Associate Laboratory Director, Neutron Sciences

Requisition Id 11163

Overview:

The Associate Laboratory Director of the Neutron Sciences Directorate (NScD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) serves as an executive member of the Laboratory, supporting the Laboratory Director in accomplishing ORNL’s mission of advancing scientific discoveries and their translation into energy and security solutions. ORNL is the largest Office of Science national laboratory in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) system, with over 6000 staff, world-leading user facilities, and an extraordinary breath of expertise across neutron science, computational science, materials science, nuclear energy, isotopes, biological and environmental sciences, national security and energy technologies. Located in the beautiful foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and near the lively and historic city of Knoxville, the laboratory collaborates with industry, academia, and other national laboratories to advance scientific knowledge and develop technologies to address national and global challenges.

NScD serves a pivotal role for the nation through building, hosting and using powerful neutron facilities that can peer into the heart of matter, enabling discoveries that can transform the energy landscape, advance understanding of our universe, aid in the response to pandemics, improve human health, and protect our nation. Guided by a three-source strategy and in alignment with a recently published strategic science plan,the primary responsibility of the Associate Laboratory Director is to propel the mission of NScD through: 1) advancing world leading experimental studies of the structure and dynamics of materials as part of an international user program and as an element of ORNL based R&D, 2) designing, constructing, and operating the neutron scattering instruments at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) and the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR), 3) developing and operating the accelerator and target systems at SNS, 4) developing and operating HFIR and 5) executing design, construction and/or upgrade activities of neutron facilities, such as the Proton Power Upgrade (PPU), Second Target Station (STS) and the HFIR pressure vessel. The Associate Laboratory Director manages an annual budget of over $300 Million and 700 NScD staff to address this mission.

The Associate Laboratory Director of NScD also works with other ORNL research directorates to leverage expertise and facilities across ORNL, including the Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS), Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) and nuclear and biological capabilities.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

The Associate Laboratory Director for NScD will be responsible for:

• Providing leadership and oversight to ensure the successful, reliable and safe operation of SNS and HFIR as user facilities
• Advancing scientific excellence and impact of the facilities, including through implementation of the community strategic plan and enhancing competitive positions of SNS and HFIR in the world-wide ecosystem of neutron and light sources

• Develop mechanisms to support diverse and unique users to address critical research challenges, realize major scientific breakthroughs and develop cutting-edge neutron instrumentation, as well as to assess the changing scientific needs of the neutron user community and ensure SNS and HFIR remain responsive
• Maintaining strong and respectful relationships with major sponsor and partners.
• Serving as executive member of the Laboratory Leadership team, sharing responsibility for the simultaneous excellence in science and technology, operational excellence, and community engagement at ORNL
• Meeting Neutron Facility annual operational commitments
• Meeting milestones for ongoing projects to develop new instrumentation and upgrade the facilities.
• Drive employee performance management and assessment processes for entire organization. Perform line management of NScD leadership, including Division Directors and Chief Operating Officer, and functional oversight of the Neutron Upgrades Project Office
• Advancing crosscutting ORNL initiatives that combine unique capabilities across Laboratory directorates to accelerate laboratory-wide scientific impact using neutrons. Work with Leadership Team to identify and implement other Laboratory research priorities, including through strategic use of LDRD (Laboratory-Directed Research and Development)
• Creating and nurturing an environment that promotes and embraces a diverse workforce and champions the ORNL values of impact, teamwork, safety, integrity and service.
• Serving as a primary Directorate contact and spokesperson within ORNL and externally
• Providing Directorate perspectives on Lab-Level decisions and key Lab committees
• Leading self-assessments, planning and tracking for NScD elements associated with the Laboratory Agenda, Annual Laboratory Plan, and other performance tools.
• Identifying key organization staffing needs, and recruiting and developing scientists to be future leaders/mentors, with diversity in mind.
• Enhancing postdoctoral, visitor and sabbatical programs and strategic engagement with core universities
• Implementing management systems, operations, safety, compliance, and performance assessments across the entire Directorate and steward Directorate facilities, capital, and equipment
• Reviewing corrective actions that have Laboratory-wide impacts with particular emphasis on those that are documented and managed by tracking systems external to ORNL.

Qualifications Required:

• International recognition and demonstrated accomplishments as a leading PhD scientist and visionary, ideally with track record of using neutron or light source facilities for scientific discovery
• At least 5 years of demonstrated executive management experience, including developing and leading large complex and multidisciplinary research programs and/or user facilities
• Demonstrated experience of successfully developing, implementing, and executing scientific strategy with engagement from critical stakeholders.
• Experience communicating with key stakeholders, clients, program sponsors, internal staff, and the security/intelligence community

Desired is a familiarity of the Department of Energy and its Basic Energy Sciences user facilities.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.