Group Lead - Mission Alignment

at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Springfield, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Overview

Protecting U.S. residents and visitors is among our nation’s highest priorities. As adversaries gain access to sophisticated technologies and materials, the threats grow more dynamic and complex-from cyber and nuclear to chemical and biological weapons of mass effect and other forms of terrorism. The PNNL national security mission employs our researchers, tools, and technologies to play a key role in advancing the ability to identify and secure nuclear materials, detect weapons of mass effect, manage nonproliferation treaties, secure our nation’s borders, and protect critical infrastructures. PNNL’s scientific discovery and capabilities-rooted in innovative theory, methods, algorithms, and tools-are enabling stronger, more resilient technologies and systems to safeguard national security. Coupled with decades of radiological and nuclear materials expertise, advanced computing and threat analysis capabilities, and a broad fundamental science base, we are identifying and countering emerging threats that have significant impact at home and around the globe.

We are seeking a people-focused leader passionate about defining and driving the laboratory’s understanding of, and drivers for, emerging threats and disruptive technologies to serve as the Group Leader for the Mission Alignment (MA) Group. PNNL’s Emerging Threats & Technologies (ETT) Division is creating a new leadership role that provides leadership for senior staff responsible for managing both executive-level sponsor relationships and business capture strategies or providing executive-level technical leadership. The Group Lead (GL) is responsible for growing the people, equipment, facilities, and strategy necessary to increase the alignment between ETT technical capabilities and US Government missions. The GL is a strategic, future-oriented thinker who leads teams in developing growth plans and identifying and removing barriers. The GL establishes high standards, seeks continuous improvement, and upholds a culture of quality while creating the work environment that enables the success of each team member.

The Mission Alignment group ensures that ETT division capabilities and sponsor mission needs are appropriately coordinated. The group is composed of senior-level relationship managers, technical advisors, and business developers who identify opportunities for ETT capabilities with sponsors and bring emerging mission challenges to ETT staff. The group works across all ETT’s capability areas to identify and capture emerging programmatic opportunities, coach and mentor ETT staff on strategy and business development, support the development and execution of ETT strategy, and develop strategic new sponsor relationships.

The Mission Alignment Group Leader also serves as a core member of the ETT leadership team, helping to guide the growth of the division’s capabilities across PNNL and establishing productive collaborations with other mission areas in the Laboratory. The GL seeks connections across the organization, and both influences and understands the impact of organizational, national, and global changes. The GL must be a diplomatic communicator, able to interpret and disseminate technical and organizational directions up and down the organization.

The GL creates a work culture that prizes innovation, entrepreneurship, and flexibility while emphasizing engagement and morale, operational discipline, security, and safety. The GL works to continuously enhance the Division’s reputation and visibility with stakeholders inside and outside the Lab, including expanding the diversity of its funding sources and connections across all of PNNL’s mission areas. As a member of the National Security Directorate’s extended management team, the GL also identifies, solicits and applies overhead and R&D funding and other resources necessary to meet these objectives. Depending on level of experience, the GL may contribute to business and institutional objectives across the National Security Directorate and PNNL more broadly.

Responsibilities

Uses extensive experience in a field of specialty, possessing a comprehensive understanding of existing theories, principles, and concepts in those fields to provide solutions to unusually complex problems for which no precedents or past practice exists. Resolves problems that frequently require mastery of specialized techniques using high degrees of ingenuity and creativity. Demonstrates well-recognized national influence and skilled consensus building. Exerts positive influence across a broad spectrum of stakeholders and interest groups with internal and external organizations, the public, and the community. Is often sought out to work on key project teams and regularly collaborates and negotiates with senior national/international government officials as a PNNL and DOE representative. Makes recommendations that set precedent for future decisions and strongly influence national/international policies and decisions at highest levels.

The Mission Alignment Group manager is responsible for:

+ Fostering a feedback-rich environment; actively understanding and resolving barriers that impede staff and accomplishment of work; providing clear, direct, and timely feedback and growth opportunities; and engaging in active bi-directional communications that informs organizational decisions.

+ Managing up to senior staff, supporting their success and growth.

+ Administering overhead budgets and staff development resources in the group to ensure expertise, facilities, and equipment are mission-ready.

+ Working with business developers to define and attract new programs; identify, promote and provide mission alignment with new R&D ideas.

+ Contributing to division and directorate strategy objectives as a member of the ETT Division leadership team; may lead, coordinate, or contribute to activities that advance organizational long-term goals.

+ Translating strategy into action, setting directions for capability investments and defining future group strategy and technical agendas, while also establishing well-defined work and work environment for staff.

+ Liaising with the external technical community, including developing partnerships with university and industrial collaborators; interacting regularly with government sponsors to connect mission needs with PNNL computing capabilities.

+ Actively communicating Lab, sponsor, and external technical trends to the group, and representing group directions and capabilities outwardly to these communities.

+ Serving as a mentor to staff, helping to foster their career growth and facilitating their ability to network across PNNL.

The leader should be able to call on professional relationships inside and outside government to help craft and implement growth strategies. The leader should also possess the interpersonal skills and experience to build an effective team that is empowered to execute the strategy. The ideal leader will be well-versed in crafting a strategy that leads to new security-informed research and development at PNNL, ultimately driving S&T into the mission.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualificatoins:

+ BS/BA and 13 years of relevant experience OR

+ MS/MA or higher and 11 years of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications:

+ A degree in a field related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or law.

+ Demonstrated knowledge of, and experience with, the National Security Directorate’s Program Development Office.

+ A strong track record of collaboration with the leadership team of both PNNL, and specifically the National Security Directorate.

+ Highly skilled in managing research or technology development projects.

+ Strong record of collaboration across technical domains and delivering results across multi-disciplinary environments.

+ Demonstrated record in developing and sustaining external funding.

+ Outsta