Chief Operating Officer, Physical Sciences Directorate

Requisition Id15449

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest Office of Science national laboratory within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) system. With more than 7,000 staff members, world-leading user facilities, and an extraordinary breadth of expertise spanning neutron science, computational science, materials science, nuclear energy, isotopes, biological and environmental sciences, national security, and energy technologies, ORNL delivers the scientific discoveries and technical breakthroughs essential to fulfilling the DOE's mission through operational excellence.

The ORNL Physical Sciences Directorate (PSD) is seeking a Chief Operating Officer (COO) to report directly to the PSD Associate Laboratory Director (ALD). As the senior operations leader within the directorate, the COO will provide strategic vision and operational leadership to ensure research initiatives, facility operations, and programmatic objectives are executed with the highest standards of safety, security, efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This pivotal role serves as the principal advocate for operational excellence, champions continuous improvement initiatives, and ensures alignment between daily operations and the directorate's strategic mission objectives.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic and Operational Leadership:

• Develop, articulate, and implement long-term operations strategies that align with the directorate's scientific and technological goals.
• Work collaboratively with the ALD and Division Directors to coordinate strategic planning, internal business planning, and lab-wide operational initiatives.
• Represent the ALD on all operational matters, ensuring that changes in operational practices and systems are effectively implemented.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement:

• Establish expectations, mentor staff, and ensure accountability for the continuous improvement of operational performance across all areas including conduct of operations, operational culture, configuration management, and quality assurance.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators, assessment programs, and metrics to track operational and programmatic performance. Develop framework for operational agility.
• Lead and coordinate corrective actions, risk mitigation efforts, and independent reviews or assessments to resolve operational challenges.

Safety, Security, Compliance, and Risk Management:

• Ensure all work is performed in accordance with DOE regulations, ORNL policies, and safe research practices, incorporating the Safe Conduct of Research principles into daily operations.
• Oversee compliance with environmental health and safety requirements, security protocols, and export control procedures.
• Facilitate and coordinate operational responses to incidents or major events, including participation in the laboratory's Emergency Response Organization.

Facilities and Resource Management:

• Lead directorate-level facility planning initiatives, ensuring that operational spaces and supporting infrastructures meet current and future mission needs.
• Coordinate closely with Facilities & Operations to maintain appropriate capabilities within designated research and user facility environments.

Stakeholder and External Engagement:

• Serve as a resource to internal and external stakeholders, communicating best practices, lessons learned, and challenges related to operations.
• Participate in national and external initiatives, strategic operational reviews, and key industry events to advance the laboratory's operational practices.

Communication:

• Ensure consistent messaging across leadership, managers, and frontline teams, and maintain a feedback loop.
• Gather input from staff at all levels regarding operations and operational excellence and feed insights back to the leadership team.
• Foster a culture of transparency by making operational decisions and results understandable to employees.
• Work across directorate and departments (finance, HR, IT, Communications, ESH&Q, F&O Partnerships, etc.) to align objectives.
• Coordinate closely with ESH&Q to ensure regulatory compliance, protect personnel and the environment, promote safe practices, and enhance interdisciplinary research collaboration.

Basic Qualifications:

• ABSdegree in ascientific, engineering, or technical discipline with a minimum of 12 years of experience in R&D or operations management within a complex research environment.
• A proven track record of managing operational teams, with 5+ years of direct supervisory or management experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated abilities in mentoring, project management, and collaborative problem solving.
• Deliver on directorate's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with relevant DOE regulations, applicable safety or security standards, and experience in a major experimental research facility or equivalent setting are highly desirable.
• Preference is given to candidates with an advanced degree in a scientific, engineering, or technical discipline.

Special Requirement:

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

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.