Protective Force Group Manager

Posting Title Protective Force Group Manager. Location CO - Golden. Position Type Regular. Hours Per Week 40. Working at NLR NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

To set our new team members up for success, this position includes a six‑month probationary period. This is a collaborative time to ensure successful long‑term fit, providing dedicated support and training as you become acquainted with your role and our organization.

Job Description

The Laboratory Protection office at NLR is seeking motivated and experienced applicants to provide leadership, strategic direction, oversight, and management of the 24/7 operations of the Emergency Response Team. In this position, you will lead the recruitment, development, equipping, and coordination of the NLR protective force and central monitoring station operators, while upholding a customer service-oriented approach.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Lead a diverse team in alignment with applicable Federal directives and regulations, in close collaboration with the Laboratory Protection leadership team. Participate in the development and coordination of the NLR security plans and policies. Serves on other committees, and working groups as directed by the Laboratory Protection Director. Attend meetings for special projects that require operational needs and protective force and/or central monitoring station support.
• Team Leadership: Lead the comprehensive oversight, management, coaching, and development of team members, ensuring regular and timely feedback. Additionally, provide operational and tactical guidance, conduct talent assessments, manage conflict, and resolve problems to achieve optimal outcomes for NLR objectives and priorities.
• Relationship Building: Dedicated team player with a can-do mindset who considers other’s opinions and has strong people skills; understands impact on other groups and adapts to change effectively. Cultivate and maintain relationships with Facilities and Operations counterparts, Laboratory leadership, federal oversight organizations, and local and regional emergency response partners.
• Incident Response: Ability to collaborate in development of emergency response plans and lead training and implementation/execution of such plans within the protective force and central monitoring station teams. Contribute to staff awareness and post-incident corrective actions for reduced recurrence risk. Collaborate with Emergency Management, Environment, Safety, Health, and local authorities to ensure robust response preparedness and capabilities, minimizing consequences to NLR personnel, the public, environment, and property during potential incidents at NLR.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Maintain a comprehensive understanding of applicable security directives and regulations, as well as federal, state, and local organizational structures. Possess knowledge and experience with DOE Orders and Directives related to emergency management, continuity programs, safeguards and security, protective force operations, and contractor assurance systems. Stays updated on security trends, technologies, and regulations to ensure the organization adheres to best practices, and ensures that processes and procedures are relevant, compliant, and properly executed.
• Training: Establish, maintain, and ensure an acceptable level of monitoring and testing activities for protective force personnel and security systems. Supervise training sessions and exercises to ensure the protective force and central monitoring station personnel exceed departmental standards. Provide ongoing training for personnel advancement and enable the training coordinator to ensure a mission-ready team.

Proven Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• Strong strategic and tactical planning skills.
• Proficient research skills.
• Ability to supervise, train, and direct subordinate personnel.
• Proficiency in designing, hosting, and facilitating stakeholder presentations.
• Effective interface with key stakeholders.
• Capacity to interpret technical information.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
• Strong customer service skills.
• Demonstrated commitment and leadership ability to embody NLR values.
• Expertise in coordinating diverse work units, managing multiple projects, and setting priorities effectively.

This role presents an exceptional opportunity to lead a critical function within NLR, guaranteeing the organization's readiness, safety, and resiliency before, during, and after emergencies and disasters. . Basic Qualifications Previous management and budget adherence experience may be required. Degree in appropriate field is required. Demonstrated knowledge of legal and ethical management issues and practices. In-depth knowledge of the issues and best practices in the applicable field of expertise. Generally viewed as subject matter expert for group or work units. Excellent organization, project management, budgeting, interpersonal and communication skills. Proven problem-solving and negotiation skills. Demonstrated ability to make appropriate decisions regarding work activities and projects. Demonstrated ability to effectively lead and direct personnel with diverse skills, work styles and values.

• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• 7 years experience managing/supervising physical security teams with at least 2 of those years managing 24/7 emergency response, security operations, or protective force units in a high‑risk or regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-disciplinary teams during emergency events or high-consequence incidents.
• Familiarity with DOE Orders and Directives related to emergency management, continuity programs, protective force operations, safeguards and security, and contractor assurance systems.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local incident command structures (e.g., NIMS, ICS certification).
• Experience designing, managing, or evaluating protective force or emergency response training programs.
• Certification in emergency management, security operations, incident command, or continuity planning (e.g., FEMA ICS 300/400, CPP, PMP, or equivalent).
• Experience with security technologies such as access control systems, alarm monitoring platforms, or operations center consoles.

Preferred Qualifications Preferred Qualifications

• Strong written and verbal communication skills; effective communicator who can convey important messages in a clear and compelling manner; ability to compose timely notifications for senior leadership during critical and time sensitive events.
• Ability to multitask, to work on tight deadlines, and to adapt to frequently changing priorities while maintaining a strong attention to detail.
• Strong problem-solving skills: identify and resolve problems in a timely manner and gather and analyze information skillfully; develop alternative solutions and work well in group problem-solving situations; able to demonstrate innovative and analytical approaches to resolutions.
• Strong leadership skills, interpersonal skills, and consensus-building skills.
• Maturity and operational problem-solving/decision-making experience.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365.
• Effective team player.

. Job Application Submission Window The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week) Job Profile: Manager II / Annual Salary Range: $100,400 - $180,700

NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

• Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Drug Free Workplace NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NLR you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

. Equal Opportunity Employer All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish. E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.