Section Head, Biodiversity and Sustainable Systems

Purpose:

The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD), http://www.esd.ornl.gov, in the Biological and Environmental Systems Science (BESS) Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), http://www.ornl.gov, is seeking candidates to fill a Section leadership position in Biodiversity & Sustainable Systems.

The mission of the Biodiversity & Sustainable Systems section is to explore how genes, organisms, populations, and communities influence, and are influenced by, the management, health, and sustainability of ecological systems. 

Building on a 70+ year tradition of focusing world-leading resources on difficult problems of national scope and impact, our Reimagining ORNL initiative allows the institution to explore new ways to bring our core capabilities to bear on the challenges of advancing our understanding of the natural world, enhancing our energy and national security, protecting human health and the environment, and delivering innovations that lead to new products, business, and jobs. Section and Group Leadership represent the primary building blocks for creating the Laboratory of the future.

ESD is an interdisciplinary research and development organization with 60+ years of achievement in local, regional, national, and international environmental research. Our vision is to expand scientific knowledge and develop innovative strategies and technologies that will strengthen the nation’s leadership in creating solutions to help sustain the Earth’s natural resources. Our staff explore how genes, organisms, populations, and communities influence, and are influenced by, the management, health, and sustainability of ecological systems; work to understand and predict how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems exchange carbon, water, nutrients, and trace elements across multiple spatial and temporal scales; and advance next-generation computational and data analytics to extract and transfer information to understand ecosystems and their representation in numerical models.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

The Section Leader for Biodiversity and Sustainable Systems major duties and responsibilities include:

Leadership

• Work closely with the Division Director and Group Leaders within the section to develop a vision and implement a strategy to pursue world-leading science and technology directions for the section.
• Demonstrate cross-functional team leadership.
• Support Division Director in the operations of the division and represent Director when Director is not available.
• Work with section Group Leaders to establish, communicate, and measure critical metrics for success and impact. Benchmark against the best in the world.
• Actively contribute to shaping the division’s, directorate’s, and laboratory’s research plans and investments.
• Build strong teams by collaborating across ORNL and securing external expertise when needed. Leverage ORNL facilities and resources when developing new projects.
• Work with the Group Leaders and the Division Director to assess and calibrate individual staff performance across the section. Evaluate progress regularly, providing feedback and addressing performance issues in a timely manner.
• Develop and implement Succession Planning with input from Group Leaders for all critical positions in the section to ensure future success.
• Ensure groups are recruiting and hiring from a diverse pool of top candidates who are committed to world-class research and aspire to be the best in their field. Approve job offers.
• Drive staff promotions and development.
• Address in a timely manner all concerns expressed by staff and any disciplinary actions.
• Lead by example, using the principles in ORNL’s “Research Code of Conduct” as a guide for proposing, performing, and communicating research and in dealing with others.
• Employ best practices, such as holding regular meetings, being visible in the workplace, monitoring budgets, acknowledging sponsors, and adhering to ORNL business systems requirements regarding staff requests for foreign travel and submission of quality proposals.
• Coach and mentor staff regarding Battelle’s “Safe Conduct of Research” principles and ensure all work is carried out safely, securely, and in compliance with ORNL policies, standards, and procedures.
• Exemplify a commitment to “One ORNL” by modeling lab expectations for excellence in research, operations, and community engagement, and by working cooperatively to leverage capabilities across the lab. 
• Ensure a diverse and inclusive work environment where every employee feels safe, heard and appreciated—a workplace that sets and example for the broader community

Service

• Serve as direct supervisor for section Group Leaders.
• Counsel/consult/mentor staff and transfer knowledge of specialized field(s) to a variety of staff, including senior staff. 
• Connect staff to your network. Assist Group Leaders (and R&D staff when appropriate) in setting long-term career goals. Identify additional mentors as appropriate and engage senior staff to act in this capacity.
• Be open and transparent in communicating information to your groups and communicate staff achievements and changes to stakeholders in a timely manner.
• Work with Group Leaders to ensure staff are participating actively in professional service (engagement in scientific societies, workshop and conference organization, peer review, advisory board membership, etc.).
• Advocate for and support internal and external recognition of staff achievements. Ensure the Section’s external professional presence is strong.
• Communicate funding/proposal opportunities to staff and support proposal development as appropriate (mentoring, proposal reviews, budget preparation, etc.).
• Ensure that staff manage their research projects effectively to deliver results on scope, schedule, and budget while meeting scientific, technical, and business expectations. 
• Effectively communicate the importance of protecting proprietary or sensitive information and complying with ORNL cybersecurity policies and guidelines.
• Recognize and support the contributions and responsibilities of Group Leaders and Laboratory Space Managers to lab safety.

 Accountabilities:

• To section staff, for the quality and safety of their work environment and opportunity for professional growth.
• To organization managers, for world-leading science and technology directions, safe effective, and compliant operations, ownership of assigned staff, facilities, and equipment, and the quality of products and services.
• To customer, for the quality of products and service

Authorities:

• Develop a vision and implement a strategy to pursue world-leading science and technology directions for the section.
• Hold group leaders accountable for performance
• Act to ensure safe and effective operations
• Hire group leaders

Basic Qualifications:

• Requires a Ph.D. with a minimum of 12-year relevant experience or a M.S. with a minimum of 16-year experience or a B.S. with 20-years of experience.
• Qualified candidates should have demonstrated experience in leading R&D teams

Preferred Qualifications:

• Qualified candidates should have demonstrated management experience
• History of engagement with Department of Energy and national laboratory complex in aquatic ecology, hydropower, water resource science and engineering, and sustainability.
• General knowledge of the broad mission space of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy program sponsor, specifically the BioEnergy Technology Office and/or the Water Power Technology Office
• Exceptional communication, planning, collaboration, and customer service skills.

Relocation:  Moving can be overwhelming and expensive. UT-Battelle offers a generous relocation package to ease the transition process. Domestic and international relocation assistance is available for certain positions. If invited to interview, be sure to ask your Recruiter (Talent Acquisition Partner) for details.

For more information about our benefits, working here, and living here, visit the “About” tab at jobs.ornl.gov.