Director of Engineering & Operations, DIII-D National Fusion Facility

General Atomics; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

General Atomics seeks a highly experienced Director of Engineering & Operations to lead the DIII-D National Fusion Facility's technical operations, engineering, maintenance, and continued development. This role ensures safe, reliable operation of a complex experimental facility and guides multidisciplinary teams across engineering and operations to achieve upgrades and research objectives.

You will manage program plans, budgets, schedules, and performance metrics, while collaborating with GA

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering and operations in large-scale, complex facilities.
• Strong focus on safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, schedules, and multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall technical and operational leadership for the DIII-D National Fusion Facility.
• Oversee day-to-day facility operations, maintenance, and system readiness.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Engineering oversight

Budgeting

Safety compliance

Strategic planning

Job description

General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development, ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless, and laser technologies. The DIII-D National Fusion Facility is the U.S.’s flagship magnetic-confinement fusion research facility, focused on developing the scientific basis and technical solutions for future fusion reactors, including a net-electric-power plant and ITER. We currently have an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced Director of Engineering & Operations to lead the technical operations, engineering, maintenance, and continued development of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. This position is responsible for the safe, reliable, and effective operation of a complex, integrated experimental facility and for leading the multidisciplinary engineering and technical organizations that maintain, troubleshoot, upgrade, and advance its capabilities. The Director provides technical and organizational leadership across facility systems, ensuring operational readiness, engineering integration, safety, reliability, and successful execution of major facility upgrades. The role requires substantial demonstrated experience exercising technical judgment and responsibility for complex operating hardware and engineering systems, including balancing near-term operational requirements with long-term facility development. Experience in fusion or plasma research is highly desirable, but candidates with relevant leadership experience in other sophisticated scientific, experimental, or engineering facilities are strongly encouraged to apply. The Director plays a key role in the strategic development of DIII-D as a world-class scientific user facility, working closely with scientific leadership, researchers, engineers, national laboratories, and external partners to ensure that facility capabilities support evolving research needs. The position reports directly to the Vice President of Magnetic Fusion Energy and accomplishes objectives through subordinate managers, technical leads, and multidisciplinary teams.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide overall technical and operational leadership for the DIII-D National Fusion Facility, with responsibility for the safe, reliable, and effective operation, maintenance, engineering integration, and continued development of its complex experimental systems and supporting infrastructure.
• Oversee day-to-day facility operations, maintenance, system readiness, and operational performance, including primary machine systems, auxiliary systems, diagnostics, and infrastructure essential to the safe, reliable, and effective execution of the experimental program.
• Direct and provide technical oversight of engineering activities associated with facility operations, maintenance, troubleshooting, systems integration, research capability development, and major upgrades.
• Exercise technical judgment in evaluating engineering approaches, resolving complex system-level issues, and establishing technical requirements and priorities.
• Direct all phases of significant DIII-D operations, engineering, facility-development, and research-support initiatives from concept development through completion, including planning, acquisition support, execution, integration, and technical-performance management.
• Develop and coordinate program plans, delivery methods, schedules, resource plans, and performance objectives for complex initiatives involving multiple facility systems, technical disciplines, research activities, and stakeholders.
• Work with the Vice President of Magnetic Fusion Energy and other senior DIII-D and GA leaders to develop and implement current, annual, and long-term technical, operational, safety, schedule, quality, business, and financial objectives.
• Contribute to the development of DIII-D and GA organizational objectives, strategic plans, facility capabilities, and long-range program forecasts.
• Develop and manage operating budgets, resource plans, schedules, and performance measures.
• Direct and coordinate the preparation of program plans, work statements, specifications, operating budgets, and other planning and control documents.
• Ensure compliance with applicable safety requirements, policies, procedures, and regulatory obligations.
• Exercise authority to stop, redirect, or modify an operation or project when necessary to protect personnel, the facility, the environment, or research assets.
• Identify and resolve significant technical, operational, and facility issues, providing leadership in developing and implementing solutions, including reallocating resources, revising schedules, modifying technical approaches, or adjusting requirements and implementation plans.
• Ensure technical leadership and organizational capability are maintained through the recruitment, selection, development, mentoring, retention, and effective deployment of engineering, operations, technical, and supporting personnel.
• Establish clear technical accountability and support the development of strong multidisciplinary teams.
• Lead, mentor, and motivate a diverse workforce of engineers, technicians, managers, and administrative personnel.
• Foster effective communication, collaboration, accountability, professional development, and a safe and productive work environment.
• Interact with senior management concerning matters of significance to DIII-D and GA.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for significant operational, technical, schedule, resource, safety, and facility issues.
• Lead program and facility reviews with DIII-D leadership, GA management, the Department of Energy, research collaborators, users, and other stakeholders to communicate cost, schedule, technical, operational, and safety performance.
• Support the development of new facility capabilities, research opportunities, strategic partnerships, and other initiatives that enhance the capabilities and long-term value of DIII-D.
• Collaborate with scientific leadership, researchers, technical staff, external institutions, government representatives, and other stakeholders to support experiments, facility use, technical planning, and execution of the DIII-D program.
• Maintain appropriate protection of proprietary technology, controlled information, and other sensitive information, and ensure the confidentiality of such information.
• Perform other duties as assigned or required.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.