Electrical Engineer (Nuclear Facilities Engineer 3/4)

This position will be filled at either the 3 or 4 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

About the Role

The Plutonium Facilities Engineering Division (PFE-DO) and PFE-RCMR: CMR AND RLUOB at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are seeking an Electrical Engineer or engineers with facility power expertise. This role involves ensuring electrical safety, power quality, power monitoring, and critical power reliability within and around the plutonium facility. You will lead and collaborate on projects involving facility modifications, new equipment installations, and infrastructure development, ensuring compliance with performance, safety, and regulatory standards.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and review complex engineering studies such as short-circuit analysis, device coordination, equipment sizing, fault current calculations, lighting design, and arc flash assessments for low-voltage (0-600V) systems.
• Support demolition, installation, upgrade, and repair activities within nuclear facilities.
• Qualify as a Cognizant System Engineer (CSE) for one or more Vital Safety Systems (VSS) supporting LANL nuclear facilities.
• Ensure all work aligns with DOE Orders and Standards, the Nuclear Safety Management Rule, American Nuclear Society Standards, national consensus codes, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Mentor junior engineers in professional development.

Responsibilities at Level 4

• Identify and/or lead activities within a nuclear facility engineering discipline, demonstrating initiative, technical depth, and leadership in complex project environments.
• Apply broad and diversified knowledge of nuclear facility engineering principles and practices in the preparation and execution of nuclear facility engineering deliverables.
• Utilize nuclear engineering technology to accomplish work safely and efficiently while continuously improving engineering and work processes.
• Support advanced mentoring and coaching opportunities for other engineers.
• Integrate requirements across multiple systems and disciplines to ensure safe, compliant, and reliable facility operations.

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge and hands-on experience in the design, maintenance, operation, and modification of low voltage and instrumentation and control systems in nuclear facility environments.
• Broad knowledge of nuclear facility engineering systems, processes, calculations, and the application of technology-aided engineering tools.
• Thorough knowledge and application of nuclear facility engineering roles including system engineering, project engineering, design engineering, and support of nuclear criticality safety analysis and safety basis activities.
• Demonstrated ability to perform complex nuclear facility engineering analyses and develop technically sound, defensible solutions that meet DOE and NNSA expectations.
• Skilled in applying and interpreting industry, regulatory, and DOE/NNSA codes, standards, and criteria including IBC, IEBC, IEEE, NFPA 70, NFPA 70E, and applicable Laboratory standards and guides.
• Thorough knowledge of nuclear facility engineering work planning and control methods, including coordination of engineering activities in highly regulated environments.
• In-depth understanding of nuclear facility safety principles, hazard identification, and mitigation strategies across design, construction, maintenance, and operational phases.
• Demonstrated success leading safety-related nuclear facility engineering projects from conception through completion, including defining deliverables, managing scope, and meeting aggressive schedules.
• Broad knowledge of engineering design, planning, construction methodologies, maintenance techniques, and project and process nuclear facility engineering practices.
• Experience preparing, maintaining, and controlling nuclear facility engineering documentation, technical reports, system performance data, and records in accordance with Laboratory administrative practices.
• Proven ability to communicate complex nuclear facility engineering issues clearly and effectively to technical staff, management, and external stakeholders, and to mentor and provide technical direction to other engineers.

Additional Requirements for Level 4

• Recognized authority with broad and expert knowledge of nuclear facility engineering systems, processes, calculations, and methodologies, including selection and application of technology-aided engineering tools.
• Expert-level knowledge and application of nuclear facility engineering roles including system engineering, project engineering, and design engineering, with responsibility for technical judgment and decision-making in nuclear criticality safety analysis and safety basis development.
• Expert ownership of nuclear facility engineering work planning and control methods, including establishing technical approaches, resolving conflicts, and ensuring alignment across highly regulated nuclear facility activities.
• Expert-level understanding and application of engineering maintenance techniques and construction methodologies for nuclear facilities, including setting technical expectations for long-term system reliability, operability, and compliance.
• Authoritative knowledge of DOE and NNSA Orders, Laboratory procedures, standards, guides, and administrative practices, with responsibility for interpretation, application, and technical consistency.
• Expert interpretation and application of complex industry, regulatory, and DOE/NNSA codes, standards, and criteria pertinent to nuclear facility engineering, including resolving ambiguities and establishing defensible technical positions.
• Expert knowledge of nuclear facility engineering principles, procedures, standards, and administrative practices, applied across the full lifecycle of nuclear facility systems to guide engineering strategy and technical integration.
• Expert-level ownership of project and process nuclear facility engineering practices, including establishing technical direction, approving engineering approaches, and ensuring regulatory, safety, and performance objectives are achieved.
• Recognized authority in establishing and defending the technical baseline for new and existing nuclear facility systems, including approval and oversight of engineering calculations, analyses, specifications, and technical studies.
• Institutional-level Electrical Subject Matter Expert, relied upon for independent technical judgment, escalation resolution, and high-consequence engineering decisions across multidisciplinary nuclear facility programs.
• Trusted technical leader providing strategic engineering direction across multi-facility and cross-functional organizations, mentoring senior and junior engineers, and advising management on complex nuclear facility engineering risks and tradeoffs.

Qualifications

For the lower level (Nuclear Facilities Engineer 3): Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited college or university and a minimum of 6 years of practical work experience. Advanced engineering or technical degree is highly desired. Current registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) is highly desirable.

For the higher level (Nuclear Facilities Engineer 4): Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an ABET-accredited college or university and a minimum of 12 years of practical work experience. Advanced engineering or technical degree is highly desired. Current registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) is highly desirable.

This position may be subject to 426.2A, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities.

Desired Skills

• Proven integrity, professionalism, and commitment to technical excellence.
• Proficiency in SKM Power Tools and Arc Flash Calculations.
• Proficiency in UPS, Inverters, Battery Banks.

Work Environment

• Work in a noisy environment.
• Work near sources of ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.
• Work near machinery with moving parts.
• Potential for working overtime or an irregular schedule.

Pay

Nuclear Facilities Engineer 3: $125,200 - $211,300

Nuclear Facilities Engineer 4: $150,300 - $260,800

Schedule

This position may require 24/7 coverage, which could involve working a shift/weekend schedule. Employees may be eligible for shift differential pay when assigned by their manager.

Location

The work location for this position is onsite in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.

Essential Job Functions

• General physical mobility, standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending.
• Use of both hands, arms, legs, and feet.
• Carry/lift up to 20 pounds.

Position Commitment

Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position (1 year for this role) to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory.