Section Head, Advanced Intelligent Systems

Requisition Id 12357 

 

 

Overview:  

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

The National Security Sciences Directorate conducts research and development (R&D) to confront some of the nation’s most difficult security challenges and adversaries.  Our directorate houses science and technology (S&T) leadership in cybersecurity and cyber-physical resiliency, data analytics, geospatial S&T, nuclear nonproliferation, and high-performance computing for sensitive national security missions. We draw on the Laboratory’s exceptional facilities and collaborate with leading researchers in other areas at the lab such as nuclear and chemical sciences and engineering, applied materials, advanced manufacturing, biosecurity, transportation, and computing.  Our multi-disciplinary research teams are passionate about discovery and innovation as we create science-based solutions to complex security threats that put public safety, national defense, energy infrastructure, and the economy at risk.

We are currently seeking qualified applicants to serve as Section Head for Advanced Intelligent Systems (AIS) in the Cyber Resilience and Intelligence Division. The AIS Section focuses on R&D that enhances the resilience, robustness, cyber security, and effectiveness of our AI-based intelligence processing and security systems.

 

Purpose

Provide leadership for a thematic area of S&T that integrates several aligned R&D groups consistent with ORNL’s science culture and ORNL’s aspiration to be the world’s premier R&D institution. 

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

Strategic/Technical Leadership:

• Initiate, lead and perform R&D programs and initiatives on an ongoing basis.

• Work closely with the Division Director and Group Leaders within the section to develop a vision and implement a strategy to pursue world-leading science and technology directions for the section. Demonstrate cross-functional team leadership.
• Work with section Group Leaders to establish, communicate, and measure critical metrics for success and impact. Benchmark against the best in the world.
• Actively contribute to shaping the division’s, directorate’s, and laboratory’s research plans and investments.
• Build strong teams by collaborating across ORNL and securing external expertise when needed. Leverage ORNL facilities and resources when developing new projects.
• Communicate funding/proposal opportunities to staff and support proposal development as appropriate (mentoring, proposal reviews, budget preparation, etc.).

 

Strategic/People Leadership:

• Exemplify a commitment to "One ORNL" by modeling lab expectations for excellence in research, operations, and community engagement, and by working cooperatively to leverage capabilities across the lab.
• Lead by example, using the principles in ORNL’s “Research Code of Conduct” as a guide for proposing, performing, and communicating research and in dealing with others.
• Coach and mentor staff regarding ORNL’s “Safe Conduct of Research” principles and ensure all work is carried out safely, securely, and in compliance with ORNL policies, standards, and procedures.
• Evaluate Group Lead progress regularly, providing feedback and addressing performance issues in a timely manner.
• Ensure groups are recruiting and hiring from a diverse pool of top candidates who are committed to world-class research and aspire to be the best in their field. 
• Counsel/consult/mentor staff and transfer knowledge of specialized field(s) to a variety of staff, including senior staff. 
• Work with Group Leaders to ensure staff are participating actively in professional service (engagement in scientific societies, workshop and conference organization, peer review, advisory board membership, etc.).
• Advocate for and support internal and external recognition of staff achievements.  Ensure the Section’s external professional presence is strong.

 

All team members deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service.