Director – Argonne Grid Program

Argonne National Laboratory supports the US Department of Energy’s missions to ensure America’s security and prosperity by pursuing its energy, environmental, and economic opportunities and addressing challenges through transformative science and technology (S&T) solutions by leveraging its unique capabilities and facilities including its Aurora supercomputer, the Advanced Photon Course (APS), and the Materials Engineering Research Facility (MERF). The Advanced Energy Technologies (AET) directorate at Argonne, one of five S&T directorates, seeks to enable a reliable, secure, affordable, and prosperous energy future for the U.S. AET comprises three Divisions and several cross-cutting initiatives that are focused on solving the most pressing grid, mobility, materials, and manufacturing challenges using the laboratory’s world-class scientific and engineering expertise and facilities. The AET team collaborates with internal and external partners on cutting-edge research, development, demonstration, and deployment of next-generation energy technologies.

Argonne National Laboratory is looking for a successful candidate that will provide vision and leadership for Argonne’s lab-wide grid program. The grid program director will work with leaders inside and outside the laboratory to cultivate and create new partnerships with industry, DOE, academia, and other stakeholders to build strategic collaborations and amplify the laboratory’s capabilities in ensuring grid reliability, resilience, and security for an affordable energy future.

The director will dually report to the Associate Laboratory Director of the Advanced Energy Technologies Directorate (AET) and the Associate Laboratory Director of the Nuclear Technologies and National Security Directorate (NTNS). The director will be a resource across the entire lab, with a core team assembled from all the directorates. Argonne’s grid program director will be responsible for performing business development and execution for Argonne’s science and engineering contributions across its grid and energy areas consistent with Argonne’s strategic goals and DOE’s priorities. The grid program director is responsible for developing, planning, and executing Argonne’s lab-wide power grid program. The responsibility includes business development for government offices and state agencies including U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity (OE), Grid Deployment Office (GDO), Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Fossil Energy (FE), etc. and state and local organizations that represent the power and energy industry. The position includes developing multi-directorate program strategies, leading business development efforts, coordinating project execution, and partnering with other national laboratories on these described topics, with the ultimate goal to enhance our nation’s grid capacity, operation, and planning. Functions and aspects of the business development efforts can be delegated as needed. The position is expected to coordinate with other program directors and laboratory relationship managers to enable synergies where expertise is complimentary.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Defining strategies and plans for the Argonne-wide power grid program for developing and growing relevant research and development portfolios in the power grid and relevant areas to support DOE missions and industry needs.

• Developing and leading various grid initiatives and associated program development opportunities at Argonne.

• Serving as primary interface to grid-focused sponsors including various DOE offices (such as Office of Electricity) and programs (such grid integration programs for power plants, energy, storage, data centers, and large loads), in coordination with other Argonne Program Directors and Lab Relationship Managers.

• Serving as liaison with government agencies and offices, to ensure optimized, consistent engagement across research efforts, and managing deliverables to ensure projects goals are met on time and within established budget parameters.

• Developing, maintaining, and presenting plans and presentations to inform Argonne management of status and success action plans, including ad hoc updates as appropriate.

• Organize project or program review meetings with federal sponsors to promote and ensure success of research and development thrusts, including updates of project timelines and budget status.

• Representing Argonne signature strengths and related scientific capabilities related to these programs.

• Identifying gaps and/or shortfalls within Argonne’s mobility space and identify solutions to meet the needs of sponsors, to include potential partnerships with other National Laboratories, universities, federal agencies or private industry.

• Building and maintaining working knowledge of appropriate Argonne policies and procedures for formal institutional and DOE approval of proposed work, and management of special project efforts.

• Preparing annual sponsor white paper(s) in coordination with directorate communications staff and Chief Science & Technology Officers.

• Providing internal coordination for the grid science and technology area consisting of multi-disciplinary activities working directly with Associate Lab Director(s), other senior managers, and key stakeholders across the laboratory.

• Leading coordination of Argonne’s interactions with identified sponsor(s), in partnership with the Associate Laboratory Directors, Deputy ALDs, other leaders, and project leads.

• Maintaining a strong commitment to the implementation and perpetuation of Argonne Core Values, and delivering Argonne’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.

Position Requirements

• Advanced degree in a technical discipline or related research field with a minimum of 12 years of experience in program development, research and development, and business development, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience in related activities.  Education: Bachelor’s and 12+ years, Master’s and 7+ years, or Doctorate and 6+ years.

• Working knowledge of research thrust areas and strategies, and general comprehension of leading-edge research/scientific capabilities, pertinent to the power grid and related areas. 

• Successful experience in the management or integration of large-scale research programs. 

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning for multi-million-dollar program development. 

• Successful applicant must be fluent in English and possess superior interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, along with an ability to work effectively adapt to management of competing program priorities. 

• This individual must possess considerable initiative, strong organizational skills, and the ability to drive convergence and resolution to challenges of substantial importance to Argonne, DOE grid missions, and the power industry. 

• This position requires demonstrated skills and experience in complicated multi-organizational research, development and demonstration programs and requires the capability to work with researchers and engineers at all experience and educational levels. 

• Skills in developing and maintaining effective relationships with a diverse set of programmatic sponsors, influencing future directions, and pursuing funding opportunities.

• Knowledge of and recognition in one or more technical areas in the relevant sponsor domains.

• Interpersonal skills and the ability to function effectively as a leader and a team player.

• Ability to model Argonne’s core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity, and teamwork.

Job Family

Research Development (RD)

Job Profile

R&D Multi-Functional Leader 3

Worker Type

Regular

Time Type

Full timeThe expected hiring range for this position is $202,125.00 - $336,875.00.

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

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As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.