Jim Serafin

Associate Laboratory Director, Facilities and Operations

Jim Serafin leads ORNL’s Facilities and Operations Directorate, which is responsible for safe and reliable site operations, including facilities management, laboratory protection, modernization, utilities, logistical services, and the laboratory’s capital construction project portfolio. In this role, he supports the Laboratory Director in ensuring ORNL’s physical infrastructure, operational services, and site capabilities are aligned with the laboratory’s scientific mission and strategic priorities.

Jim has more than 30 years of experience in engineering, project management, facilities operations, infrastructure planning, and capital project delivery. Most recently, Jim served as director of the Facilities Management Division, providing leadership and programmatic direction for the operations and maintenance of approximately 185 facilities in support of ORNL’s research missions. He led a staff of 320, oversaw a budget of more than $80 million, and advanced disciplined operations, safety performance, continuous improvement, and staff development across the division.

From 2019 to 2024, Jim served as director of the Laboratory Modernization Division, where he was responsible for facilities strategic planning, design, and safe execution of ORNL’s capital projects, as well as space planning and management for the laboratory’s portfolio of more than 4.3 million square feet. Under his leadership, the division delivered approximately $50 million annually in capital construction projects, supported major utilities modernization and facility renovation efforts, and worked with research and operations leaders, Business Services, and the Department of Energy to align infrastructure investments with ORNL’s strategic priorities.

Since joining ORNL in 2008, Jim has held leadership roles in facilities strategic planning, modernization project delivery, facility management, and computing facilities program management. His ORNL experience includes support for high-performance computing facilities, data center operations, central campus research facilities, capital project recovery planning, and strategic space utilization.

Before joining ORNL, Jim held program management, project controls, engineering, and construction roles supporting complex infrastructure, environmental, and remediation projects. He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Tennessee and a certified Project Management Professional.

Jim is a 2024 fellow of the Oppenheimer Science and Energy Leadership Program and a graduate of Battelle’s Laboratory Operations Leadership Academy and Leadership Oak Ridge. He serves on the board of directors for St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic and is affiliated with the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Project Management Institute.