Los Alamos National Laboratory

What You Will Do

Sigma Division is seeking a Research and Development Engineer with a Metallurgy, Welding, or similar Engineering background to work within a diverse R&D program supporting weapons and global security programs at LANL as well as external collaborators, including universities, private industry, and other government laboratories.

Sigma Division focuses on manufacturing science emphasizing metallurgical processes and research in support of the experimental testing program at Los Alamos. We support a broad customer base, both internal and external to LANL, with high quality prototype and limited production components.

The Welding & Joining (W&J) Team applies a multitude of welding disciplines to solve complex manufacturing challenges including electron beam welding, laser welding, cutting, marking and ablation, manual and semi-automatic arc welding, brazing, and associated processing. The team also supports computational efforts, both internal to the team and in collaboration with other LANL experts, to investigate compensation, residual stresses, material composition, and microstructure modeling development. The W&J team works with the other teams in Sigma and beyond to solve manufacturing challenges, provide metallurgical guidance, and lead the way in cutting edge welding and joining processing.

This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 1 or 2 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

R&D Engineer 1 ($94,500 - $154,600)

The successful candidate will:

• Lead production-centric research and development activities in the areas of high energy density welding, vacuum furnace/induction brazing, semi-automatic and manual arc welding, or related computational modeling efforts
• Work within integrated and cross disciplinary teams to design and fabricate experimental assemblies aligned with customer needs
• Assists in the development of new methods, techniques or approaches to address critical technical problems.
• Provide high energy density welding/brazing/arc welding expertise and support for production agency needs
• Develop novel welding solutions to meet customer requirements
• Contribute to and author technical papers for publishing in peer-reviewed technical journals
• Work with teams to write proposals for R&D funding both internal and external
• Assist with the procurement of new equipment and support the removal of legacy equipment
• Work with vendors to install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair instrumentation and equipment in the facility

Additional Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 2 ($104,100-$172,200):

In addition to the duties outlined above, the higher level title will be required to:

• Write and lead proposals for R&D funding both internal and external
• Serve as a primary interface between the engineering and manufacturing functions to ensure production and research objectives are met
• Mentor junior staff, postdoctoral associates, or students on research or manufacturing projects
• Actively participates in professional societies, complex interactions, special assignments, and/or external special interest groups. May participate in external working groups and/or assist in organizing meetings and colloquia.
• Provides peer review of the work of others across organizations or disciplines.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

R&D Engineer Level 1:

• Experience applying advanced engineering simulations or modeling to production environments
• Experience with computer data acquisition systems or the advanced application of sensor technologies on welding or additive manufacturing equipment
• Drafting or computer-aided design software experience
• Experience working with radiological or hazardous materials
• Experience with process qualification and certification methods, including industry standard practices

Additional requirements for R&D Engineer Level 2:

• Formal training or hands-on experience in any of the following areas: arc welding (gas tungsten or gas metal arc welding), brazing, solid state welding, other welding/joining methods, heat treatment, casting, machining, forging, and/or other metal fabrication using manual or computer numerically controlled equipment
• Experience with weld evaluation including non-destructive testing and mechanical testing
• Experience with non-destructive testing, visual inspection, and metallurgical characterization techniques

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires U.S. citizenship

Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation): Applying torque with hands or arms, good hand eye coordination and fine motor control, lifting and carrying 30+ pounds.

Note to Applicants:

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of North Korea, and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Education/ Experience

Level 1: Position requires a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution related to the occupation combined with 2 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and technical experience directly related to the occupation.

Level 2: Position requires a 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.

Work Environment

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located 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 in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year.

Where You Will Work

Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:

• 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)

Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). 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. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US 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. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.

• Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

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. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants:Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations.

The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request a disability accommodation, email applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505) 664-6947, opt. 3.

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