A Crossroads: National Security and STEAM

Nic Pilley

Office Director | National Nuclear Security Administration – US Department of Energy

The problem set facing the US Nuclear Security Enterprise is like no other in modern US history. Maintain and rebuild an aging nuclear stockpile, restart and modernize legacy production capabilities, devise and deploy a strategic plan and capability of the future, simultaneously. With an ever changing and dynamic geo-political environment. To tackle these issues the US govt employs a small organization known as the National Nuclear Security Administration. At the ground floor, they do this through portfolio management and/or program management. But what exactly does that exactly mean? How do they set the strategic vision and direction of national security objectives while working hand in hand with the technical experts, most of which are the premier folks in their fields but may not have a policy background? How do you communicate these complex topics to an audience like Congress, the White House, or other senior executives in government most of which may not have technical backgrounds? Balancing this dynamic drives much of the day-to-day things tackled at the NNSA. The people of the organizations that make up the NNSA are what make it successful and what will make it successful in the future, come see how pursuing such a career can be both challenging and rewarding.

Speaker Bio: Nic is currently serving as the Federal Office Director for the Depleted Uranium Production Modernization Office, responsible for the strategic modernization of special nuclear material production capabilities in support of the US Nuclear Stockpile. He oversees operations across a geographically dispersed set of highly technical teams while setting the strategic direction for the office to manage four distinct lines of effort. To include technology maturation, capability sustainment, material supply chain development, and infrastructure modernization. Prior to his current role, Nic spent some time in private industry overseeing specialized healthcare construction projects throughout the DC, Maryland, and Virigina area. Prior to that, he spent 10 years on active duty in the US Army as an Engineer Officer where he led multiple teams across a wide range of military tasks. With five of those years spent as a civil military advisor living and working with host nation security forces abroad. Academically, Nic holds a Master of Arts in International Security with a graduate certificate in Cyber Security from George Mason University (Class of 2020), a Master of Science in Engineering Management from the University of Missouri Science and Technology (Class of 2012),  and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from North Carolina State University (Class of 2007).