Senior Program Director for Human Performance Optimization

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Senior Program Director for Human Performance Optimization

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Battelle delivers when others can’t. We conduct research and development, manage national laboratories, design and manufacture products and deliver critical services for our clients—whether they are a multi-national corporation, a small start-up or a government agency.

We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.

Job Summary

Battelle is seeking a Senior Program Director for Human Performance Optimization (HPO) within our Health Business to lead the execution of large-scale, globally distributed military support programs focused on enhancing the readiness and resilience of U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF). This role drives strategic initiatives that optimize physical, psychological, social, and cognitive performance across high-functioning teams.

The Program Director will oversee the recruitment, deployment, and sustainment of approximately 800 credentialed health professionals—many requiring security clearances—across 37 locations in the United States, Europe, and Asia, ensuring alignment with mission-critical objectives and federal government expectations.

As the lead for capturing and executing contracts exceeding $250M, the Senior Program Director is responsible for end-to-end program delivery, including staffing, field operations, compliance, recruiting pipeline development, and stakeholder coordination. The ideal candidate brings a blend of strategic vision and operational precision, with demonstrated experience managing geographically dispersed, multi-functional teams in high-tempo, zero-fail environments. This position requires exceptional leadership, communication, and organizational skills to maintain program excellence and drive continuous improvement in support of national security and human performance outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Serve as subject matter expert in human performance optimization and military health.
• Deliver executive-level briefings to senior military leadership and Battelle executives, translating program metrics, trends, and challenges into actionable insights.
• Coordinate logistics and surge operations, ensuring rapid response capabilities and continuity of care during high-demand or emergent scenarios.
• Champion innovation and continuous improvement, integrating evidence-based practices, emerging technologies, and performance analytics to optimize outcomes.
• Promote a culture of resilience and readiness, ensuring all program activities support the holistic well-being and operational effectiveness of high-performance personnel and their families.
• Facilitate collaboration across commands, installations, and service branches, optimizing service delivery and ensuring alignment with DoD-wide human performance initiatives.
• Model a culture of safety and risk management across all domains, particularly in behavioral health and data privacy.
• Direct resource management and staffing operations, ensuring budget adherence, recruitment timelines, and retention benchmarks are consistently met.
  
  

• Master’s degree or higher in Human Performance, Health Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Public Health, or a related field.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) certification.
• 10+ years of senior program leadership experience overseeing distributed healthcare or human performance programs, including CONUS and OCONUS operations.
• Proven success managing large-scale federal programs ($250M+), with a track record of delivering “exceptional” performance ratings.
• Deep understanding of SOCOM or DoD medical support environments, with demonstrated alignment to POTFF objectives and operational tempo.
• Active Secret clearance required; TS/SCI preferred.
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 35% as needed.
  
  

• Doctoral degree or advanced credential in health sciences or organizational leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to stand up, scale, and sustain complex programs under performance-based contracts.
  
  

• Balance life through a compressed work schedule: Most of our team follows a flexible, compressed work schedule that allows for every other Friday off—giving you a dedicated day to accomplish things in your personal life without using vacation time.
• Enjoy enhanced work flexibility, including a hybrid arrangement: You have options for where and when you work. Our Together with Flexibility model allows you to work 60% in-office and 40% remote, with Monday and Tuesday as common in-office days, dependent on team and position needs.
• Take time to recharge: You get paid time off to support work-life balance and keep motivated.
• Prioritize wellness: Stay healthy with medical, dental, and vision coverage with wellness incentives and benefits plus a variety of optional supplemental benefits.
• Better together: Coverage for partners, gender-affirming care and health support, and family formation support.
• Build your financial future: Build financial stability with an industry-leading 401(k) retirement savings plan. For most employees, we put in 5 percent whether you contribute or not, and match your contributions on top of that.
• Advance your education: Tuition assistance is available to pursue higher education.
  
  

• Apply your talent to challenging and meaningful projects
• Receive select funding to pursue ideas in scientific and technological discovery
• Partner with world-class experts in a collaborative environment
• Nurture and develop the next generation of scientific leaders
• Give back to and improve our communities
  
  

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Research, Analyst, and Information Technology

• Industries

  Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing, Defense and Space Manufacturing, and Biotechnology Research

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