Chief Operating Officer; COO

Idaho National Laboratory is hiring a CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER (COO) to work on our Business Management team. Our team works a 9/80 schedule located in our EROB facility in Idaho Falls with every other Friday off. This will be an ONSITE position
. The position works on a 9/80 schedule, onsite in our Idaho Falls EROB office. You will report to the CFO.

Idaho National Laboratory needs Senior Directors to lead groundbreaking efforts advancing the nation's energy and technological frontiers, directly shaping the future of nuclear energy, cybersecurity, and infrastructure innovation by steering high-impact initiatives that drive strategic vision and collaboration aligned with the laboratory's legacy of pioneering solutions.

The COO provides strategic operational leadership across a complex, multi-functional organization, driving continuous improvement in how work gets done at Idaho National Labs (INL). The COO is responsible for translating organizational strategy into operational excellence, modernizing processes, accelerating AI adoption across business functions, and building a high-performance culture grounded in accountability, measurement, and results. This leader works horizontally across the directorate's divisions, leading through influence rather than direct authority, to align Division Directors around shared operational priorities.

The COO serves as the primary operational partner to the CFO and executive leadership team and is the directorate's lead for workforce development and organizational capability building.

• Drive operational transformation across business management functions, identifying and eliminating inefficiencies, reducing cycle times, and standardizing processes to maximize throughput and value delivery.
• Lead enterprise-wide process improvement initiatives using data-driven methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, or equivalent) to achieve measurable gains in cost, quality, and speed.
• Establish and maintain operational dashboards and KPIs that provide real-time visibility into organizational performance, enabling proactive decision-making at all levels.
  AI Integration & Digital Modernization
• Champion the adoption of artificial intelligence, automation, and advanced analytics across all business management functions, from financial planning and procurement to project management and compliance.
• Partner with IT and functional leaders to identify, pilot, and scale AI-enabled tools that reduce manual effort, improve accuracy, and free staff capacity for higher-value work.
• Build organizational fluency in AI tools and data literacy, ensuring the workforce is equipped and motivated to leverage emerging technologies as a core part of how work is performed.

• Architect and sustain a performance-based culture built on clear expectations, transparent metrics, consistent accountability, and recognition of results.
• Partner with HR and functional directors to implement robust performance management frameworks that differentiate levels of contribution and tie outcomes to professional development and advancement.
• Model and reinforce a culture of continuous feedback, learning agility, and high standards where excellence is expected and celebrated, and underperformance is addressed constructively and promptly.
• Develop leaders at all levels through coaching, succession planning, and intentional leadership development that builds organizational capability over time.

• Participate in the development of overall directorate and laboratory objectives and long-range strategic plans; translate strategy into executable operational roadmaps.
• Reconcile stakeholder priorities across finance, procurement, project management, and compliance functions to drive integrated business results.
• Interact with senior and executive leadership, DOE sponsors, and major customers on matters of operational significance, including negotiation and issue resolution.
• Ensure effective cascade of functional strategy, policies, and priorities through division and functional leaders to all levels of the organization.
• May serve as Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) for designated programs or initiatives.

• Serve as the directorate's lead for staff development and training — designing, coordinating, and continuously improving programs that build technical expertise, leadership capability, and business acumen across all divisions.
• Partner with Division Directors to identify workforce capability gaps and develop targeted learning pathways that align individual growth with organizational priorities.
• Championing a learning culture where professional development is an ongoing expectation, not a one-time event — integrating training into how the directorate operates day to day.
• Coordinate succession planning and leadership pipeline efforts across the directorate to ensure long-term…