Group Leader, Electric Drives Research

Requisition Id 13791 

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, with an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,800 people! ORNL’s decadal vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation. Come join us as we solve the nation's biggest challenges!

We are seeking a Senior Researcher to lead the Electric Drives Research Group, focusing on advanced power electronics, electric machinery, and extreme fast wired/wireless power transfer. The group drives research from concept to implementation, delivering transformative solutions that impact clean energy and transportation applications, ranging from passenger vehicles to commercial fleets.

The group boasts world-class expertise in power semiconductor characterization, modeling, packaging, novel electric motor modeling tools, and wireless charging technologies, all supporting the DOE mission. This position is within the Buildings and Transportation Science Division (BTSD), home to the National Transportation Research Center and Building Technology Research and Integration Center, both DOE-designated user facilities.

Purpose:

Provide Research and Development (R&D) leadership to the group, advancing science and technology in alignment with ORNL’s mission to be the premier R&D institution globally. The R&D Group Leader fosters a culture of excellence, guiding a team to achieve scientific leadership, developing members' careers, and ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and safe work environment.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Research:

• Serve as a recognized leader in power electronics or electric machinery.
• Initiate and lead impactful R&D projects, evidenced by successful proposals, presentations, publications, and intellectual property development.

Leadership:

•  Develop and implement a cohesive research strategy to position the group for future success.
• Expand existing efforts and explore new opportunities.
• Guide staff in setting performance goals that align with group strategies and long-term career aspirations.
• Provide regular feedback to support staff development and performance.
• Attract and hire a diverse pool of top talent committed to world-class R&D.
• Lead by example in following ORNL’s Research Code of Conduct and Battelle’s Safe Conduct of Research principles.
• Ensure safe and compliant operations in accordance with ORNL policies.
• Collaborating across divisions and contribute to lab-wide initiatives.
• Support staff in developing reports, publications, and journal articles.

Service:

• Supervise staff, encouraging them to think big, take calculated risks, and grow professionally.
• Elevate the group’s reputation by fostering collaborations and engaging in professional societies.
• Review technical products for quality and alignment with ORNL standards.
• Build strong, interdisciplinary teams across ORNL.
• Facilitate regular group meetings and ensure visibility in labs.
• Prioritize safety in the group’s labs, mentoring staff to build a strong safety culture.
• Communicate the importance of cybersecurity and protection of proprietary information.
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• Ph.D. with a minimum of 6 years of relevant experience, M.S. with 12 years, or B.S. with 15 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience in leading R&D teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Self-motivated and capable of working independently or within collaborative teams.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.

Accountabilities:

• To staff: Ensure a safe, high-quality work environment with opportunities for professional growth.
• To R&D section head: Deliver world-leading science and ensure safe, effective operations.
• To customers: Provide high-quality products and services.

Authorities:

• Develop and implement a world-leading research strategy.
• Hold staff accountable for performance and safety.
• Hire staff and certify the quality of group outputs.

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.