George Fraley is a principal resource analyst matrixed to the Operations Team in the Accelerator Technology & Applied Physics (ATAP) Division. Fraley joined the Office of the Chief Financial Officer Division toward the end of 2022, after working in aircraft maintenance planning for FedEx. Previously, he was an accountant at State Street Bank. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Tufts University in Boston and an MBA from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management.
Please tell us about the ATAP Operations Team and your role.
The ATAP Operations team supports the research programs to ensure that the division runs smoothly. As a principal resource analyst, this includes providing guidance on budgets and submissions during the proposal preparation process, reporting on funds remaining and work plans at the project and program level, and coordinating with division leadership on new opportunities.
What do you most like about your role, and what are your day-to-day challenges?
(Credit: Matthew Fullmer/Berkeley Lab)
My favorite part of the role is discovering that the time and effort invested in proposal preparation has led to a new project being selected for an award. Not only does it create opportunities to collaborate in different ways with Principal Investigators to help them manage their new project, but the tangible evidence that our effort has paid off and that new research goals will be achieved serves as a reminder of our shared purpose.
The biggest challenge I have faced at the Lab is staying flexible and managing deadlines so I can respond proactively to potential issues before they have a larger impact on my daily workflow.
What advice would you give to other people in roles like yours?
The biggest piece of advice I have is to embrace the collaborative aspects of the Lab. Being able to meet with various scientific teams and see the research and tools they are working on has opened up opportunities to make better decisions when managing budgets, planning work, or addressing the team’s challenges. This collaboration can help develop solutions that can be applied in the future if the same issue arises for another team.
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