Program Director

Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) - Washington, DC

Full-time - Senior

Washington, DC

Administration of Economic Programs

About the position

ARPA-E is seeking thought leaders with visionary ideas to catalyze the development of transformative energy technologies as Program Directors. PDs are empowered to move quickly in addressing our nation's energy challenges. They are the driving force behind ARPA-E's pursuit of its mission and define the problems that it solves while managing the development of their solutions. The PD role celebrates intellectual curiosity and independence, constant learning, deep technical knowledge, and the willingness to take risks to enable a sustainable energy future. PDs develop and manage their own funded programs to address national-scale energy problems that are unlikely to be solved by industry alone. They identify problems that are both important and challenging enough to warrant the expenditure of taxpayer dollars in the development of solutions. Typical ARPA-E investments in individual focused-area programs range from $10M to nearly $50M. PDs lead teams with technical and management support to create Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs). They manage the proposal evaluation process and make selection recommendations to the ARPA-E Director. PDs are then responsible for negotiating the technical milestones for each project. After award, PDs actively manage the projects with the performing teams. They are supported by an internal team that helps track progress against milestones, manage award logistics, and prepare the technology for market. PDs are thought leaders both within and outside DOE. They also contribute to the broader ARPA-E mission by supporting the development of their colleagues' program ideas and contributing to the growth, improvement, and culture of the organization. The program development, active management, and thought leadership responsibilities of PDs necessitate frequent travel. While the level does vary through time at the agency, it can be ~50% of a PD's time. Per ARPA-E's Congressional Authorization, the position is a term limited one - with durations typically ranging between 3 and 5 years. Employees of national laboratories, universities, or nonprofits may join ARPA-E under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) and may serve for up to 4 years. Those who join ARPA-E as federal employees typically serve for 5 years. Despite being term-limited, the position provides tremendous networking opportunities that can help to catapult former PDs into impactful post ARPA-E careers. Program Director jobs are designated as "positions of public trust", and pre-employment background checks are required. Information about this process and the questionnaire that will need to be completed before employment at ARPA-E begins (but not yet) are at this link. Additionally, after employment begins, financial disclosure reporting will be required; more information may be found at this link. PDs hold senior level technical positions and are paid per the certified performance appraisal system row in the table at this link. Lastly, US citizenship is required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage funded programs to address national-scale energy problems.
• Identify important and challenging problems warranting taxpayer investment.
• Lead teams to create Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs).
• Manage the proposal evaluation process and make selection recommendations.
• Negotiate technical milestones for each project after award.
• Actively manage projects with performing teams post-award.
• Support the development of colleagues' program ideas and contribute to organizational culture.

Requirements

• Doctoral degree in a scientific or engineering field plus at least 10 years of R&D experience.
• Deep technical expertise in an energy-relevant field, demonstrated by a strong record of accomplishments.
• Significant R&D leadership experience, including organizational and project leadership roles.
• An entrepreneurial spirit and passion for ARPA-E's mission.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of new energy technologies' role in energy and economic futures.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Willingness to work productively in a collaborative environment.
• Understanding of the U.S. energy landscape and its major challenges.