Greg Hays

Greg Hays is the Project Director for the Advanced Light Source Upgrade (ALS-U) project at Berkeley Lab. Appointed following an extensive national search, he provides the strategic vision and facility-wide operational oversight to guide the ALS through this revolutionary, transformative upgrade. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring the successful execution, technical direction, and delivery of the project. He oversees all aspects of ALS-U management—including budget development, cost tracking, and scheduling—while coordinating across multidisciplinary scientific and engineering teams to align the project with institutional goals and stakeholder expectations.

Greg brings 36 years of experience working within the national laboratory complex, having been employed at four different national laboratories. Over nearly four decades of service across the Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DoD) complexes, he has developed a deep knowledge of the federal mission space and a proven track record of delivering large-scale, multi-laboratory projects totaling more than $1.8 billion on schedule and within budget. He is highly adept at guiding complex technical projects through all Critical Decision phases of DOE O413.3B—from design and production to the transition to operations.

An expert in managing diverse stakeholder relationships and sponsor interfaces, Greg possesses an extensive DOE project management network and a strong track record in talent recruitment. This leadership capability is supported by a foundational expertise in laser and accelerator engineering, including a robust working knowledge of accelerators, controls, vacuum systems, cryogenics, and X-ray transport, making him uniquely qualified to lead the next generation of the Advanced Light Source.