ResponsibilitiesPacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking a senior leader to advance its nuclear industry strategy and support its advanced reactor programs. The position will devote approximately up to one-fifth of the time to the nuclear industry subsector and the rest of the time managing advanced reactor programs.
The successful candidate will connect industry and sponsor needs with PNNL capabilities, develop strategic partnerships, and lead multidisciplinary teams to deliver research, development, and deployment outcomes. Working with sector, division, and technical leaders, the individual will translate nuclear industry priorities into funded opportunities while ensuring that advanced reactor programs meet technical, cost, schedule, quality, and sponsor expectations.
Nuclear Industry Strategy
- Up to twenty percent of the position
- Develop and execute an actionable nuclear industry strategy aligned with PNNL sector and division plans. Assess technology, market, policy, and regulatory trends affecting the existing reactor fleet, advanced reactors, nuclear fuels, and associated infrastructure.
- Build and maintain relationships with nuclear technology developers, utilities, suppliers, federal sponsors, national laboratories, and research institutions. Represent PNNL capabilities and priorities with senior industry and government stakeholders.
- Identify and prioritize business opportunities, develop sponsor engagement strategies, lead proposal development, and secure sponsored work in collaboration with sector and project leaders.
- Position PNNL capabilities in materials performance, advanced manufacturing, measurement and control, systems engineering, licensing support, and nuclear material management to address industry needs. Recommend investments in staff, facilities, and partnerships that strengthen the subsector's long-term impact.
Advanced Reactor Program
- Eighty percent of the position
- Lead planning and execution of assigned advanced reactor programs, establishing integrated scopes, deliverables, schedules, budgets, staffing plans, and performance measures. Manage risks, dependencies, and changes, and resolve issues affecting delivery.
- Coordinate technical and project management teams across PNNL, partner laboratories, industry, and government. Integrate research, engineering, procurement, and quality assurance activities with demonstration and deployment objectives.
- Lead internal and external performance reporting, sponsor reviews, and communication of accomplishments, resource needs, and emerging risks. Develop corrective actions and recommendations for program leadership.
- Support the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy and Department of War Advanced Reactor Programs.
- Manage activities addressing advanced reactor development, siting, deployment, redeployment, and decommissioning, including defense applications. Coordinate expertise in regulatory and policy frameworks, transportation and logistics, fuel and spent fuel management, and end-user requirements.
- Work with line managers to obtain qualified staff and resources, mentor technical and project leaders, and promote a collaborative work environment. Ensure assigned work follows applicable safety, security, quality, and compliance requirements.
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications:
- BS/BA in nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, systems engineering, or a related field and 13 years of relevant nuclear energy technology and program development leadership experience -OR-
- MS/MA or higher nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science, systems engineering, or a related field and 11 years of relevant nuclear energy technology and program development leadership experience.
- Demonstrated experience in nuclear energy technology and program development leadership.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Advanced reactor program delivery: Demonstrated success managing complex advanced reactor programs involving multiple organizations. Experience executing integrated scopes, schedules, budgets, staffing plans, risk assessments, and sponsor reporting, with a record of delivering technical milestones.
- Demonstration and deployment: Experience coordinating reactor research, engineering, procurement, quality assurance, and demonstration activities. Familiarity with advanced reactor siting, deployment, redeployment, decommissioning, and the operational needs of commercial or defense end users.
- Industry strategy and business development: A record of developing and executing nuclear industry strategies, identifying emerging opportunities, preparing competitive proposals, and securing funding. Ability to translate sponsor needs and market trends into programs that use and expand laboratory capabilities.
- Partnerships and sponsor engagement: Established relationships with nuclear developers, utilities, suppliers, federal agencies, and national laboratories. Experience working with DOE nuclear energy programs, defense sponsors, and private industry.
- Nuclear systems and regulatory understanding: Knowledge of the interfaces among reactor design, fuels, materials performance, manufacturing, instrumentation and control, and licensing. Familiarity with risk-informed or performance-based approaches, transportation, nuclear material management, and the back end of the fuel cycle.
- Relevant program experience: Experience with federal advanced reactor programs or comparable reactor research and demonstration programs. Experience supporting policy or regulatory development for advanced reactor deployment.
- Leadership and communication: Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across organizational boundaries, negotiate priorities, resolve technical and programmatic issues, and mentor staff. Excellent proposal writing, executive briefing, and technical communication skills.
- Strategic and execution judgment: Ability to balance strategy development with direct program delivery and connect long-term capability development with near-term sponsor needs. Experience within the DOE national laboratory system and coordinating resources with line and sector management.
Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment- Work in radiological areas, including the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL), requiring applicable training and adherence to facility access, radiation protection, and safety requirements.
- Travel up to 20% of the time to support sponsor engagement, program execution, and collaboration with partner organizations.
Additional InformationThis position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
