NOAA Pulls Job Posting for Magician

In the wake of the General Services Administration (GSA) spending investigation, the (NOAA) pulled a job ad that had advertised that the group was seeking a magician.

The position taken down Thursday, May 3 was seeking to hire a magician who could also serve as a motivational speaker, according to a Politico report.

The individual had to demonstrate knowledge of works by Harvard Psychologist Howard Gardener who is known for the “theory of multiple intelligences.”

Other requirements included a few of the following:

• Experiential exercises

• Physical energizers

• Magic tricks and puzzles

• Brain teasers

• Teambuilding exercises

The GSA recently came under huge scrutiny after a four-day Las Vegas convention that cost taxpayers $823,000 in 2010. Part of the expenses were spent on a magician, mind reader, and commemorative coins. One employee even went as far as creating a ‘spoof ’ music video about how much money the department has to spend.

NOAA posted the ad for a one-day leadership training to help employees understand government principles, said Patricia McBride-Finneran, the NOAA point of contact listed, according to the report. The training was a part of a three-day conference scheduled for June in Silver Spring, officials said.

She said that NOAA’s spending shouldn’t be compared to the GSA ordeal.

The job criteria is currently under review by NOAA’s Chief of Resource, Operations and Management including the General Council, according to NOAA spokesman Scott Smullen.