Project Director

US-NJ-Princeton

Job ID: 2021-12308
Type: Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Research and Laboratory

Princeton University

Overview

The Princeton University Plasma Physics Laboratory, a world-leading fusion energy research center under contract with the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE), invites applications for a Project Director for conventional capital and strategic projects and campus strategy coordination. PPPL is growing and the campus infrastructure requires updating and expansion to meet and enable the mission need. The Project Director (PD) is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control, and completion of Science Laboratories Infrastructure funded projects and other strategic projects ensuring consistency with organizational strategy, commitments, and goals. This includes acquiring resources and coordinating the efforts of team members and third-party resources in order to deliver projects according to plan. In addition, working with Lab Senior Leadership, Princeton, and DOE the PD will coordinate the forward-looking campus strategy and planning for PPPL.

The PD is also responsible for defining the project objectives and overseeing quality control throughout the project life cycle. The PM is expected to frequently engage with end user(s), PPPL, Princeton University and DOE stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate awareness of project status and performance. The PD will understand and manage project complexity, risk, team size, business volume, contract type, and political/client/business sensitivities. The PD staffs and manages the full life cycle of assigned projects and assures that these projects are completed in accordance with PPPL and DOE policies, programs and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Collaborates with PPPL and customer stakeholders and defines project objectives, requirements and key performance parameters.
• Leads the Lab integrated project teams to deliver the SLI projects and other strategic projects as needed, meeting the key performance parameters of each project.
• Secures the resources necessary for the project to deliver timely and successfully.
• Coordinates the campus strategy planning to ensure the campus capabilities enable the mission Identifies PPPL staff and other resource requirements and takes action to secure their timely acquisition in concert with project needs.
• Engages PPPL stakeholders and subject matter experts to identify hazards, potential environmental impacts and coordinates the development of plans and controls for their mitigation throughout the project life cycle.
• Communicates requirements to members of the project team and holds the team accountable for performance.
• Provides project direction, oversight and feedback to assigned project staff.
• Oversees all aspects of project execution including safety, quality, risk, scope, cost and schedule.
• Identifies project issues and adverse trends and implements timely and effective recovery plan(s), when needed.
• Issues timely and accurate project reports and communicates project performance to PPPL and DOE stakeholders.
• Oversees project closeout including turnover to end user/operations and disposition of documents and records.
• Conducts critiques and documents lessons learned that can be applied to future PPPL projects.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Bachelors degree in engineering or physics.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in managing complex projects at Department of Energy (DOE) research laboratories or commercial nuclear power plants.
• Strong leadership skills.
• Must possess sound judgment and critical thinking skills; ability to manage multiple priorities and administer broad range of tasks including resolving complaints, coaching and counseling managers and employees on policies and procedures.
• Demonstrated effective verbal and written communication skills, interpersonal skills and the ability to present effectively to small and large groups.
• Confidence and demonstrated ability to manage a broad range of work activities and technical disciplines involving a diverse spectrum of professional and non-professional personnel.
• Demonstrated team building skills, including the ability to work effectively with peers, other organizations, project sponsors and stakeholders and suppliers.
• Strong analytical skills and demonstrated ability to make timely, risk informed decisions.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Able to collaborate, influence and command the respect and confidence of campus partners and have the capacity to deal with a wide range of relationships and situations.
• Strong organizational skills; evidence of self-motivation; demonstrated ability to plan, schedule and work both independently and in teams within a service-oriented organization.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple projects and competing priorities while balancing the need for quality with meeting deadlines.

Certificates and Licenses:

• Professional Engineer preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand, perform computer work.

Working Conditions:

• Combination of tele-working, field work and on-site office work.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. EEO IS THE LAW

Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from participation in certain foreign government talent recruitment programs. All PPPL employees are required to disclose any participation in a foreign government talent recruitment program and may be required to withdraw from such programs to remain employed under the DOE Contract.

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