Division Director, Energy Sciences and Engineering

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), a national laboratory under the stewardship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM), is seeking an innovative and strategic Division Director to lead the Energy Sciences and Engineering (ESE) Division within the Science, Energy, and Innovation (SEI) Directorate. The Energy Sciences and Engineering (ESE) Division Director is the inaugural leader of a newly formed, multidisciplinary research division spanning energy materials, advanced manufacturing and automation, fusion energy and isotope science, and research computing and computational science.

This is a foundational role: you are building - from inception - a division culture, operating system, partnership ecosystem, and people-development framework that will define how ESE operates for years to come.

As a line leader within a matrix organization, the Division Director is accountable for the stewardship, development, and support of the division's people; the creation of an environment where research, science, and innovation thrive; and the execution of missions that align with the strategic direction set by SRNL leadership. The Director also owns the cultivation and stewardship of strategic partnerships outside the Department of Energy - industry engagement, university collaborations, and the broader research ecosystem - that strengthen the division's capabilities and expand its impact.

This role preferences deep technical credibility in at least one of the division's core domains, a demonstrated record of building and developing people and research leaders, and the leadership judgment to steward technical areas where you are not the expert. Success is measured on the division's collective impact: the quality and trajectory of its science, the development and retention of its staff, the strength of its external partnerships, and its operational and safety excellence.

• Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a high-caliber technical and leadership staff. Build and coach the division's group leaders and identify and grow the next generation of research leaders.
• Establish the division's operating culture, values, and norms around scientific rigor, collaboration, psychological safety, inclusion, and accountability. Set the tone for how the division works as a unified entity.
• Create an environment where researchers are supported, developed, and enabled to do their best work. Manage performance, allocate staff and resources, and make sound personnel and investment decisions.
• Foster a strong safety culture and ensure all division work is planned and executed safely and in full compliance with environmental, safety, health, quality, and security requirements appropriate to a radiological and nuclear research environment.

• Work with SRNL leadership to understand the strategic direction and mission priorities they steward with the Department of Energy. Execute division activities and allocate resources in alignment with that direction.
• Steward the scientific quality, rigor, and reputation of the division's work. Serve as a credible scientific voice to sponsors, peers, and the external research community.
• Lead the group leaders in identifying high-value science and technical opportunities that align with DOE mission needs, SRNL strategic priorities, and the division's distinctive capabilities. Bring those opportunities and ideas forward to inform the program office's strategic direction.
• Ensure the division has the capabilities, tools, talent, and partnerships needed to execute its missions effectively and on time.

• Own the cultivation and stewardship of strategic partnerships outside the Department of Energy - industry engagement, university collaborations, national laboratory partnerships, and professional relationships - that strengthen the division's technical capabilities and expand its reach and impact.
• Lead and mentor staff in building and deepening these external relationships. Position the division as a credible, trusted partner to industry and academia.
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