Deputy Associate Laboratory Director, Nuclear Technologies and National Security

Directorate Overview

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory, Argonne is committed to delivering substantive impacts to U.S. prosperity, competitiveness, and security through transformative science and technology from discovery to technology development to application. Argonne’s long-standing, world leading expertise in nuclear energy coupled with our unique, first-in-class capabilities in nonproliferation and infrastructure science enable us to tackle emerging energy and security challenges.

The Nuclear Technologies and National Security (NTNS) directorate seeks to advance nuclear energy and deliver innovative, objective science and engineering-based solutions and inform decisions for a secure and resilient global society. We focus on enduring and emerging challenges in nuclear reactors and fuel cycles; nonproliferation; infrastructure science (risk and resilience analysis); intelligence and vulnerability analysis; and emergency and disaster preparedness. NTNS encompasses a diverse team of scientists, engineers, and technical support staff, all of whom are committed to developing and delivering innovative solutions to address our country’s most pressing energy and security challenges. We take a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex challenges and developing useful technologies that can transform the marketplace and change the world.

Position Summary

The Nuclear Technologies and National Security (NTNS) Directorate, one of five Science and Technology (S&T) Directorates at Argonne, seeks to address the energy and national security missions through use-inspired and applied research. With an annual operating budget exceeding $200M, NTNS comprises 5 Divisions and several cross-cutting initiatives that are focused on defining and executing on transformative science and technology solutions for complex, multidisciplinary energy and national security problems. Our current research portfolio has grown through work done for key sponsors such as DOE-NE, -OE, -NNSA, -CESER, DHS, DOD, and other federal agencies and non-federal entities.

In this newly created role, the NTNS Deputy Associate Laboratory Director will serve as an integral member of the NTNS leadership team  assisting the NTNS Associate Laboratory Director (ALD), in partnership with the NTNS Division Directors (DD), Directorate Operations Officer (DOO), and Strategy Innovation Director, to successfully achieve near, mid and long-term target outcomes in directorate management, technical thought leadership, S&T strategy, opportunity capture and growth, and mission delivery. The NTNS Deputy ALD will serve as spokesperson and representative of the ALD and the directorate on research program matters, both internally and externally, as required. The Deputy ALD will also advise on and act as the technical lead for scientific and technical quality and risk across the organization and ensure alignment and integration with strategic priorities. 

The NTNS Deputy ALD will work cooperatively with Division and Program Directors, Initiative Leads, Laboratory Relationship Managers (LRMs), and laboratory scientists and engineers to nurture and sustain relationships with key current and potential sponsors (DOE, other federal and non-federal) to develop and communicate a strong knowledge of key sponsors’ priorities, support business capture efforts, and deliver S&T impact consistent with NTNS, Laboratory and sponsor strategy and objectives. In addition, the Deputy ALD will develop, lead, sustain, and cultivate relationships with external institutions such as universities, industry, and other laboratories to build partnerships that enable new ground-breaking research in areas relevant to NTNS.

Responsibilities:

• Assist the ALD in overseeing directorate management and functions to achieve key directorate outcomes in mission delivery, S&T capability development, opportunity capture, strategy, partnerships, financial health, talent development, communications, and risk management. Act on behalf of ALD and NTNS internally and externally as needed.

• Act as Chief Science and Technology Officer for the directorate contributing to NTNS and Argonne research initiatives and priorities. Lead and/or facilitate the development and execution of directorate- and/or lab-level S&T initiatives. Establish and sustain internal collaborations to support NTNS sponsor missions.

• Facilitate and sustain key sponsor and partner relationships. Interface with senior management of DOE program offices, national laboratories, and industry partners, as needed.

• Develop a deep understanding of sponsor missions and support DDs and LRMs in identifying strategic priorities for sponsors and positioning Argonne and NTNS for m