Director, Buildings and Transportation Science Division

Requisition Id 12354 

ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, with an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,200 people! ORNL’s decadal 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.

Overview: 

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) seeks an outstanding research and development (R&D) leader for the position of Director, Buildings and Transportation Science Division (BTSD).  The BTSD includes a staff of approximately 150 scientists, engineers, and support staff focusing on the R&D advancement of clean and efficient energy resources.  The BTSD delivers scientific discoveries and technological breakthroughs to accelerate transformative building- and transportation-related technical solutions to ensure a safe, secure, and sustainable energy future. The division has three primary focus areas: propulsion science, vehicle and mobility systems research and building technologies research. The BTSD couples basic and applied research to discover, design, and develop new materials, sensors, electronic and mechanical devices/systems, and processes to enable new and improved energy technologies and processes relevant to clean energy efficiency, renewable energy, and resource sustainability technologies.

BTSD basic and applied research and development programs include the following areas:

• Building Technologies
  • Energy-efficient equipment
  • Building envelope materials
  • Multifunctional equipment integration
  • Integrated building performance
  • Energy storage
     
• Transportation Technologies
  • Electrification and fast wired and wireless charging
  • Hydrogen and net-zero carbon fuel technologies
  • Automation and connectivity
  • Data science and vehicle cybersecurity
  • Materials for future vehicles
  • Virtual–physical research environment
  • Fuels, engines, and emissions research

The BTSD is well-aligned with key areas of excellence at ORNL.  The BTSD is home to two of the Department of Energy’s named User-facilities:  the National Transportation Research Center (NTRC) and the Buildings Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC).  The division works closely with peer divisions and centers/facilities within ORNL such as the Grid Research Integration and Deployment Center (GRID-C) and the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF) for cross-cutting research and development collaboration and integration, as well as leveraging unique Office of Science user facilities to advance clean energy technologies. Staff members within the BTSD conduct both open science/engineering R&D as well as national security-focused efforts.  The BTSD is predominantly funded by the DOE but also has extensive collaborations with universities, industry, and Department of Defense laboratories.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Provide direct line leadership of the BTSD staff and steward two DOE user facilities
• Develop and implement a strategic vision for the BTSD that leverages the unique resources of ORNL and includes specific plans for people, culture, facilities, and science
• Engage with ORNL program managers across ORNL in developing a research agenda and strategic plans
• Identify opportunities to improve operations and processes for hiring, procurement, space utilization, facilities development, and other areas as necessary to ensure an efficient research environment
• Foster clear communications within BTSD and across ORNL to highlight technical achievements, identify opportunities, and address issues of importance to the organization
• Champion staff professional development including mentoring, sharing of internal and external opportunities, and the identification of training important to professional growth
• Promote a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications: 

• A Master of Science degree in a science or engineering field with a focus in buildings, transportation, or energy-related field
• A proven and demonstrated track record of successful research and development leadership
• A minimum of fifteen years of professional research experience beyond the terminal academic degree in a university, industry, national laboratory, or federal government entity
• At least five years of experience leading multi-disciplinary research groups or organizations
• A distinguished record of research achievement, as evidenced by scholarly publications, patents, and funded research grants

Preferred Qualifications:

• A PhD in Electrical, Mechanical, Vehicular Engineering, or closely related field

• A demonstrated record supporting the professional development of research staff and team research
• Fellow status in professional R&D society/organization
• Extensive experience identifying key expertise and assembling scientifically balanced research and development teams, with a focus on multi-disciplinary research groups or organizations
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to foster and maintain high standards in Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) and Quality Assurance for Division’s activities
• The ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance

Special Requirements:
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.

Please provide a cover letter and detailed resume with list of publications and patents when applying for this position.
 
For more information about ORNL and BTSD, visit http://www.ornl.gov   and https://www.ornl.gov/division/buildings-and-transportation-science .

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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 [email protected].

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.