General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world’s leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

General Atomics is seeking a Senior Facility Director to lead the safe, reliable operation and continued advancement of the DIII-D National Fusion Facility. The Senior Facility Director will be accountable for delivering facility capabilities, research runtime, and other commitments while ensuring effective stewardship of the resources entrusted to DIII-D.

The position typically reports to an executive officer and provides executive leadership through subordinate management for facility operations, engineering, capability development, maintenance, project execution, and research support. The Senior Facility Director serves as DIII-D’s primary point of contact with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), acts as Principal Investigator for the DIII-D cooperative agreement, and represents the facility to the national and international fusion communities.

In close cooperation with DOE Fusion Energy Sciences (FES), the Tokamak Research program, and participating institutions, the Senior Facility Director will develop DIII-D’s facility vision, strategic plans, capabilities, and delivery commitments. The role connects research needs to achievable facility capabilities and execution plans while respecting the Tokamak Research program’s responsibility for research direction and coordination.
This position requires sound judgment and the ability to make decisions with significant and potentially long-term
impact on DIII-D, the Group, and the Company. The role requires integration of multiple technical disciplines and departments while balancing safety, reliability, technical performance, schedule, quality, business, and financial objectives.
Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide executive leadership for DIII-D facility operations, engineering, capability development, maintenance, project execution, and research support. Establish integrated annual and long-range objectives and hold responsible managers accountable for agreed safety, reliability, technical, schedule, and financial outcomes.
  • Maintain close, cooperative engagement with DOE FES to jointly develop facility plans and projects, establish mutually agreed scope and priorities, and deliver commitments within authorized funding and approved requirements. Promptly communicate significant risks, changes, tradeoffs, and corrective actions to DOE and GA leadership.
  • Serve as the primary DIII-D representative and spokesperson at community workshops, advisory panels, program reviews, and other national and international forums. Explain and advocate DIII-D’s role, capabilities, and jointly developed research plans to support effective planning of the U.S. fusion program.
  • Develop and implement current, annual, and long-term facility objectives, including technical, operational, schedule, quality, workforce, business, and financial goals. Participate in the development of broader Group and Company objectives.
  • Approve facility-level priorities, major project scope, resource allocations, and performance commitments within agreed DOE scope and GA authority. Ensure that responsible managers maintain credible execution plans, effective risk controls, and appropriate technical reviews. Resolve major conflicts and approve significant corrective actions.
  • Own the integrated planning and execution framework for DIII-D operations, projects, maintenance, and other facility activities. Ensure that detailed schedules, resource plans, dependencies, delivery methods, performance objectives, and recovery plans are developed, coordinated, maintained, and executed effectively.
  • Direct and remain accountable for day-to-day facility operations and maintenance, including the safe and reliable delivery of agreed research runtime, operational readiness, machine vents, and facility capabilities. Delegate routine execution to responsible managers while retaining accountability for performance, major decisions, and corrective action.
  • Direct and remain accountable for the preparation and implementation of work statements, operating budgets, resource plans, specifications, schedules, performance measures, and other planning and control documents. Approve significant commitments and changes, monitor performance against approved baselines, and ensure timely corrective action.
  • Lead substantive facility and program reviews with DOE, GA management, users, collaborators, and other stakeholders. Ensure that commitments, performance, risks, issues, and corrective actions are clearly communicated and that required deliverables meet agreed standards.
  • Oversee the development of facility design concepts, technical criteria, engineering solutions, and scientific and technical efforts supporting research, development, testing, integration, operations, and capability upgrades.
  • Identify significant scientific, technical, operational, and management issues and provide leadership in developing solutions, including reallocating resources, modifying project scope, adjusting execution plans, or recommending changes to requirements or specifications.
  • Build and maintain a capable leadership team. Establish clear decision rights and delegation, develop management succession, set workforce priorities, and support a collaborative environment in which personnel can contribute, develop professionally, and raise safety or execution concerns.
  • Ensure technical leadership and excellence through the planning, attraction, selection, retention, and development of qualified management, professional, scientific, engineering, and technical personnel.
  • Develop strategic partnerships with national laboratories, universities, international programs, and private fusion organizations when those partnerships advance agreed facility and national goals. Evaluate proposed initiatives against facility capacity, mission, funding, risk, and existing commitments.
  • Participate in and influence the preparation of proposals, business plans, work statements, specifications, operating budgets, and financial terms and conditions for contracts and cooperative agreements. Direct the development of new business opportunities and the expansion of existing capabilities when consistent with DIII-D’s mission and resources.
  • Conduct business and technical briefings for senior and executive management, DOE, users, collaborators, customers, and external representatives. Influence decisions of senior leaders within and outside the Company on matters of significant technical, operational, and strategic importance.
  • Oversee the protection of DIII-D’s proprietary technology and other sensitive information. Maintain strict confidentiality and ensure compliance with applicable security, safety, regulatory, contractual, and Company requirements.
  • Perform other duties as assigned or required.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.