From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.
NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.
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We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.
Job Description
NREL is seeking a new Associate Laboratory Director to lead our Innovation, Partnering and Outreach directorate. The Innovation, Partnering and Outreach (IPO) directorate oversees and manages NREL's partnership development, technology commercialization, economic development and entrepreneurship activities. The IPO directorate is organized around a dedicated team of professionals focused on executing an enterprise-wide, coordinated strategy to grow mission impact through strong external partnerships. NREL's partnerships spark innovation, advance core capabilities, and enable NREL to demonstrate market impact. The primary purpose of this position is to provide vision, leadership, management and oversight of partnerships with NREL that further NREL’s science and technology objectives.
Reporting to the Laboratory Director, this position will provide strategic leadership and supervision in the following areas: Innovation, Technology Transfer, Strategic Partnerships Office and the Innovation Partnering Outreach Business Management office. The IPO directorate is comprised of 90 staff and budget authority of $25M. The IPO organization is responsible for annually developing and executing over 450 high impact partnership agreements with funding totaling $180M to $200M.
Primary Responsibilities and Duties
- Develop and execute a partnership strategy that drives high impact external engagements, advances and integrates key elements of NREL’s Innovation Partnership Outreach directorate and supports NREL’s Science and Technology strategy.
- Advance institutional-level partnerships tied to NREL’s laboratory strategy through the US and globe.
- Serve as a primary point of contact with Department of Energy (DOE) officials responsible for oversight of NREL’s partnership and technology commercialization programs.
- Serve as a member of NREL’s leadership team, providing insight and input to key Laboratory decisions and working closely with Associated Laboratory Directors and Laboratory Program Managers to understand their directions and enhance alignment with activities for enhanced impact whilst overseeing excellent performance and identifying, evaluating and mitigating institutional risk.
- Earns respect of the senior management team and board members, executives, technical research, and general staff across organizational boundaries both inside and outside the Laboratory; promotes ideas persuasively; builds networks of colleagues; shapes others’ opinions; and overcomes resistance to new ideas.
- Defines needed changes in the organization structure or underlying cultural norms. Plans implementation of changes, anticipating resistance as a normal reaction. Acts as a sponsor of change.
- Evaluates and advises on the impact of planning, introduction of new programs/strategies and regulatory action.
- Oversee all IPO directorate elements, including budget, investment strategies including, succession planning, workforce development, administrative and communication support, planning, and reporting.
- Supervise NREL’s Technology Transfer Director, who leads a team responsible for NREL’s IP management and commercialization efforts including patenting, licensing, technology maturation and sharing.
- Supervise NREL’s Innovation Center Director who leads a team responsible for entrepreneurial and incubation programs such as Energy I-Corps and NREL’s Industry Growth Forum.
- Supervise NREL’s Strategic Partnership Office Director who leads a team responsible for expanding NREL’s mission impact through partners.
- Supervise NREL’s Business Management Office Director in its mission to lead and manage IPO operations and relevant lab-wide processes that advance mission impact and directorate performance.
- Ensures the appropriate selection and development of personnel to maintain a creative environment and the optimum utilization of staff.
- Serves as the primary technical interface for the Commercialization and Deployment Committee of the Alliance Board of Directors.
- Manages NREL’s highly productive Agreements for Commercializing Technology program and balances the needs of NREL partners and the Alliance for Sustainable Energy.
- Provides programmatic oversight for the Alliance’s Privately Funded Technology Transfer program.
Basic Qualifications
Relevant PhD and 15 years or more of experience. Relevant Master's Degree and 18 years of experience. Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 20 years of experience. Previous management and budget administration experience required. Program strategy, development and implementation experience required. Demonstrated breadth and depth of expertise required to create aligned strategies and set direction with command of advanced industry knowledge, and business situation versatility is also required.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
- Comprehensive skill in leadership and organization.
- Exceptional capacity for managing and leading people; ability to connect with staff both on an individual level and in large groups; capacity to enforce accountability and cultivate entrepreneurship.
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate complex partnership agreements that provide impact to NREL and partners while being compliant with all DOE and laboratory requirements.
- Strong interpersonal skills in developing and maintaining effective relationships.
- Comprehensive oral and written communications skills are essential.
- Critical skill capabilities in decision-making and innovative problem-solving required, as well as comprehensive leadership skills.
- Considerable skill in interpreting and articulating Laboratory policies and procedures.
- Demonstrated ability in strategic planning; the ability to establish and communicate goals and objectives; and to develop impactful partnerships and strategies within the context of a mission-oriented organization.
- This position requires an onsite hybrid work arrangement and remote applicants will not be considered.
- Must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q security clearance and SCI access. SCI access may require a polygraph examination.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with DOE National Laboratories and associated science and technology.
- Ability to generate ideas and initiatives that capitalize on various internal and potential partnership strengths to drive substantive additional benefit to NREL.
- Demonstrated ability to manage resources, processes, information, training, metrics, tools, and systems that support organization-wide partnership development and technology commercialization activities.
- Ability to manage technology commercialization programs that include the identification, protection and licensing of laboratory intellectual property assets.
- Ability to manage innovation programs that bring economically viable innovations to market by connecting world-class researchers and facilities with networks of startups, investors, foundations, and industry partners.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with many groups, such as the private sector, entrepreneurs, scientific leaders, Department of Energy, general public, community leaders and government officials.
- Must be self-motivated and self-directed with excellent communication and management skills.
- Ability to resolve issues quickly and make decisions that meet NREL’s objectives in a collaborative culture.
- Have working knowledge of state-of-the-art technology and the ability to apply it to administrative functions.
Job Application Submission Window
The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.