Division Director, Experimental Physics

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab); Newport News (VA); On-site; USD 169,000 - 267,000; Full time

Job summary

Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) in Newport News, Virginia seeks a Division Director for CEBAF Experimental Physics to lead the division's scientific program, budget, and safety culture in support of CEBAF's nuclear physics mission.

Reporting to the Associate Laboratory Director for CEBAF, the role shapes priorities, collaborates with international users, and partners with the CEBAF Accelerator Division and EIC Project teams to ensure timely, compliant, and

Qualifications

• 20+ years hands-on experience in experimental physics.
• 3+ years leading multi-disciplinary research groups or organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the CEBAF Experimental Physics Division and set strategic priorities.
• Oversee division budgets, multi-year programs, and cross-department initiatives.
• Ensure safety and regulatory compliance across all division activities.
• Direct user support for equipment development and experiment execution.
• Coordinate with CEBAF Accelerator Division and EIC Project teams on beam requirements and schedules.
• Represent the division to national and international scientific communities and the DOE Site Office.
• Provide leadership, mentoring, and workforce planning for staff.

Skills

experimental physics

leadership

Education

PhD in Physics

Job description

At Jefferson Lab,you'llchampioncutting-edgescience and operational excellence while shaping the future of discovery. Join us and make your mark - where excellence meets purpose, andgreat mindstrulymatter.

The good-faith pay range for this role is $169,000 - $266,800 per year. Actual compensation may vary and may be above the posted range based on factors such as a candidate's skills, experience, education, certifications, and work location.

Company-provided relocation assistance will be offered for this position.

What your job will be like:

The Division Director, CEBAF Experimental Physics, leads the Experimental Physics Division in the safe, compliant, and worldclass execution of the CEBAF experimental nuclear physics program. Reporting to the Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) for CEBAF, the Division Director provides strategic and operational leadership for the division's departments, staff, programs and resources, and shapes the division's scientific program and long-term direction in alignment with laboratory goals.

The Division Director manages the division budget, multi-year program priorities, and cross-department initiatives. The roles foster a strong culture of safety and operational discipline. It ensures staff have the training, tools, and information to work safely and effectively, and it maintains compliance with institutional policies, the Contractor Assurance System, and applicable regulations. This work includes oversight of experimental readiness and compliance activities such as Experimental Readiness Reviews (ERRs), run certificates, and required safety documentation, as well as the technical implementation of experimental equipment.

The Division Director contributes to laboratory-wide strategic planning and policy development. Working closely with the international user community, the Division Director represents the division and the laboratory to senior scientific stakeholders, partner organization and the DOE Site Office. This includes ensuring timely response to technical requests and escalating critical issues in coordination with the ALD and Director's office.

In this job you will:

• Lead and manage the CEBAF Experimental Physics Division, providing strategic direction for its people, programs and scientific and operational priorities.


• Lead the Experimental Physics Division's inputs to laboratory strategic planning and budget formulation, setting Experimental Physics Division priorities and aligning them with the CEBAF Directorate and laboratory goals.


• Direct and manage the division's financial, human, and material resources, including budgets, personnel, and procurement. Operate within allocated targets, support FWP planning and DOE reporting, and remain accountable to the CEBAF ALD.


• Establish and sustain a strong culture of safety and operational discipline. Ensure compliance with institutional policies, the Contractor Assurance System, and DOE requirements, including the authority to stop unsafe or noncompliant work.


• Direct division support for the user community throughout equipment development and experiment execution. This includes oversight of user-built subsystems under MOUs or CRADAs, and support for experiment design, data-taking, and analysis.


• Direct the execution and publication of experimental physics research, maintaining productive engagement with the broader national and international research community.


• Partner with the CEBAF Accelerator Division to define beam requirements and develop experiment schedules that support timely, efficient program execution.


• Collaborate with Jefferson Lab's EIC Project team to align resources and technical activities with project goals.


• Represent the CEBAF program and laboratory to the national and international scientific community, advisory committees, and the DOE Site Office, escalating critical issues in coordination with the ALD and Director's Office.


• Participate in advisory committees, providing scientific and programmatic evaluation of new proposals and initiatives.

Lead - Supervisory - Management

• Serve as acting Associate Lab Director for CEBAF when designated.


• Provide effective leadership and management of the staff and resources for Experimental Physics.


• Actively engage in professional development, mentoring and succession planning for Experimental Physics.

Experience

• Required: 20 or more years hands-on experience in experimental physics


• Required: 3 or more years leading multi-disciplinary research groups or organizations.

Education

• Required: Ph.D. in Physics or equivalent

Experience and Education Exchange

Education above the minimum may not be substituted for experience. Relevant experience may not be substituted for education.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• In-depth knowledge of the design, construction and operation of large nuclear physics detector systems and experimental equipment, and of their application to nuclear physics research.


• Working knowledge of electron accelerator systems, as they are related to the execution of the experimental program.


• Thorough knowledge of ES&H requirements in a DOE-sponsored laboratory, including institutional safety policies, the Contractor Assurance System, and experimental readiness processes such as readiness.


• Knowledge of the current major activities and lead scientists for the major projects in nuclear physics in the U.S. and internationally.


• Recognized within DOE National Lab community, User Groups, and the national and international physics community as an expert on the operation of research facilities and experimental equipment.


• Advanced knowledge of applications of experimental equipment and detector devices as they relate to nuclear physics research.


• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, multi-year programs, and cross-department initiatives within allocated targets.


• Demonstrated ability to lead, supervise, and develop staff. This includes building high-performing teams, setting priorities, delegating authority to line management, and conducting performance evaluations and workforce planning.


• Extensive publications in experimental nuclear physics.


• Advanced planning, problem solving, decision making, analytical skills.


• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills. This includes the ability to engage effectively with staff, users, partner organizations, senior scientific stakeholders, and the DOE Site Office.

About Jefferson Lab

Join a community with a common purpose of solving the most challenging scientific and engineering problems of our time. The Jefferson Lab campusis located insoutheasternVirginiaamidst a vibrant and growing technology community.

A career at Jefferson Lab is more than a job. You will be part of "big science" and work alongside top scientists and engineers from around the world unlocking the secrets of our visible universe. Managed by SURATech, LLC, Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility is entering an exciting period of mission growth and is seeking new team members ready to apply their skills and passion to have an impact. You could call it work, or you could call it a mission. We call it a challenge. We do things that will change the world.

Total Rewards at Jefferson Lab

At Jefferson Lab, we believe that a comprehensive employee benefits program is an important and meaningful part of the compensation employees receive. Our benefits program includes, but is not limited to:

• * Medical, Dental, and Vision Care Plans


• * Flexible Spending Accounts


• * Paid Time-off and Leave Programs (Paid Parental, vacation, holidays, and sick leave)


• * 401(k) Plan - 9% Lab Contribution; 100% vested


• * Flexible Work Arrangements (Remote & Alternate Work Schedules available)


• * Tuition Assistance, Training and Professional Development Programs


• * Live near the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay region with access to nearby beaches,


• * mountains, and all major metropolitan centers on the East Coast

SURATech, LLC manages and operates the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab). SURATech is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

SURATech is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities (unless doing so will result in an undue hardship).

Employment with SURATech is conditional upon DOE approval if at any time during your employment you are participating in a Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Program or Affiliated activity. Generally, such programs/activities include any foreign-state-sponsored attempt to acquire U.S.-funded scientific research through programs run or funded by the government that target scientists, engineers, students, academics, researchers, and entrepreneurs of all nationalities working or educated in the United States. This includes positions or appointments, both domestic and foreign, titled academic, professional, or institutional appointments whether or not remuneration is received and whether full-time, part-time or voluntary.