Staff Opportunity

PLI Deputy Director

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Project Leadership Institute (PLI) is a program that supports project excellence by cultivating a diverse network of successful DOE project delivery practitioners for delivering complex, high-risk projects. The program engages a year-long cohort in both in-person and online learning events in partnership with Stanford University using academic presenters as well as experienced DOE project practitioners. The program is administered by a team at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University Center for Global and Online Education (CGOE) and guided by an Advisory Board. 

The PLI administrative team is looking for a Deputy Director, to start in January 2026. The successful candidate will have worked in the DOE complex on major projects or in a project management office and have contacts throughout the complex. 

The Deputy Director works with the Director, CGOE program managers, and other program coordinators to execute the annual program. The Deputy Director will assist the Director in most aspects of program administration, such as

• Event and speaker planning and coordination
• Capstone project review and acceptance
• Alumni network development
• Participant application review
• Advisory Board meetings
• Outreach 

The Deputy Director is expected to rotate into the Director role after approximately a year.  

Attendance at in-person program events and Advisory Board meetings is required. The position is expected to be ~30-40% effort average during the year, and may be as a SLAC Casual employee.

Interested parties should contact the current Director, Greg Hays, or Deputy Director, Elaine McCluskey (contact information found on the PLI website).