In the race to correct climate change, time is of the essence. OCED is investing billions of dollars in projects that will play an essential role in achieving the world’s net-zero goals, deploying next-generation energy technologies across America. If you want to be a significant player in this space, we’re offering an opportunity you can’t afford to ignore.

The Opportunity

The OCED’s clean energy projects need a project assessment expert and team leader to help assure the success of their clean energy projects. In the role of Independent Engineering Director, you will work independently from OCED’s program offices, guiding the team that conducts independent project, market, policy, cost, and impact reviews of highly-technical energy and construction projects. 

In this role your work will:

• Advise the future direction of projects that improve energy generation, while significantly reducing environmental impact
• Enrich your career and the careers of your team, through exposure to a broad spectrum of new technologies and business models
• Drive economic, social, and environmental benefits across the U.S. and the world

Responsibilities

This role will combine project analysis and assessment (30%), team leadership (25%), and communication and spokesperson (45%) responsibilities:

Project Analysis and Assessment:

• Lead a broad spectrum of project analysis activities to support OCED project decisions
• Ensure consistent, high quality integrated and independent assessments of individual projects and OCED project portfolios
• Develop and oversee a framework for conducting independent project reviews and technical assessments across the portfolio
• Perform technical assessments, market assessments, and community benefits evaluations 
• Develop and implement OCED project assessment policy
• Influence leadership decisions on matters of pre-project planning and design concepts
• Integrate traditional Independent Engineering studies with comprehensive techno-economic and lifecycle emissions analyses
• Ensure OCED projects meet all safety regulations and approved design parameters 
• Rate project risks in terms of likelihood of occurrence and severity of impact
• Contribute to DDAB (senior DOE advisory board) assessments

Team Leadership:

• Provide leadership and guidance for all staff on execution of project work, including service contractors, SME’s and specialists from DOE National Laboratories
• Develop project-specific IE/Advisor SOWs, review proposals and select awardees, managing execution of contracts
• Ensure that team operation successfully achieves project deliverables, on time
• Assure growth and development of team members
• Interpret policy, establish priorities
• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team
• Promote Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)

Communication:

• Serve as OCED spokesperson and point of contact on engineering and other independent assessment review processes
• Provide recommendations, technical advice, and analysis of all aspects of the OCED’s projects, policies, and procedures, providing data for construction and project management decisions
• Prepare and present project reports and briefings for OCED and DOE leadership 
• Perform field inspections to assure that construction projects are completed in accordance with approved specifications
• Participate in conferences and/or other DOE events 

Candidate Profile

Our successful candidate will have:

• 8+ years leading project assessment teams, with a history of continually accomplishing mission objectives
• Mastery-level knowledge of two or more fields of engineering: civil, construction, chemical, environmental, electrical, nuclear, structural, industrial, or mechanical
• Proven track record as a leader of experts in construction project management 
• Comprehensive knowledge of federal and local industrial safety and environmental policies (including those pertaining to nuclear, hydrogen, subsurface, etc.)
• Experience integrating safety, health, and environmental concerns with project design and construction
• Experience managing conflicting points of view, controversial findings, or unprecedented technical issues
• Experience integrating engineering and technical applications with market or community benefits
• Proven ability to assimilate technical subject matter and apply analysis to decision making
• Experience assessing first-of-a-kind projects
• Demonstrated ability to exercise leadership, creativity, and imagination
• Experience building and/or leading diverse teams 
• Knowledge of project management and reporting tools