Technical Director, HFIR Upgrades Project Office

Requisition Id 11568 

Overview:

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 6,200 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 and help solve the world's most challenging energy problems!

Would you like to have a lasting and significant impact on a key user facility in the nation’s scientific infrastructure and strengthen U.S. scientific competitiveness? Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Technical Director for the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) Upgrades Project Office. Completed in 1965 and operating at 85 MW, HFIR is the strongest reactor-based neutron source in the United States and is home to neutron scattering research facilities used for fundamental and applied research on the structure and dynamics of matter. HFIR is also used for medical, industrial, and research isotope production; research on severe neutron damage to materials; and neutron activation analysis to examine trace elements in the environment. Ensuring long-term operations of this critical asset is thus essential to continued U.S. competitiveness. The HFIR Upgrades Project Office is responsible for several long-term operations activities including the HFIR Beryllium Reflector Replacement (HBRR), a $200+ Million maintenance and upgrade activity, extension of the Cold Neutron Guide Hall, and the Reactor Pressure Vessel Replacement (RPVR), a $700+ Million Department of Energy project that will enable long-term operations (LTO) of the reactor and enable significant scientific opportunities to the nation.

Purpose:

The Technical Director works with the HFIR Upgrades Project Office Director to provide technical leadership to the HBRR and RPVR technical systems, ensuring that technical, budget and schedule performance objectives are achieved in a safe and environmentally compliant manner. The Technical Director has direct responsibility for the design, fabrication, testing, installation, and commissioning of the beryllium reflector replacement and the RPVR Project hardware. This position has the latitude to exercise broad management judgment consistent with the Project Director’s direction. The Technical Director is a core member of the RPVR Integrated Project Team.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Directs the HBRR and RPVR Technical project performance teams with activities that span R&D, design, fabrication, testing, installation, and commissioning.

• Working with the HFIR Upgrades Project Office Director, provide direction and guidance to successfully plan and execute the technical systems of the HBRR and RPVR Project.
• Establishing requirements, technical procedures and protocols for RPVR, a Department of Energy project, conform to DOE Order 413.3b.
• Ensuring that HBRR and RPVR conform to ORNL and industry best practices.
• Directing and coordinating the technical systems and system engineering and integration of HBRR and RPVR.
• Assisting the Director in identifying and defining the project scope, and establishing and managing the technical WBS, schedule, cost estimates and actual costs, earned value reporting and baseline change control.
• Supporting the Director with communicating and reporting status and performance information of HBRR and RPVR to all DOE stakeholders, ORNL staff members and collaborators.
• Participating as a member of the Integrated Project Team for RPVR.
• Participating as a member of the RPVR Project Change Control Board.
• Overseeing the WBS System Manager Reviews of Cost Account Manager’s (CAM) annual work package planning.
• Ensuring compliance with Environment, Safety and Health (ES&H), QA, and nuclear safety requirements.
• Providing leadership at the project level to create a success-oriented project culture.
• Preparing presentations for, and responses to recommendations from, technical reviews and/or advisory committees.
• Representing the HFIR Upgrades Project Office by participating in and presenting project information at reviews, conferences, and workshops.
• Serving as the HFIR Upgrades Project Office Director as appropriate when the Director is unavailable.
• 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:

• An MS degree in Science, Engineering, or other related discipline.
• A minimum of 20 years of relevant experience.
• Proven success in managing engineering teams, including design of complex equipment within a reactor facility.
• Demonstrated ability to work productively with highly skilled scientists, engineers, and project management professionals.
• Exceptional communications skills with the ability to convey technical concepts to a diverse audience of stakeholders.
• Familiarity with DOE systems, regulations, and processes.
• Must be available for domestic and international travel.
• Extensive prior experience in the design, fabrication, and industrial procurement of complex technical hardware.
• The ability to plan, organize, and execute initiatives relying on both direct and matrixed staff.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Direct experience with research reactor and related technologies.
• 10-15 years’ experience working within the bounds of DOE systems, regulations, and processes.
• Experience with DOE Office of Science and/or major construction projects is highly desired.

Work Direction and Interface:

• Position reports to the Director of the HFIR Upgrades Project Office.
• Provides work direction and oversight of WBS managers.

Authority/Approval Levels:

• Responsible for all HBRR and RPVR technical systems, systems engineering and project integration activities.

Measures of Effectiveness:

• Successfully manages day to day functions of the HBRR and RPVR technical systems and system engineering and integration activities.
• Successfully represents HBRR and RPVR at reviews and other project meetings and workshops.

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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.