Program Manager, Defense Manufacturing Program Office

UT-Battelle; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

UT-Battelle, LLC, operates Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) under a DOE contract. ORNL seeks a Program Manager in the National Security Science Directorate to drive strategic development, portfolio planning and cross‑functional program delivery with the DMPO.

The role involves coordinating with sponsors, staff and leadership to advance manufacturing R&D, manage risk and ensure successful project execution in a fast‑paced research environment.

Qualifications

• BS in a science or engineering field and seven years of relevant experience.
• Experience in applied R&D project management and/or business/industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading diverse teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic research portfolios to meet national security and energy needs.
• Lead program delivery and manage staff and sponsors.
• Establish project management processes, controls, and reporting.
• Coordinate with ORNL leadership to align resources and priorities.
• Support reviews and stakeholder communications.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Education

BS in science or engineering

Advanced degree in science or engineering

Job description

Overview

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

Requisition Id 16685

Overview

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an impressive 80-year legacy of addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. Our team is made up of over 7,000 dedicated and innovative individuals! Our goal is to create an environment where a variety of perspectives and backgrounds are valued, ensuring ORNL is known as a top choice for employment. These principles are essential for supporting our broader mission to drive scientific breakthroughs and translate them into solutions for energy, environmental, and security challenges facing the nation.

The National Security Science Directorate, NSSD, Defense Manufacturing Program Office (DMPO) leads a large portfolio of applied research and development programs centered around additive manufacturing, qualification/certification, additive manufacturing feedstocks, carbon fiber and composites, caron-carbon materials, machining, data analytics, metrology, flexible automation and systems research.

We are seeking applications for our Program Manager position.

Successful candidates will work across our research portfolio working with our sponsors, staff and laboratory leadership.

The position reports directly to the NSSD Defense Manufacturing Program Director.

Major Duties/Responsibilities

Strategic Development and Outreach

• Work directly with critical staff and partners to evolve ORNL collaborative research portfolio to target national security and energy needs.
• Maintain and continue to develop relationships with senior leadership and key collaborators, including multiple program sponsors from the Department of War acting as a trusted advisor.
• Work directly with staff to deliver on existing R&D programs and the associated reporting. Represent the Chief Manufacturing Officer in key program meetings in their absence.

Leadership

• Guide and support the ORNL manufacturing teams, ensuring exemplary program delivery.
• Provide ongoing coaching and mentoring to manufacturing staff and embedded project managers.
• Collaborate with ORNL leadership to develop program engagement strategies and provide input into long range NSSD science strategies. Develop and implement strategic resource plans for existing programs.
• All team members 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.

Portfolio and Project Management

• Lead the identification and implementation of project management processes, methods, tools, guidelines and standards to establish a stable framework that supports all project teams and partners to improve the probability of successful project delivery.
• Track all program costs and provide written and verbal reports to program sponsors. Make decisions concerning project and program spending, within program parameters and guidelines.
• Facilitate collaboration and best-practice sharing among project managers, key ORNL manufacturing collaborators, and external equities.
• Regularly review and evaluate opportunities to improve the project management best practices in order to achieve higher maturity in manufacturing programs.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining the project controls policies, procedures and systems/tools that facilitate the successful development and maintenance of multiple projects in the National Security Sciences Directorate, including:
• Project work breakdown structure (WBS) and dictionary
• Summary and detailed, logic driven, resource loaded schedules
• Summary and detailed cost estimates
• Actual costs and accrual integration
• Risk identification and management
• Change control
• Develop, present, and reinforce project management process and systems training for all applicable project staff
• Prepare and support various project reviews, including internal and external project status reviews

Basic Qualifications

• BS in a science or engineering field and seven (7) years of relevant experience.
• Experience in applied R&D project management and/or business/industry.
• Demonstrated experience leading diverse teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in science or engineering field.
• Program management skills and experience, plus significant knowledge of project planning tools with evidence of practical application. Excellent analytical, strategic conceptual thinking, strategic planning and execution skills.
• Understanding of current and emerging manufacturing technologies.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills, along with an ability to work effectively adapt to management of competing program priorities.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within given timeframes, and adapt to constantly evolving needs.

Special Requirements

• Q and SCI Clearance: This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.
• Visa Sponsorship: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email [e-mail].

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.