Group Leader - Stable Isotope Chemical Research and Processing (SCRP)

Oak Ridge National Laboratory•Oak Ridge, TN

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Group Leader for the new Stable Isotope Chemical Research and Processing (SCRP) Group within the Electromagnetic-Enrichment and Stable Isotope Science Division (ESSD). ESSD supports the DOE Office of Isotope R&D and Production (DOE-IRP) by advancing the nation’s stable-isotope capabilities and delivering enriched stable isotopes, purified isotopic gases, and customized isotope materials for national security, research, medicine, industry, and emerging needs. As part of this mission, ESSD and DOE-IRP are rebuilding a domestic supply chain for enriched stable isotopes through modern electromagnetic isotope separation (EMIS) facilities. ESSD also uses engineering, automation, and data-driven methods to improve safety, reliability, efficiency, flexibility, and cost effectiveness. The SCRP group is a key part of these efforts, harvesting enriched materials, purifying them, and converting them into usable chemical forms. Building on ORNL’s 80 years of expertise in low-loss chemistry, the SCRP group leader will help develop a modern chemical processing facility to support ORNL’s growing enrichment capacity. The Group Leader will directly supervise 8 to 15 research and technical professionals. The successful candidate will provide technical, operational, and people leadership for safe, reliable, scalable chemical-processing capability.

Requirements

A PhD, MS., or BS in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or a closely related field
A minimum of 4 years (PhD), 7 years (MS), or 8 years (BS) of relevant industry, manufacturing, process-engineering, chemical-operations, or materials-processing experience for candidates
A minimum of 5 years of leadership experience, including leadership of technical personnel, projects, production activities, process-development efforts, or operations.
Demonstrated experience operating, improving, scaling, or deploying chemical, material, manufacturing, or process systems.
Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
Demonstrated commitment to safety, quality, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.
Ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy.
Must pass a pre-placement drug test and participate in an ongoing random drug testing program.

Nice To Haves

Industry experience in chemical processing, process engineering, manufacturing, chemical operations, materials processing, or production operations.
Experience moving laboratory, pilot-scale, or developmental processes into repeatable production or operational use.
Experience in inorganic chemistry, analytical chemistry, separations, low-loss chemical methods, materials conversion, purification, or recovery of high-value materials.
Experience with process controls, standardized work, quality systems, configuration control, inventory/materials accountability, or production planning.
Experience applying Lean, Six Sigma, root-cause analysis, statistical process control, or similar continuous-improvement practices.
Experience with hazardous chemicals, radiological materials, gloveboxes, vacuum systems, pressure systems, or other high-hazard processing environments.
Experience recruiting, mentoring, and developing technical staff.

Responsibilities

Provide direct line management for all SCRP staff, including staffing, recruitment, performance management, mentoring, workload prioritization, employee development, and retention.
Lead the safe, secure, efficient, and high-quality execution of chemical processing and harvesting of enriched material.
Guide research and development, qualification, optimization, and deployment of chemical-processing methods for new elements and isotope-production campaigns.
Establish scalable processes, work instructions, equipment needs, staffing plans, quality practices, and operating methods to support significant growth in chemistry-processing capacity.
Apply process engineering, manufacturing, operations, and continuous-improvement methods to improve material recovery, yield, throughput, quality, safety, reliability, and cost effectiveness.
Coordinate closely with EMIS operations, EMIS researchers, process management, engineering, isotope materials and dispensing, gaseous chemistry, quality, safety, and program leadership.
Lead the safe, secure, efficient, and high-quality execution of customer-driven chemical conversions of existing isotopically enriched inventories.
Develop work scope, schedules, resource plans, cost estimates, technical documentation, and proposals supporting group operations, R&D, and capability growth.
Ensure work is performed in compliance with applicable environmental, safety, health, quality, security, and operational requirements.
Maintain stewardship of assigned facilities, equipment, chemicals, high-value isotope materials, and workspaces.
Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.