Fusion Energy and Light Isotope Science, Group Manager

Aiken, SCFull-timePosted Jul 21, 2026

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), a national laboratory under the stewardship of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (DOE-EM), is seeking an accomplished and collaborative Group Manager to lead the Fusion Energy and Isotope Science [JG1] group within the newly formed Energy Sciences and Engineering (ESE) Division, part of the Science, Energy, and Innovation (SEI) Directorate.

Fusion Energy and Light Isotope Science is one of four founding groups within ESE, alongside Energy Material Sciences, Advanced Manufacturing and Automation, and Research Computing and Computational Sciences. The group advances SRNL’s standing as the nation’s trusted partner for the fusion fuel cycle and light isotope science, drawing on six decades of hands-on, industrial-scale experience with hydrogen isotopes and tritium, heavy water and deuterium production, He-3 recovery, and other light isotope science. This experience includes SRNL’s design and fabrication of the ITER Tokamak Exhaust Processing (TEP) system.

The group applies that deep, shared expertise to the distinct demands of commercial fusion energy: closing the deuterium–tritium fuel cycle at the throughput, continuity, and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) standards a fusion power plant requires. A proven SRNL development pathway underpins the work — using protium and deuterium surrogates for rapid, cost-effective early-stage development, then validating mature concepts with tritium under realistic conditions. Applied to fusion-relevant regimes — continuous, high-flowrate processing; plasma-driven impurity profiles; and extraction from molten salts and metals — this pathway compresses the route from concept to adoption-ready technology for fusion developers, DOE program offices (e.g. Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), ARPA-E, and Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC)), and industry partners.

Beyond the fuel cycle, the group extends SRNL’s separations, handling, and processing expertise to the broader suite of light isotopes central to fusion and to the national isotope supply — including helium-3, deuterium and heavy water, lithium-6 and lithium-7, boron-11, and related materials. This work positions the group as a partner to the DOE Office of Science Isotope R&D and Production (IRP) program and to the medical, research, and industrial users for whom a resilient domestic light-isotope supply is a strategic priority. The Group Manager is accountable for keeping this foundation deep, rigorous, and connected to where the fusion commercialization and isotope supply missions are headed.

As a line leader reporting to the ESE Division Director, the Group Manager is accountable for the stewardship, development, and support of the group's people; for creating an environment where this research thrives; and for executing technical work aligned with the strategic direction set by the Division Director and SRNL leadership. The Group Manager also cultivates the external partnerships — with DOE program offices, fusion developers, industry, and universities — that keep the group connected to real mission need and external investment.

This role requires deep technical credibility in fuel cycle or isotope science, a demonstrated record of developing researchers and research leaders, and the judgment to prioritize across surrogate-based development, tritium-validated research, light isotope production, and high-radiation-environment operability. Success is measured on the group's collective impact: the quality and trajectory of its science, the development and retention of its staff, the strength of its partnerships and funding base, and its operational and safety excellence.

People Development and Culture Building

Recruit, develop, mentor, and retain a high-caliber technical staff. Identify and grow the next generation of technical leaders within the group.
Reinforce the division's operating culture, values, and norms around scientific rigor, collaboration, psychological safety, inclusion, and accountability at the group level. Set the day-to-day tone for how the group works together.
Create an environment where researchers are supported, developed, and enabled to do their best work. Manage performance, allocate staff and resources across the group's project portfolio, and make sound personnel and investment decisions.
Foster a strong safety culture and ensure all group work — including tritium handling, byproduct materials handling, and other radiological research activities — is planned and executed safely and in full compliance with environmental, safety, health, quality, and security requirements.
Ensure appropriate handling of the chemical and mixed hazards associated with fuel cycle and blanket research — including beryllium, lead, lithium, fluorides, and hydrides — alongside radiological hazards such as tritium and activated materials, coordinating with the appropriate SRNL facilities and partners, including the Advanced Manufacturing Collaborative (AMC) , where fabrication and materials work is performed using surrogate materials.

Science and Infrastructure Stewardship and Execution

Work with the ESE Division Director to translate division and SRNL strategic priorities into the group's technical portfolio and resource allocation.
Steward the quality, rigor, and reputation of the group's work across its core domains — hydrogen isotope and fuel cycle science, tritium processing and validation, light isotope technologies and production (e.g., helium-3 recovery, heavy water/deuterium production and purification, lithium/boron isotope separation), and high-radiation-environment operability. Serve as a credible technical voice to sponsors, peers, and the external research community.
Coordinate with the fission community on joint challenges such as molten salts, tritium extraction, liquid metal systems, and other synergistic technologies.
Synergize tritium-materials interaction research with the fusion materials community, ensuring that functional materials for fuel cycle technologies are developed and tested through progressions with hydrogen isotopes to enable fuel cycle, blanket, and other fusion technologies.
Apply SRNL’s maturity-staged development pathway to fusion-relevant conditions — surrogate research (protium/deuterium) for rapid, low-cost development, followed by tritium research to validate concepts under the continuous, high-throughput, plasma-relevant regimes that distinguish the fusion fuel cycle. Support isotope production missions by applying the group's separations, handling, and processing expertise to the recovery and supply of light isotopes (e.g., helium-3, deuterium) needed for fusion, defense, and other strategic applications.
Integrate modeling, analytical, and experimental methods to solve challenges such as tritium accountancy, integrated full-plant modeling, and digital-twin simulations.
Identify high-value opportunities that align with DOE mission needs (FES, ARPA-E, OTC, etc.) — including the fuel cycle challenge area named in the DOE Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap — SRNL strategic priorities, and the group's distinctive capabilities, and bring them forward to inform division and directorate strategy.
Ensure the group has the test infrastructure, equipment, talent, and partnerships needed to execute effectively and on time, while also sequencing capability investments along where the science is headed.

External Partnership and Ecosystem Development

Cultivate strategic partnerships outside DOE — fusion developers, industry, universities, and other national laboratories — that strengthen the group's capabilities and expand its funding base and impact.
Grow the fusion fuel cycle capability as a national hub, bringing regional universities and private industry into cost-sharing partnerships that advance hydrogen isotope research, workforce development, and next-generation fuel cycle technology.
Collaborate with the fusion community and provide input on fusion regulations, fusion nonproliferation, and fusion codes and standards, as well as modeling and communication around tritium emissions and accident scenarios.
Lead and mentor staff in building and deepening these relationships, positioning the group as a credible, trusted partner to fusion developers, industry, and academia.
Work with partners in academia and industry to support workforce development efforts, including development of educational materials, support for seminars, and broader support of the fusion ecosystem created by FC-FIRE and other FIRE collaboratives and other collaboration mechanisms.
Advance SRNL's standing and visibility in fusion fuel cycle and isotope science through publications, presentations, and professional leadership.
Support the Division Director, SEI Program Office, and Directorate in engaging relevant DOE program offices (e.g., Fusion Energy Sciences, ARPA-E, OTC), translating those relationships into a healthy, diversified project portfolio.

Operational Excellence and Business Performance

Manage the group's budget, financial performance, and facility and infrastructure needs, including capital planning for fuel cycle test infrastructure. Ensure delivery on scope, schedule, and budget.
Establish group-level metrics, reporting cadences, and accountability structures. Track and communicate progress to the Division Director and SEI Program Office.
Work within the SRNL matrix structure to align group capabilities with program priorities, surfacing challenges and opportunities that should inform division and directorate strategic planning.

Leadership Competencies

Technical credibility — deep, current expertise in fuel cycle or isotope science, with the breadth to engage across the group's full portfolio.
People leadership — ability to recruit, develop researchers into technical leaders, create psychological safety, and build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Maturity-stage and portfolio judgment — ability to sequence work from surrogate-based development through tritium-validated research, and to prioritize across fuel cycle, isotope, and operability domains in a way that connects science to mission need.
Collaborative matrix leadership — skill working through peer relationships across ESE's other groups, DOE program offices, and the external fusion ecosystem, building alignment without direct authority.
Business and operational acumen — comfort with budgets, metrics, and performance management; ability to connect resources to outcomes.
External relationship building — skill establishing trust with DOE sponsors, fusion developers, industry, and university partners, and translating relationships into funded, durable partnerships.
Founding-group mindset — comfort building structures, processes, and norms for a group still taking shape, and documenting decisions for those who come after.
Integrity and unwavering commitment to safety — personal integrity that sets the tone for the group; zero tolerance for shortcuts on safety, quality, or ethical conduct, particularly in tritium and radiological work.

Minimum Qualifications

Ph.D. in nuclear engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science, or a closely related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
Significant progressive experience in fuel cycle or isotope research and research leadership, including direct management or mentorship of technical staff. Minimum 7+ years of relevant experience.
Deep technical credibility in at least one core domain — hydrogen isotope and fuel cycle science, tritium processing, light isotope technologies and production, or high-radiation-environment operability — with the breadth to engage across adjacent domains.
Demonstrated commitment to safety in a research environment, including tritium and byproduct materials handling; experience in radiological settings is required.
Track record of developing technical talent and cultivating the next generation of research leaders.
Proven ability to work in matrix environments, partnering with peer leaders and sponsors to align direction and execute missions.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to represent the group credibly to sponsors, DOE leadership, external partners, and internal staff.
Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance as required.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in a DOE national laboratory, federal research environment, or comparable mission-driven research organization.
Direct research or applied experience in fuel cycle technology development, tritium processing, hydrogen isotope separation, helium-3 recovery, heavy water/deuterium production and purification, lithium/boron isotope separation, or remote/robotic operations in high-radiation environments.
Familiarity with ITER, INFUSE, or other fusion public-private partnership programs, and awareness of the DOE Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap's core challenge areas.
Established relationships with relevant DOE Office of Science program offices (e.g., Fusion Energy Sciences and Isotope R&D and Production) and credibility in the national fusion and isotope research communities. Experience building strategic partnerships with fusion developers, industry, universities, and other national laboratories, including cost-sharing or public-private partnership models.
Track record of growing a research portfolio and securing external funding, including competitive proposals and industry-sponsored work.
Experience contributing to or standing up a new group, program, facility, or research area within a larger organization.
Active DOE Q-level security clearance.
Active Document Classification Review Officer (DCRO) credentials.