Associate Laboratory Director – Materials, Chemical and Computational Sciences

Posting Title

Associate Laboratory Director – Materials, Chemical and Computational Sciences

Location CO - Golden

Position Type Regular

Hours Per Week 40

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future.

Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories.

We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is the U.S. Department of Energy’s primary national laboratory for energy systems research. NLR leads fundamental and applied research on energy technologies, systems integration, and infrastructure, with a focus on system performance, reliability, and integration of multiple energy sources and technologies. By fostering strategic partnerships, NLR accelerates energy innovation to market toward resilient systems that lower costs, bolster national security, and ensure abundant energy.

NLR is seeking a new Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) to lead our Materials, Chemical and Computational Sciences (MCCS) directorate. The ALD is responsible for providing inspirational leadership and direction to the directorate, shaping its strategic vision and driving excellence in science and technology. The MCCS directorate (https://www.nlr.gov/research/mcst) comprises 400 staff that executes over $165 million in annual research and development organized around three R&D centers – Computational Science, Materials Science, and Chemistry and Nanoscience as well as a Research Operations center.

The directorate is comprised of researchers, technicians and operational professionals focused on fundamental and applied experimental and computational research in energy innovation and critical minerals. This portfolio spans high-performance computing, simulation, and modeling; photovoltaics and solar energy conversion; membranes and separations; hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cells; fundamental materials science and chemistry of functional materials; nanoscience; materials discovery, synthesis, and development;

advanced characterization, spectroscopy, microscopy, and imaging; energy storage; and reliability/durability. In addition to the scientific leadership in the areas detailed above, the ALD is also responsible for aligning facility and infrastructure operations with the laboratory’s vision and strategy and for ensuring that research operations are conducted safely. The MCCS ALD oversees stewardship and spearheads innovation across four, soon-to-be five DOE-owned facilities, ensuring equipment and facilities are research ready and compliant with regulations and DOE requirements.

Latest developments include the Energy Materials and Processing at Scale (EMAPS) facility which will expedite the translation of lab-scale innovations to market-relevant prototypes…