Process/System Engineer (R&D Engineer 2/3)

Located in northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is primarily responsible for monitoring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile and conducting advanced research in numerous areas related to national security. Additionally, it is a center for research in a wide range of scientific disciplines, including space exploration, geophysics, renewable energy, supercomputing, medicine, and nanotechnology.

About the Role

The selected candidate will provide technical support as the process/system engineer in developing processes, improving processes, troubleshooting processes, and supporting high-value manufacturing. Responsibilities include supporting operations to maintain equipment and ensure the operability of the process. Individuals in this position will interact with multiple organizations to ensure implementation and compliance with Conduct of Engineering, Conduct of Maintenance, Conduct of Operations, Quality, and Safety Management programs for their area.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a contributing member of the R&D and Operations teams to address engineering challenges.
• Contribute to the research, design, testing, analysis, verification, and validation of engineering and technology solutions in support of R&D and Operations initiatives.
• Develop new methods, technologies, and analysis techniques for institutional programs.
• Ensure programmatic objectives through project management and engineering support to successfully complete milestones.
• Mentor early career staff, postdocs, and students.
• Independently present specific aspects of engineering assignments at project meetings.
• Adapt to evolving R&D requirements while meeting safety, security, compliance, and schedule imperatives.

R&D Engineer 3 (in addition to the above):

• Lead the research, design, and testing of engineering and technology solutions in support of R&D initiatives.
• Apply broad and diversified knowledge of engineering principles to implement sound engineering practices to achieve organizational objectives.
• Review Technical Procedures to ensure work is executed safely, securely, and meets product requirements.
• Lead technical decision-making at the task level within a project.
• Make decisions and/or recommendations that influence the achievement of key programmatic objectives.
• Lead the development of technical products such as journal papers, reports, presentations, and concept papers.
• Develop intellectual property and contribute to professional societies, publications, copyrights, external collaborations, and/or patents.
• Contribute ideas for new proposals and business development opportunities.
• Lead the development of the technical section of small to moderate proposals.
• Attain additional certifications, qualifications, and/or recognitions to grow in the field.

Requirements

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Engineering Expertise:
  • Experience in one or more of the following engineering disciplines: mechanical engineering; manufacturing engineering; machining engineering or other relevant fields.
  • Intermediate knowledge of professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, and procedures, as demonstrated by experience researching, designing, analyzing, testing, verifying, and validating engineering solutions.
  • Demonstrated experience performing a broad range of complex engineering work, including designing or reviewing a complete project, system, or component.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of manufacturing, system, and component testing operations.
  • Demonstrated experience developing, codifying, and validating engineering requirements.
• Analytical Skills:
  • Intermediate analytical thinking skills, as demonstrated by experience designing and executing experiments or tests, including the analysis and interpretation of data.
  • Demonstrated experience with continuous improvement concepts and tools.
  • Demonstrated commitment to high quality and timeliness of deliverables.
• Communication and Teamwork:
  • Demonstrated ability to work independently in high-intensity environments with coworkers representing a variety of technical backgrounds.
  • Demonstrated ability to express detailed ideas clearly in ways that build understanding, respect, and trust, as demonstrated through presentations and publications.

Additional Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 3:

• Engineering Expertise:
  • Thorough knowledge and experience in one or more of the following engineering disciplines: mechanical; materials science; chemical; metallurgical, or other R&D engineering field.
  • Thorough knowledge and experience in designing, planning, and executing research and development projects.
• Leadership and Management:
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in implementing Laboratory or similar industry objectives and other statements of policy, practice, and/or procedure.
  • Enhance technical and professional expertise of junior staff through active mentoring and training.
• Project Management:
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience in implementing Laboratory or similar industry policies affecting research and development activities, projects, and/or initiatives.
  • Influence organizational, project, and program strategies and directions.
• Continuous Improvement:
  • Leads the development of technical products such as journal papers, reports, presentations, and concept papers.
  • Develops intellectual property and contributes to professional societies, publications, copyrights, external collaborations, and/or patents.
  • Contributes ideas for new proposals and business development opportunities.

Qualifications

Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 2 level: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 3 level: Master's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 6 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. A Ph.D. may be preferred.

DOE O. 426.2: Requires a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering or related science, 2 years job-related experience, and 1 year of nuclear experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience working in a glovebox environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge or experience working in a manufacturing or production organization requiring implementation of defined manufacturing, testing, and quality requirements.
• Demonstrated experience working in a nuclear facility.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with system and subsystem qualification testing and/or analysis.
• Demonstrated experience applying continuous improvement concepts and tools.
• Demonstrated knowledge of conduct of operations principles.
• Demonstrated experience performing engineering work using rigorous institutional processes.
• Active Q clearance or equivalent.
• Existing DOE "Q" clearance (or similar).

Note to Applicants: Due to federal restrictions, citizens of the People's Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, including Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Work Location

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

Benefits

• PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network.
• Dental and vision insurance.
• Free basic life and disability insurance.
• Paid childbirth and parental leave.
• Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually).
• Learning opportunities and tuition assistance.
• Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays).
• Onsite gyms and wellness programs.
• Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50-mile radius).

Clearance

This position requires a Q clearance. Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. Obtaining such clearance requires U.S. citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens.