Project Engineer (Nuclear Facility Engineer 3 or 4)

About the Role

This position will be filled at either the Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 3 or Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 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.

The Plutonium Infrastructure Engineering Division (PIE-DO) of Los Alamos National Laboratory develops, maintains, and applies a diverse set of engineering capabilities to provide innovative engineering solutions in support of the Laboratory's Plutonium Facility. PIE-DO is responsible for implementing the Conduct of Engineering (COE) program on Division projects, which includes processes, standards, training, and qualifications applicable throughout the life cycle of a facility to manage risks and satisfy customer requirements safely, securely, cost-effectively, and in an environmentally responsible manner.

Responsibilities

Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 3

• Perform as the lead technical representative for engineering activities related to the planning, design, execution, and closeout of projects.
• Lead and manage development of projects with an integrated project team (IPT) that includes customers, stakeholders, subject matter experts, and others.
• Manage engineering design efforts, which may be performed by internal and/or external engineering design teams.
• Manage design reviews, ensure comments are implemented, and verify compliant design delivery at each stage (i.e., 30/60/90/100%).
• Manage technical requirements for construction, including coordinating designer-constructor interfaces, design changes, submittal reviews, inspection documentation, request for information (RFI), field change requests (FCR), commissioning, and turnover processes.
• Work with the integrated project team to ensure scope, requirements tracking, and safety in design are correctly implemented.
• Work with LANL Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) representatives and Subject Matter Experts (SME) to identify and resolve issues.
• Plan and forecast project engineering staffing needs.
• Review engineering progress against approved schedules and budgets; evaluate variances and develop corrective action when needed.
• Adhere to and enforce the policies, programs, procedures, and practices within the requirements of the LANL Conduct of Engineering program.
• Mentor junior project engineers and provide oversight of their work.
• Participate in process improvement initiatives.
• Manage contracts for external design execution.

Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 4

In addition to the responsibilities outlined for the Project Engineer 3, the Project Engineer 4 will:

• Demonstrate proven leadership experience.
• Apply advanced knowledge of construction engineering principles and practices.
• Serve in a senior engineering role implementing, overseeing, or assessing engineering activities.
• Utilize expert-level knowledge of assessment/audit practices, construction codes and standards, and formal project management methodologies.
• Perform strategic thinking for development of institutional programs and initiatives.
• Evaluate complex technical systems through structured assessments, data analysis, and performance monitoring to identify deficiencies and implement corrective actions.
• Apply deep understanding of national consensus standards (e.g., ASME, ISO, NQA-1) within engineering, testing, and operational environments.
• Use strong analytical proficiency in applying statistical and metrology methods to diagnose process variation, determine root causes, and improve system reliability and performance.

Requirements

• Experience working with design and construction contracts.
• Experience working under a conduct of engineering program (e.g., LANL COE program or similar).
• Familiarity with cost engineering functions, cost estimating, cost control, and variance analysis.
• Advanced knowledge of assessment/audit practices.
• Proven experience in collaborative problem solving with SMEs, construction personnel, and peers.
• Advanced technical knowledge in the application of engineering, procurement, construction, testing, and operations practices.
• Advanced experience with mentoring personnel.
• Experience interacting with production agency and design agency staff members.
• Experience working with industry codes and standards such as NEC, IBC, ASME, NFPA, etc.
• Experience working with national quality requirements standards such as ASME NQA-1, ISO 9000, etc.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Desktop automation skills (MS Office Suite).
• Advanced training and significant experience with problem-solving methodology (e.g., Lean Six Sigma, root cause analysis).

Qualifications

Education/Experience at Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 3 Level:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering 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) or Engineer in Training (EIT) is highly desirable.

Education/Experience at Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 4 Level:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering 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.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant engineering/technical field.
• Professional registration as a Professional Engineer or registered architect.
• Awareness of NRC or DOE/NNSA nuclear/radiological facilities or projects, and DOE standards and Orders (e.g., DOE O 413.3b, DOE-STD-1189, DOE-STD-1066).
• Experience developing engineering schedules using tools such as MS Project or Oracle P6.
• Active Q Clearance.

Pay

• Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 3: $128,000 - $215,900
• Nuclear Facilities Project Engineer 4: $153,600 - $266,500

The Level 4 position is eligible to participate in the Triad Incentive Compensation Program.

Benefits

• PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with a 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).

Work Environment

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

Position Commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service of 1 year in their current position.

Clearance: This position requires a Q clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation.

New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.