Research Operations Director - BioEnergy Science and Technology Directorate
Company: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Location: Golden
Posted on: March 20, 2023
Job Description:
Posting TitleResearch Operations Director - BioEnergy Science
and Technology Directorate.LocationCO - Golden.Position
TypeRegular.Hours Per Week40.COVID-19 Safety ProtocolsEmployment at
NREL is contingent upon your compliance with all NREL and U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE) safety protocols and mitigation efforts
directed at the COVID-19 pandemic.Working at NRELThe National
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary
laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and
energy efficiency technologies.From day one at NREL, you'll connect
with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By
joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and
flexible work environment, you'll have the opportunity to engage
through our eight employee resource groups, numerous
employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development
classes.NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring
practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating
with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out
to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive
application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims
to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse
workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed
and respected and they can be their authentic selves.Our planet
needs us! Learn about NREL's critical objectives, and Note:
Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of
opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We
encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We
seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition
to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.Job DescriptionNREL is
seeking a Center Director to provide leadership, technical
direction, strategic guidance, planning, and overall management for
the Research Operations Center within the BioEnergy Science and
Technology (BEST) Directorate (). The BEST Research Operations
Director serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the BEST
Directorate, reports directly to the BEST associate laboratory
director, and is a key member of the BEST Leadership Team.The
primary responsibility for this position is to ensure safe,
efficient, secure, and productive operations of all BEST research
laboratories and facilities. Working collaboratively with NREL
Laboratory operations as well as BEST leadership and staff, the
BEST Research Operations Center Director will be responsible for
all the directorate's R&D operations, including integrated
safety management, maintenance of the safety envelope for all BEST
buildings, work planning and control, infrastructure and space
planning, facility and laboratory upgrades, capital equipment and
fiscal management, and the design and development of new
laboratories. The BEST Research Operations Center Director is also
responsible for instilling a safety culture in a productive R&D
environment as well as providing leadership, management, and
professional development for all staff in the BEST Research
Operations Center. -The BEST Directorate is comprised of three
R&D Centers in addition to the Research Operations Center:
BioSciences, Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale-up, and
Renewable Resources and Enabling Sciences. - It carries out
fundamental and applied experimental and computational research in
renewable energy and energy efficiency with a focus on advancing
technologies for fuels and products that utilize biomass, carbon
dioxide, plastics and other waste streams in support of a circular
and decarbonized energy economy. We build bridges from
molecular-scale discoveries to scale-up and demonstration of
alternative fuels and products with a research portfolio that
utilizes biology, chemical and electrochemical catalysis, process
engineering, computational modeling and analytical
sciences.PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Responsible for operations, management, and oversight of the
facilities within the directorate.
- In collaboration with the associate laboratory director, center
directors, researchers, business partners, assists with laboratory
annual strategic planning and execution for operational support of
research, programmatic, and business development goals.
- Creates a collaborative environment to advance short- and
long-range operational goals.
- Leads planning for capital equipment, infrastructure and space,
design and development of new laboratories.
- Project management of maintenance and facility expansion
projects.
- Maintains safe and environmentally responsible operations
across the directorate.
- Actively participates in the Laboratory Research Operations
Council, the Research Operations Director Council, and the Battelle
Community of Practice Council to support the development and
implementation of laboratory-wide operational policies, procedures,
and practices.
- Provides creative solutions to balance a diverse group of
stakeholder needs, enabling compliance, safety, and research
productivity.
- Oversees capability development and stewardship of staff and
associated facilities and equipment.
- Advances diversity, equity and inclusion.
- Specific research operations responsibilities include (but are
not limited to):
- Research and operations infrastructure development, capability
readiness, laboratory utilization and readiness, and the facility
safety envelope and focus.
- Serving as the integration point for maintenance; engineering;
projects; environment, safety, health, and quality (ESH&Q); and
other resources required to best support the research mission and
maintain the facility.
- Daily operations oversight in collaboration with the center
directors.
- Working across the specific needs of the directorate to ensure
that management reporting, safety, information flow, and business
processes are on track for success.
- Supporting line management in understanding laboratory safety
baselines, risk management, and configuration management.
- Creating and maintaining a trusting and collaborative
environment between research staff; research operations managers;
environment, safety, and health (ES&H) staff; and site
operations facility managers.
- Supporting management and optimization of laboratory space
utilization.
- Coordinating capital equipment and facility modification
funding requests.NREL center directors oversee a broad range of
activities with the support of a world-class management team and
technical experts. While the list of responsibilities and skills
for this position is broad, we encourage all qualified candidates
to apply, including those who may not meet 100 percent of the
requirements..Basic QualificationsBachelor's Degree and 10-years'
experience in technically related research discipline; Or, Master's
Degree and 9-years' experience in technically related research
discipline; Or, PhD and 7-years' experience in technically related
research discipline. At least 6 years of management, budget,
administrative, program strategy development and implementation
experience required..Additional Required Qualifications
- Record of progressively more complex assignments and
applications, including management or technical leadership
experience in an R&D environment.
- Demonstrated success in supporting research operations for a
complex R&D organization with interorganizational and
industry-driven partnerships.
- Demonstrated ability to manage, empower, and motivate technical
staff.
- Demonstrated ability to plan and manage budgets and
people.
- Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and
presentation skills, including conveying hard truths in an
empathetic way.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and
inclusion.
- Significant technical expertise in technologies of interest to
the directorate.
- Knowledge of DOE and other government programs, in particular
the Office of Science (SC) and Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy (EERE).
- Working knowledge of science and technologies for renewable
energy and energy efficiency.
- Knowledge of laboratory operations and DOE policies and
procedures.
- Comprehensive experience in establishing an independent
maturity level safety culture that demonstrates skillful rigor in
work planning and control, change management, risk management,
integrated safety management, safety audits, quality management,
QRA, FMEA, safety checklists, incident response reviews, after
action reviews, electrical safety, learning optimization, waste
management, handling and storage, and related efforts.
- Solves variety of multi-dimensional problems in absence of
guidelines or precedents.
- Builds effective teams; creates strong morale and spirit;
shares wins and successes.
- Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and direct personnel
with diverse skills, work styles and values, both directly and
through subordinate management.Preferred Qualifications.Annual
Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)Job Profile:
Center Director I / Annual Salary Range: $160,900 - $289,600NREL
takes into consideration a candidate's education, training, and
experience, as well as the position's work location, expected
quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external
market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems,
and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for
potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay
for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee's salary history will
not be used in compensation decisions.Benefits SummaryBenefits
include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and
long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee
Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and
dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and
sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NREL
employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed,
performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a
monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation
expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for
long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.* Based on
eligibility rulesSubmission GuidelinesPlease note that in order to
be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit
an application form for each position for which you believe you are
qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions.
Please include a cover letter and resume with each position
application..EEO PolicyNREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive
consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and
over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information,
marital status, military or veteran status, national
origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy,
childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other
applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws. - -
E-Verify -For information about right to work, click for English or
for Spanish.E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its
hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce. -
Keywords: National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Denver , Research Operations Director - BioEnergy Science and Technology Directorate, Executive , Golden, Colorado
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