Brookhaven National Laboratory

Section Head, Electron-Ion Collider Technical Division

Brookhaven National Laboratory$184K — $306K *
Upton, NY 11973In-Person
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical/science discipline.
  • 10+ years of progressive technical experience in a scientific or large technical enterprise, with at least 6 years in leadership roles.
  • Significant experience in field relevant to applied Section Head position, such as Beam Instrumentation or Power Supply Systems.
  • Proven ability to manage technical scope, budgets, schedules, and personnel in complex engineering programs.
  • Demonstrated experience in collaborating with cross-functional teams to address technical challenges in large scientific projects.

Responsibilities

  • Lead strategic planning and continuous improvement initiatives for EIC accelerator complex operations.
  • Develop and enhance organizational capabilities and staffing to achieve Division objectives.
  • Manage Section operating budgets and resource allocation in alignment with Division priorities.
  • Oversee engineering and technical teams to achieve project objectives through effective collaboration.
  • Ensure compliance with engineering standards and maintain a safe working environment.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive employee benefits program for overall employee well-being.
  • Opportunities for career development and employee training programs.
  • Support for employee succession planning and talent development initiatives.
Full Job Description
Application Note: Brookhaven National Laboratory is recruiting for six (6) Section Head positions - one leader for each of the following sections: Beam Instrumentation & Controls; Infrastructure Systems; Magnet Systems (Normal and Superconducting); Mechanical Systems; Power Supply Systems; Radio Frequency (RF). Please specify in your cover letter which role you are applying for. If you would like to be considered for multiple positions, please indicate that in your cover letter as well.

The Electron-Ion Collider (EIC) is one of the most exciting new scientific facilities to be built in the United States over the next decade. This multi-billion-dollar facility is being built at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The EIC will collide relativistic high energy polarized protons or heavy ions, utilizing particle accelerators and the storage ring from the highly successful Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC), with relativistic polarized electrons provided by a new state of the art, high current, polarized electron storage ring with a new electron accelerator complex. The new ePIC detector, at the EIC collision point, will be a discovery machine, providing answers to long-elusive mysteries of matter related to our understanding of the origin of mass, structure, and binding of atomic nuclei that make up the entire visible universe.

Job Description

The Technical Division serves as the Fundamental Interactions and Particles Directorate (FIP) Directorate's primary engineering, technical, infrastructure, and project-delivery organization. The Division is responsible for the engineering, design, procurement, fabrication, installation, testing, commissioning support, modernization, and lifecycle management of EIC accelerator systems supporting EIC Project execution, commissioning, and long-term operations. The Division also provides matrixed engineering, infrastructure, and technical support across the Directorate and supports the maintenance, repair, and service life extension of Hadron accelerator systems operated by the Accelerator Division.

The Technical Division consists of more than 300 engineering, design, technical, and support personnel organized into six Sections; each lead by a Section Head. Section Heads report to and support the Division Director and provide leadership, management, and technical direction for their Section. We seek a Section Head for each of the following functional areas:
  • Beam Instrumentation & Controls
  • Infrastructure Systems,
  • Magnet Systems (Normal and Superconducting)
  • Mechanical Systems
  • Power Supply Systems
  • Radio Frequency (RF)


Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development
  • Implement strategic plans and lead continuous improvement initiatives to successfully design, construct, commission, operate, maintain and modernize the EIC accelerator complex.
  • Develop, maintain, and improve assigned organizational capabilities, staffing, and infrastructure required to support Division objectives.
  • Working with HR, develop workforce, succession, recruitment, and employee development plans that build long-term organizational capability.
  • Establish performance expectations and hold Group Leaders accountable for achieving technical, schedule, safety, and workforce objectives.


Financial & Resource Management
  • Develop, manage, and execute Section operating budgets and align staffing, resources, and investments with Division and Project priorities.
  • Allocate engineering, technical, and project resources to support Division priorities and project commitments.
  • Manage matrixed engineering and technical resources supporting multiple projects, operational programs, maintenance activities, and modernization efforts.
  • Ensure supervisors and staff possess the qualifications, skills, experience, and resources required to safely execute assigned work.


Technical & Engineering Stewardship
  • Lead multidisciplinary engineering and technical teams to achieve Section objectives through collaboration, accountability, and effective decision-making.
  • Provide technical stewardship for assigned systems throughout design, fabrication, installation, commissioning, operation, modernization, and lifecycle management.
  • Ensure assigned technical work complies with engineering standards, configuration management, quality assurance, and conduct of operations requirements.
  • Ensure assigned systems are designed, delivered, documented, tested, and supported to enable efficient commissioning and long-term operations.
  • Promote engineering excellence, innovation, reliability, maintainability, and continuous improvement within assigned technical areas.


Project Execution & Delivery Oversight
  • Ensure effective collaboration with EIC Project Management Team, FIP divisions and programs, and operational organizations to deliver assigned technical scope.
  • Manage the development and execution of assigned technical scope, system designs, execution plans, schedules, costs, and technical baselines.
  • Lead execution and delivery of assigned Level 3 WBS systems and components while achieving technical, cost, schedule, and performance objectives.
  • Manage technical risks, monitor performance metrics, identify variances, and implement corrective actions.


Compliance, Quality, & Safety
  • Maintain a safe work environment through effective safety planning, documented work processes, and comprehensive safety reviews.
  • Ensure assigned engineering and technical activities comply with Laboratory, DOE, regulatory, quality assurance, and configuration management requirements.
  • Maintain required compliance processes and support implementation of new institutional requirements.


Stakeholder Engagement & Communications
  • Represent assigned technical organizations during project meetings, technical reviews, vendor interactions, collaborations, and DOE reviews.
  • Communicate technical, programmatic, organizational, and project issues through executive summaries, presentations, reports, and recommendations.
  • Lead technical reviews, project reviews, DOE reviews, and technical collaborations supporting assigned programs.
  • Support procurement activities through development of Statements of Work, technical specifications, contracts, and service agreements
  • Promote value engineering, collaboration, accountability, innovation, and a high-performing organizational culture.


Note: Submit a cover letter of interest with your resume and indicate in your letter which of the 6 section head role(s) you are interested in.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, or related technical/science discipline.
  • 10 or more years of progressively responsible technical experience in a scientific, national laboratory, aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or other large technical enterprise, including at least 6 years of demonstrated leadership/management experience.
  • Significant experience in the engineering or scientific development relevant to the Section Head position applied for, such as Beam Instrumentation & Controls, Infrastructure Systems, Magnet Systems (Normal and/or Superconducting), Mechanical Systems, Power Supply Systems, or Radio Frequency (RF).
  • Experience managing technical scope, budgets, schedules, resources, and personnel for complex engineering or scientific programs.
  • Experience collaborating with scientists, engineers, and technicians to overcome complex and diverse technical challenges and install systems and components.
  • Experience in management, design, procurement, fabrication, installation, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and modernization of particle accelerator systems or other large scientific facilities.
  • Experience implementing organizational strategies, workforce plans, and management systems that support long-term mission success.
  • Demonstrated success leading engineering, scientific, and technical teams and achieving organizational objectives through collaboration, staff development, effective decision-making, and resolution of complex technical and operational challenges.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and lead high-performing teams through talent development, succession planning, performance management, and accountability.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively with leaders, project managers, operational organizations, vendors, collaborators, and external stakeholders.
  • Excellent verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and prepare technical reports, presentations, and recommendations.
  • Demonstrated commitment to fostering an open, collaborative, safe and high-performing workplace culture.


Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
  • Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics or related discipline.
  • Experience with particle accelerator or scientific equipment design, development, assembly, installation, commissioning, and operations.
  • Familiarity with DOE Order 413.3 requirements, project governance, earned value management systems, risk management, configuration management, and technical baseline control.
  • Experience in the engineering or scientific development of RF, Controls, Beam Instrumentation, Mechanical, Magnet, and Electrical components, and/or Vacuum systems.
  • Project management experience, PMP certification, and/or formal training.


Other Information:
  • Ability to travel domestically and internationally, as required
  • This is an on-site position.


Submit a cover letter of interest with your resume and indicate in your letter which of the 6 section head role(s) you are interested in.
  • Application deadline: 8/6/26


Brookhaven Laboratory is committed to providing fair, equitable and competitive compensation. The full salary range for this position is $184400 - $306100 / year. Salary offers will be commensurate with the final candidate's qualification, education and experience and considered with the internal peer group.

Brookhaven National Laboratory is committed to employee success and we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Review more information at BNL | Benefits Program

About Brookhaven National Laboratory

Brookhaven National Laboratory is a research and development laboratory that conducts research in various fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, and environmental science. The laboratory is operated by Brookhaven Science Associates, a partnership between Stony Brook University and Battelle Memorial Institute. Brookhaven National Laboratory is located in Upton, New York, and has over 3,000 employees. The laboratory was founded in 1947 and is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science.
Learn more about Brookhaven National Laboratory
Size
3,000 employees
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Founded
1947

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