
Department Director, Electric Power Systems
Lemont, ILFull-time$170–264K/yrSeen 2w agoSeen in employer's feed 4 days ago
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Job overview
Argonne National Laboratory seeks a Department Director to set strategy and provide technical leadership for its Electric Power Systems Department. The director will guide energy and environmental analysis research, develop research capabilities, lead staff, and build partnerships and funding opportunities. The department applies modeling, simulation, optimization, and other analytical approaches to energy systems, supporting decision-making for government, industry, and other stakeholders.
Skills & qualifications
Skills
Qualifications
Full job description
Lemont, IL USA
Full time
423588
Argonne National Laboratory is seeking an accomplished and visionary leader to serve as Department Director for the Electric Power Systems Department within the Energy Systems and Infrastructure Assessment (ESIA) Division in the Advanced Energy Technologies (AET) Directorate. This is a key leadership opportunity to shape departmental strategy and guide world-class research that supports U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) priorities, strengthens energy security, and accelerates the transition to reliable, resilient, and affordable energy systems.
The purpose of this position is to provide strategic vision, technical direction, leadership, focus, coordination, and support of energy and environmental analysis research and development programs for the electric sector and other energy sectors. Comprehensive knowledge of the use of energy systems analysis tools, especially those for the electric sector, in support of domestic and international applications for energy analysis.
The Electric Power Systems Department delivers rigorous technical, economic, and environmental analyses that support decision-making across federal agencies, industry, and stakeholders. The Department develops and applies advanced methodologies, computational tools, and experimental platforms to evaluate diverse energy technologies and systems—including electricity generation, transmission, and energy storage, demand response, and energy interdependency solutions. Our multidisciplinary team integrates engineering, economics, and systems science to perform energy systems modeling and simulation, optimization and equilibrium analysis, engineering economics, and technology impact assessment.
Job responsibilities include managing technical staff, project planning and management, technical deliverables, and program development. The job will also identify research areas and opportunities and pursue funding from sponsors. Technology leadership responsibilities pertain to the design, development, application, and transfer of energy systems analysis tools, methodologies, databases, and decision-making information. This work involves both domestic and international research activities.
The Department Director will define the department’s strategic vision and strategy, grow research capabilities, and lead a talented team of scientists and engineers to deliver high-quality, mission-driven outcomes. The Department Director will also collaborate across Argonne and with DOE program offices, national laboratories, universities, and industry partners to expand capabilities and translate research into real-world impact.
This role combines technical leadership, organizational strategy, and people development. The Department Director will guide research direction, advance computational tools and experimental testbeds, build partnerships and funding opportunities, and foster an inclusive, high-performance environment where staff can thrive.
Key Responsibilities:
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Set strategic direction and grow the department’s research portfolio aligned with DOE and Argonne priorities.
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Lead and mentor multidisciplinary teams, building technical excellence and organizational capabilities.
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Provide technical leadership for advanced modeling, simulation, and analytical tools for electric power systems.
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Develop and manage large, complex programs and partnerships with stakeholders in government, industry, and academia.
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Ensure delivery of high-quality, impactful research on time and within budget.
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Cultivate a culture of safety, integrity, respect, teamwork, and collaboration.
Position Requirements
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PhD in engineering, science, or a related field with 10+ years of relevant experience, or MS with 15+ years of experience and demonstrated technical leadership.
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Skill in applying modeling, simulation, and visualization technologies and concepts to energy systems analysis.
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Knowledge of research programs and priorities of Department of Energy Office of Electricity (OE) and Office of Critical Materials and Energy Innovation (CMEI).
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Thorough understanding of electricity from conventional to renewal generation and production, distribution, transmission and end-users consumption from the industrial sector, residential, buildings, transportation and other applications.
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Deep technical expertise in one or more relevant domains, such as electric power systems and markets, smart buildings and data centers.
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Strong experience with advanced modeling, simulation, and experimental approaches, including optimization, equilibrium modeling, and agent-based methods.
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Demonstrated skill in managing large-scale energy systems analysis programs to ensure quality projects are done on time and within budget
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In-depth skills in team leadership, management of personnel development, and interpersonal relationships.
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Ability to identify new research areas, developing and marketing proposals, and negotiating with sponsors.
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Skilled in oral and written communications at all levels of the organization.
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Skilled in assessing the technical capabilities of individuals and matching individuals to tasks.
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Ability to model Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork.
Preferred Qualifications
- Onsite presence is preferred.
Job Family
Research Development (RD)
Job Profile
Eng Systems Modeling-Simulation-Analysis Leader 2
Worker Type
Regular
Time Type
Full time
The expected hiring range for this position is $169,507.00 - $264,431.70.
Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.
Click here (https://www.anl.gov/hr/healthcare-insurance) to view Argonne employee benefits!
As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.
Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.
All Argonne offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes an assessment of criminal conviction history conducted on an individualized and case-by-case basis. Please be advised that Argonne positions require upon hire (or may require in the future) for the individual be to obtain a government access authorization that involves additional background check requirements. Failure to obtain or maintain such government access authorization could result in the withdrawal of a job offer or future termination of employment.
Interested in translating science into innovation? Build your career at Argonne.
At Argonne, we view the world from a different perspective. Our scientists and engineers conduct world-class research in clean energy, the environment, technology, national security and more. We’re finding creative ways to prepare the world for a better future.
To learn more about Argonne's benefits programs, amenities, and other employee programs, visit our main Careers (http://www.anl.gov/careers) site.
To learn more about the exciting science going on at Argonne, visit our Science and Technology (http://www.anl.gov/argonnes-science-and-technology) page.
To request a reasonable accommodation or for other application support, contact us anytime at [email protected] or 630-252-2336.
How this job compares
Set against the 2,265 open Engineering Management jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.
- Pay
- This posting$170–264K/yr
- Illinois median$143–210K/yr50 salary ranges
- US median$146–264K/yr1,843 salary ranges
This range's midpoint, $217K, is 25% above the Illinois median midpoint ($174K) — in the top quarter of Engineering Management salary ranges in Illinois.
- Openings
- Olive Jobs lists 56 open Engineering Management jobs in Illinois and 2,265 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
- Hiring the most in Illinois
- Oracle5 open
- TreeHouse Foods, Inc.5 open
- Deloitte3 open
- Experience
- This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience; Engineering Management postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years at the median (1,919 postings).
- Education
- 854 of the 2,265 open Engineering Management jobs (38%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.
Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.
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