Los Alamos National Laboratory

What You Will Do

Join the best and the brightest minds in the world at one of the most innovative and creative multidisciplinary research institutions engaged in strategic science on behalf of nation security. The work we do at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) matters to our country and the world.

The Power Supply Production (PSP) Division provides world-class actinide science, processing and power source production in support of national defense and space exploration. PSP-5 work for space and defense programs to process Pu238 to make heat sources for instruments or generators that need long lasting and reliable power. You will be working as part of an integrated team that encapsulates fuel into various containment vessels within LANL's nuclear facility. You will provide technical support to the process/system; support includes production and manufacturing, equipment upgrades, and process improvements. The primary role of the process engineer is to provide configuration management to the suite of PSP processes from development through production. This role requires working in a glovebox and the ability/willingness to handle nuclear materials to understand how design choices impact technicians and operations. In this role, you will be interacting with multiple organizations to ensure compliance with Conduct of Operations, Conduct of Engineering, Conduct of Maintenance, Quality, and Safety Management programs.

The successful candidate will work as part of a multidisciplinary team to develop and transition new production processes and methods to production, conduct failure analysis of welded components, lead continuous improvement efforts, evaluate weld process data analysis, develop and implement detailed operating procedures, and support manufacturing. Welding engineers or welding metallurgists with demonstrated expertise in the areas of precision gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), Electron beam welding, and/or weld process modeling are critical to the ALDWP mission. In addition to welding common materials such as stainless steel, the R&D Engineer will have the opportunity to work with a wide range of unique and challenging materials. Development and production activities require working in a team environment with other engineers, scientists, and technicians within the LANL, DOE, DoD, and other institutions.

This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2 or R&D Engineer 3 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 2 (salary range $104,100 - $172,200) Job Knowledge:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in an engineering discipline.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in designing, planning, and executing research and development projects.

R&D Engineer 3 (salary range $125,200 - 211,300) Job Knowledge:

• Thorough knowledge of and experience in engineering disciplines
• Thorough knowledge of and experience in designing, planning, and executing research and development projects.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Participate in manufacturing process development and execution for gas tungsten arc (GTA) welds for various materials used in component manufacturing.
• Support engineering activities as they relate to component manufacturing with specific responsibilities in the areas of manufacturing and operation.
• Assist in the development of solutions to complex problems, improve production cycle times, and maximize production yield rates.
• Work will be accomplished with limited direction, on all but the most complex problems and solutions. Engineers operating in this position are expected to execute work and projects with minimal oversight with nominal supervision on all but the most complex problems and solutions.

Engineering Experience:

• Demonstrated or thorough knowledge of and experience in one or more of the following engineering disciplines: welding engineering or materials science/engineering or other R&D engineering fields.

Engineering Expertise:

• Demonstrated or thorough knowledge of welding and joining procedure development. Demonstrated or thorough expertise and knowledge of welding/joining processes used in manufacturing as well as processes or approaches used to optimize welding processes.

Problem Solving Skills:

• Demonstrated or thorough experience and success in troubleshooting welding/joining processes and production of products meeting detailed technical specifications.

Technical Accomplishments:

• Must have a strong record of technical accomplishments (provide examples) within a professional work environment.

Communication:

• Demonstrated successful skill with interpersonal, written, and verbal communications.

Education/Experience:

R&D Engineer 2: This position requires a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, metallurgy, materials science, electrical engineering, welding engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, or industrial engineering from an ABET accredited engineering college or university program, and 4 years of experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

R&D Engineer 3: This position requires a Master's degree in mechanical engineering, metallurgy, materials science, electrical engineering, welding engineering, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, or industrial engineering from an ABET accredited engineering college or university program, and 6 years of experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. At this level, a PhD may be preferred.

Desired Skills:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience working in a manufacturing or production organization requiring implementation of define manufacturing, testing, and quality requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of TGA welding development methods and transition of these methods to high quality/high value component production.
• Knowledge and experience with system and subsystem qualification testing and/or analysis.
• Knowledge and experience with nondestructive analysis methods.
• Demonstrated application of Lean Six Sigma, SPC, and other production monitoring methods.
• Demonstrated programming and deploying production procedures using advanced precision GTAW process equipment such as AMET, Jetline, or Sciaky equipment.
• Experience in project development, reporting, and presentation to management and sponsors.
• Active DOE Q security clearance.
• Enrollment in HRP.

Work Environment: Domestic travel, Work near sources of ionizing radiation, Work near machinery and moving parts, Domestic travel, Mask or respirator, Safety glasses or eye protection, Safety shoes or protective foot gear.

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 2 years.

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.

Notes to Applicants:

• For full consideration, submit a comprehensive resume reflective of your relevant experience to the job requirements and desired skills stated above.
• While the posted salary range for this position is broad, it is highly unusual for selected applicants to be hired at the top end of the range and more common for the selected candidates to grow into the full salary band over time.
• 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.

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.

HRP: This position is subject to the requirements of the DOE Human Reliability Program as specified in 10 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 712, §712.11. These requirements include on going drug and alcohol testing, as well as periodic medical and psychological evaluations.

426.2: This position is subject to DOE Order 426.2, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities, which establishes entry-level requirements to ensure candidates selected for specific positions can successfully perform the requirements of the job.

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 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 such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.

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