task 2 *Promotion Advisory Committee will also make recommendations on possible staff scientist appointments from other job categories –Charge is to review the complete list of engineering physicist, and various software developer categories, and provide a set of recommendations for who should be considered for promotion Those recommended would then be reviewed through the procedure described in the Staff Development Plan –Some historical inconsistency in use of these job categories Some have a Ph.D. and some do not; many of these positions are more technical than science oriented None have been subject to PPA Faculty review –Advice and input being sought from PPA faculty –Engineering physicist and software developer job categories will continue into the future