Contractor Assurance Manager

Requisition Id 17385

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is seeking a Contractor Assurance Manager to lead the laboratory’s Contractor Assurance System (CAS), reporting to the Director of the Office of Integrated Performance Management (OIPM). The manager supports laboratory leaders, managers, and staff in providing reasonable assurance that ORNL meets applicable requirements, manages risk proactively, and measures and documents performance against mission deliverables and sponsor commitments in cutting-edge science and technology.

The manager integrates assurance activities across all eight science directorates and six operations directorates to improve consistency, quality, effectiveness, and efficiency. The role sets CAS direction and priorities, advises senior leaders, oversees implementation, and leads program managers directly while providing programmatic implementation oversight and support to qualified implementers across the laboratory.

The successful candidate will bring strong analytical, communication, and relationship-building skills; experience leading complex, cross-functional programs or initiatives; and the ability to translate performance information into actionable insights for leaders. Direct experience in contractor assurance is valuable but is not required. Candidates with relevant experience in performance management, operational excellence, quality, safety, risk management, project management, governance, assessments, continuous improvement, or other institutional management systems are encouraged to apply.

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Lead and continuously improve ORNL’s integrated Contractor Assurance System, working with management system owners, line organizations, and institutional programs to ensure the system supports laboratory objectives and meets applicable contractual and regulatory requirements.
• Provide strategic direction and integration for the CAS program portfolio, which includes issues management, corrective action, causal analysis, critiques and investigations, performance analysis and reporting, trending, lessons learned, audits and assessments, nuclear assurance, and other assigned assurance responsibilities. Lead subject-matter experts and program managers in achieving consistent, effective implementation.
• Lead through influence in a highly matrixed environment; build alignment among senior leaders and stakeholders with differing missions, priorities, and technical perspectives.
• Synthesize complex qualitative and quantitative information into clear, concise analyses, recommendations, and communications that enable timely leadership decisions and institutional improvement.
• Provide leadership, consultation, and oversight to program managers and qualified implementers; clarify expectations, strengthen capability, and promote consistent, effective implementation across the laboratory.
• Provide leaders with timely performance reports and analysis that document mission and sponsor-commitment performance, assess the health of the laboratory, identify trends and emerging risks, and inform decisions.
• Develop meaningful, measurable performance indicators with management system owners and line organizations; maintain stewardship of institutional indicators and communicate what the results show.
• Evaluate the adequacy of implementation of the Contractor Assurance System through activities and self-assessments of performance of the processes that implement the program.
• Identify opportunities to improve risk management, corrective actions, learning, and assurance outcomes; collaborate with responsible organizations to develop, implement, and evaluate improvement strategies.
• Coordinate broad assurance processes, boards, meetings, and initiatives, including the Management System Owner forum, Performance Integration Board, Management System Health Survey, and Corrective Action Institutional Review Board.
• Build productive relationships with chief operating officers, ESH&Q coordinators, management system owners, Operations Associate Laboratory Directors, line managers, other senior technical leaders, and the DOE ORNL Site Office.
• Benchmark practices and share lessons with Battelle and DOE national laboratories; represent ORNL in Battelle Communities of Practice and contribute to DOE-sponsored continuous improvement organizations, including the Energy Facilities Contractors Group (EFCOG).
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with the laboratory’s values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Foster a respectful, inclusive workplace.

Basic Qualifications:

• BS/BA degree in business, science, engineering, or a related field.
• Ten to twelve years of progressively responsible experience in one or more relevant areas, such as contractor assurance, performance management, operational excellence, quality assurance, environment, safety, health and quality (ESH&Q), risk management, project or program management, organizational effectiveness, governance, assessments, corrective action, or other complex institutional management systems.
• Candidates must demonstrate experience leading cross-functional initiatives; analyzing performance, risk, or operational information; communicating effectively with senior leaders; and driving sustainable improvement in a complex organization.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy Q clearance. This is a Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) testing-designated position and requires passing a pre-placement drug test and participating in an ongoing random drug-testing program.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional programs or institutional initiatives in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated analytical ability, including the ability to interpret performance, operational, risk, financial, project, quality, safety, or other organizational data; identify meaningful trends; and develop actionable recommendations.
• Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted partnerships and influence leaders, subject-matter experts, and stakeholders without direct reporting relationships.
• Experience establishing performance measures, dashboards, management reviews, or other methods for monitoring organizational health and outcomes.
• Experience with one or more assurance-related disciplines, including audits and assessments, issues management, corrective action, causal analysis, lessons learned, risk management, quality assurance, safety programs, compliance, or performance improvement.
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs.
• Familiarity with DOE contractor assurance requirements, ORNL management systems, or operations within a DOE, NNSA, NRC, Naval Reactors, industrial, research, or other highly regulated environment.
• Supervisory or management experience is preferred.

Special Requirements:

• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• 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.

About ORNL:

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.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

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 ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

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.