Bio
Bill Sonnenburg joined Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in 2021 as the Project Manager for the Radioisotopes Processing Facility (RFP) Project, a $640 million capital line-item initiative for the Department of Energy (DOE) Isotope R&D and Production (DOE IP), coordinated within the ORNL Isotope Science and Enrichment Directorate. In this role, he led the project team from CD-0 through conceptual design and safety basis development, in preparation for CD-1 approval. The RFP will provide new and expanded radioisotope processing capabilities to meet current, near-term, and future national needs. The facility will utilize domestically designed modular hot cells (MHCs) fabricated in the U.S., which offer a safe and modern alternative to the costly monolithic buildings associated with Cold War-era facilities. By deploying modular hot cells tailored to specific production requirements, the RFP can efficiently produce current priority isotopes and be reconfigured in the future to accommodate evolving isotope needs without significant facility modifications. Bill transitioned from the RFP Project in April 2025 to support a new initiative at ORNL.
In April 2025, he was appointed Senior Project Manager for a classified data center project, a major line-item capital project being coordinated within the ORNL National Security Sciences Directorate aimed at constructing a state-of-the-art classified computing facility at ORNL in Melton Valley. This project represents a substantial investment in enhancing government computing capabilities, providing essential infrastructure to support high-performance computing for classified research and data analysis.
Additionally, Bill plays a key role in strengthening the Project Management Organization (PMO) within the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) non-proliferation stewardship program (NSP), contributing to two upcoming initiatives at ORNL: a classified NSP uranium program and a related NSP facility project.
Bill brings 19 years of project experience, including 15 years in the nuclear industry. He has a proven track record in project management, effectively coordinating large-scale engineering, procurement, and construction projects ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion dollars in value.
Professional Experience
Cumulative Experience:
Extensive project management experience in implementing Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS) in accordance with DOE O 413.3B, focusing on Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets.
Experience applying DOE-STD-1189-2016, which governs the Integration of Safety into the Design Process for nuclear facilities.
Significant nuclear design and construction experience, including proficiency in American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1), ASME B31.1/B31.3 for process piping, ASME Section III for pressure piping, and ASME Section VIII for pressure vessels.
Security Clearance: Active DOE Q clearance (2017-present) with TS/SCI access (2024-present).
Experience prior to ORNL:
Before joining ORNL in 2021, Bill held various leadership positions, successfully delivering complex construction projects, including commercial nuclear reactors, fossil power plants, and DOE projects for the NNSA. He began his professional career in 2006 at Kiewit as a mechanical engineer and lead mechanical field engineer on a $515 million, 200MW fossil power plant, recognized as one of the cleanest coal-fired generating units in the nation, which was completed six months ahead of schedule and under budget. Bill developed advanced construction planning tools, such as 4D modeling, which gained national recognition and contributed to the City Water, Light & Power's Dallman Unit 4 being named POWER magazine’s Power Plant of the Year in 2009.
In 2010, Bill joined Bechtel as a mechanical field engineer for the $4.7 billion Construction Completion Project at Watts Bar Unit 2 nuclear power plant. He advanced to the role of construction coordinator, representing multiple departments—including electrical, instrumentation, mechanical, and the control room design review group—during system meetings with the utility owner, TVA. Shortly after, he was promoted to system completion manager, where he managed the turnover of the first major ASME Section III safety-class system in nearly two decades. Bill subsequently served as lead system completion manager, project field engineer, and ultimately deputy site manager through substantial completion and nuclear fuel load in 2015.
Following this, Bill transitioned to the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) Project at the Y-12 National Security Complex, focusing on design and construction for the DOE NNSA. As area field engineer for the $4.7 billion Main Processing Building subproject—the largest at UPF—he became the control account manager responsible for project construction scope, overseeing over $900 million in direct hire labor and subcontract expenses. He executed overall planning, direction, and control for 13 Control Accounts across four subprojects before joining ORNL.
Education
Bachelors in Science for Industrial Engineering from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN
(Including focus areas in Mechanical Engineering and Computer Engineering)
Professional Affiliations
Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Leadership Institute (2022-present).