Director, National Security Institute

Argonne National Laboratory; Lemont (IL); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont, Illinois, seeks a Director for the National Security Institute. The role involves steering the laboratory's strategy for addressing national security challenges through impactful science and technology. Candidates should have over 15 years of experience in scientific leadership and demonstrated ability to collaborate across diverse organizations.

The opportunity includes building partnerships, facilitating innovative research, and aligning initiatives with national security objectives. Comprehensive benefits are included in the total rewards package.

Qualifications

• At least 15 years of relevant experience in national and nuclear security.
• Demonstrated success in program and strategy development.
• Ability to gain consensus and build teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop external partnerships with industry and academia.
• Integrate laboratory expertise with national security needs.
• Catalyze multidisciplinary research teams.

Skills

Scientific/technical leadership

Interpersonal skills

Multidisciplinary team leadership

Strategic program development

Education

Degree in scientific, engineering, or technical field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, Argonne is committed to delivering substantive impacts to U.S. prosperity, competitiveness, and security through transformative science and technology from discovery to technology development to application. Argonne’s long‑standing, world leading expertise in nuclear energy coupled with our unique, first‑in‑class capabilities in nonproliferation and infrastructure science enable us to tackle emerging energy and security challenges. The Nuclear Technologies and National Security (NTNS) directorate seeks to advance nuclear energy and deliver innovative science‑ and engineering‑based solutions for a secure and resilient society. We focus on enduring and emerging challenges in nuclear reactors and fuel cycles; nonproliferation; infrastructure science (risk and resilience analysis); intelligence and vulnerability analysis; and emergency and disaster preparedness and response. NTNS encompasses a diverse team of scientists, engineers, and technical support staff, all of whom are committed to developing and delivering innovative solutions to address our country’s most pressing energy and security challenges. We take a multidisciplinary approach to solving complex challenges and developing useful technologies that can transform the marketplace and change the world.

The Director of the National Security Institute will work with Argonne leaders to develop and steward the laboratory‑wide strategy for leveraging Argonne’s world‑leading science expertise and unique suite of user facilities to provide impactful solutions to urgent national and international security science and technology challenges. The Director will formulate and lead cross‑directorate collaborations, engaging with sponsors and sponsor relationship managers to understand research needs of the national security community. They will communicate Argonne’s capabilities to incubate and sustain research programs, bringing together a cross‑disciplinary scientific coalition of personnel from across the Laboratory. The Director will work closely with the Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Nuclear Technologies and National Security (NTNS) to define and facilitate discretionary investments needed to support strategic priorities. The Director will provide leadership, technical advice and analysis, guidance on program prioritization, and planning strategies on national, global, and national security programs to support laboratory, directorate and divisional program development efforts. Working with leaders at Argonne and outside of Argonne, the Director will cultivate and create new partnerships with industry, DOE, academia, and other stakeholders to build strategic collaborations, attract new funding, and develop an integrated research portfolio that will amplify the Laboratory’s impact in national security. The Director will establish their own research portfolio in areas of national security aligned with their expertise and experience.

Responsibilities

• Build Strategic External Partnerships – Develop and sustain collaborative relationships with industry, academia, federal agencies, laboratories, and other mission partners to expand the laboratory’s national security impact and collaborative opportunities.
• Connect Laboratory Capabilities to National Security Missions and Strategic Opportunities – Identify and integrate laboratory expertise, research, and technical capabilities with emerging national security priorities, sponsor needs, and evolving strategic opportunities to position the laboratory for sustained mission impact and future collaboration.
• Catalyze Multidisciplinary Research Teams – Identify opportunities and connect complementary expertise across the laboratory to support the formation of multidisciplinary teams addressing complex sponsor and mission needs.
• Represent Laboratory Capabilities Externally – Serve as a strategic ambassador for the laboratory by communicating enterprise‑wide science and technology strengths, differentiators, and mission‑relevant expertise to sponsors, partners, and stakeholders.
• Strengthen Internal Coordination and Information Sharing – Promote communication and awareness across organizational boundaries to break down silos, improve collaboration, and increase visibility into laboratory capabilities and initiatives.
• Support Alignment with Laboratory Science Strategy – Ensure national security initiatives and opportunities are developed in alignment with the strategic direction established by the Office of Science, while also leveraging national security work to advance and propel Argonne’s strategy and broader laboratory mission objectives.
• Advance Laboratory Readiness for National Security Missions – Identify and help address strategic readiness needs required to support current and future national security work, including workforce development, talent pipelines, infrastructure, partnerships, and enabling capabilities necessary for mission execution.

Position Requirements

• At least 15 years of relevant scientific/technical leadership experience with a demonstrated track record of cross‑organizational program and strategy development for national and nuclear security impact/outcomes.
• Degree in a scientific, engineering, or technical field. Advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated success in the formulation, development, execution, and evaluation of new and innovative cross‑organizational research, development, and deployment initiatives for large organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with diverse sponsors.
• Knowledge of the U.S. national security and intelligence communities and their R&D needs and requirements.
• Ability to function as a member of a senior executive management team, to work effectively with all levels of internal and external personnel, and to gain consensus, build teams, and resolve conflicts.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams investigating issues related to nuclear security, national security, and homeland security.
• Significant expertise, knowledge of, and consultative experience in supporting compliance with legal, regulatory, or national standards requirements necessary for successful execution of scientific/technical and/or programmatic activities related to national security initiatives.
• Skill and demonstrated success in completing R&D projects on time, within budget and with high sponsor satisfaction.
• Very strong English‑language communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to exercise multi‑program oversight and administration.
• Must be a U.S. citizen and be able to obtain SCI, DOE "Q", and other agency security clearances.
• Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expertise and experience in technical national security intelligence analysis.
• Knowledge and understanding of Argonne’s strategic priorities, research portfolios, and technical capabilities.
• Knowledge of the nuclear energy sector and the national security mission space.
• Knowledge of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other Federal funding agencies.

Eligibility

• Proof of U.S. citizenship is required to comply with federal regulations and contract obligations.
• Applicants will be subject to an illegal drug test as defined in 10 CFR 707.4 and a background investigation prior to employment.
• The selected candidate will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance and must be a U.S. citizen.
• Travel is required for this position.

Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law. Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne’s Legal Department. All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case‑by‑case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions may require the individual to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.