Director of Project Lifecycle

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our directorates related to Mission Support & Operations include Office of General Counsel, Business Services, Communications and External Engagement, Operational Systems, Communications and Information Technology, and Performance Management. The Business Services Directorate (BSD) provides crucial financial, procurement and sales, and project management services to PNNL, as required under our management and operations contract for operating the Lab on behalf of the Department of Energy. Our goal in offering these services is to ensure efficient, effective, and compliant business operations that enhance PNNL's scientific impact. BSD presents exciting opportunities for financial professionals seeking career growth. We foster a dynamic environment where individuals can develop their skills, take on leadership roles, and contribute to high-impact projects. By working with multidisciplinary teams, professionals have the chance to broaden their expertise, engage in continuous learning, and advance their careers while contributing to the groundbreaking scientific work at PNNL.

Requirements

BS/BA and 15 years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA or higher and 13 years of relevant experience

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated people/line management success, including hiring, coaching, performance management, and developing staff at multiple levels.
Experience working in a technical R&D and facility and Infrastructure environments and in a government contracting context (preferably DOE/NNSA).
Experience implementing DOE-O 413.3B project management requirements and operating within a National Laboratory Earned Value Management System (EVMS).
Strong stakeholder management skills; able to lead through influence, persuasion, and collaboration rather than relying on authority.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messaging for executives, sponsors, customers, and project teams.
Strong customer focus (internal and external) with a track record of improving service, responsiveness, and outcomes.
Demonstrated integrity, sound judgment, and objectivity; ability to build trust and inspire confidence.
Adaptable and resilient; able to evaluate issues from multiple perspectives while maintaining a bias for action and follow-through.
Professional certifications preferred: Project Management Professional (PMP) and Earned Value Professional (EVP).

Responsibilities

The Director of the Project Lifecycle Division partners with executive leadership to define and implement enterprise project lifecycle strategies that balance risk management with efficient execution across the laboratory’s science and technology & facilities and Infrastructure project portfolio.
Serving as the laboratory’s strategic Project Management Office (PMO), this role leads and sustains an enterprise-wide project culture and establishes project management principles, expectations, and practices, including the development and deployment of lifecycle processes, systems, and tools.
The Director oversees implementation performance against lab-level requirements, including division-level execution through 14 PMOs and business development and proposal deployment through sector and account managers.
This position is accountable for the laboratory’s Earned Value Management System (EVMS), project controls capability, and deployment of project controls staff, while providing leadership and expertise for large, high-risk, complex, and interdisciplinary projects critical to achieving the laboratory’s strategic objectives.
Provides leadership and direction through senior managers. Is accountable for the performance and results of multiple functions/activities across the Laboratory.
Develops and executes strategy to achieve key business objectives. Decisions are guided by Laboratory and functional strategy and objectives.
Serves as a thought leader, integrates functional and business knowledge to anticipate changing business direction.
Applies in-depth business acumen and commercial expertise to differentiate the division from the competition.
Leads a department, typically through multiple levels of managers of diverse activities; develops the strategy to achieve key business objectives.
Impacts the results of a division by setting divisional strategy; guided by company strategy.
Negotiates with and influences others internally and externally, with great latitude on outcomes.
Enable Laboratory expert delivery execution by providing processes, systems, and training from proposal/project inception through closeout.
Serve as a point of contact for M&O program owners and research directorates to vet and align requirements impacting project/expert delivery and overall performance.
Act as a change leader to build an enterprise-wide project culture that promotes disciplined, high-quality use of project management practices to deliver projects and manage implementation risk.
Oversees execution of the Project Management M&O Program, including project lifecycle responsibilities and related Lab-level initiatives.
Lead deployment and adoption of project management systems to simplify and standardize project implementation across the Laboratory.
Maintain and improve PNNL’s Laboratory Earned Value Management System (EVMS).
Manage the Laboratory project management risk system.
Oversee the Laboratory’s offsite work control as it relates to project execution.
Develop and maintain the Laboratory’s Project Controls capability to support project managers and PMO Directors in delivering scope on schedule and within budget, aligned with Laboratory strategic objectives.
Engage and influence senior stakeholders, including executives, senior management, and major customers, to achieve business results.
Lead and coordinate cross-Laboratory collaboration among project teams within the organization and across the Laboratory.