High-Power Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Manager

LLNL•Livermore, CA

1d•$282,210 - $359,700•Onsite

About The Position

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is seeking a dynamic High-Power Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Manager to lead the Laser and Alignment Systems Engineering Section. This role is responsible for safe, reliable operations, strong system performance, critical maintenance, and future capability enhancements of the world's largest and most energetic laser. The position offers a unique opportunity to apply leadership, engineering judgment, and strategic vision at one of the world’s most advanced scientific facilities. The manager will oversee a large organization of engineers and technicians responsible for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement of critical laser, diagnostic, pulsed power, and alignment systems. This includes both engineering sustainment and round-the-clock operational readiness for systems essential to mission execution. The role involves leading a multidisciplinary technical team responsible for safe operations, optimized system performance, and reliable, high-availability execution, while driving upgrades and engineering improvements needed to meet future mission requirements and increasing shot rate demands. The manager will provide direct leadership in organizational development, workforce planning, technical direction, and resource management. Operating under broad organizational direction, the individual will exercise independent judgment in establishing section objectives, setting priorities, allocating resources, and resolving complex engineering and operational challenges. This position is in the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or another related technical field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.
Expert knowledge of and extensive experience with leadership, management, and organizational development principles to lead and achieve unit objectives and meet Laboratory, Department of Energy (DOE), and customer/sponsor requirements.
Extensive experience effectively planning and directing work and strategies involving technical objectives, estimating effort, setting milestones, and managing within a designated budget.
Expert technical knowledge and extensive operational experience with complex laser, pulsed power, alignment, electro-mechanical, or similarly complex engineered systems in a high-consequence environment.
Extensive experience in complex work control, safety systems, risk assessment, maintenance strategy, and quality assurance.
Extensive experience effectively establishing organizational priorities, interpreting operational objectives, and exercising judgment in the use of resources to meet mission requirements.
Demonstrated ability and extensive experience successfully resolving a diverse and complex range of project execution challenges.
Expert communication, facilitation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills necessary to effectively present and explain information, direct an organization, build cooperative multi-disciplinary teams, and interact with and advise management and customers/sponsors on a wide variety of management level technical and complex issues.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or related technical field.
Experience with high-power laser systems, pulsed power systems, precision optical alignment systems, or similarly complex technical systems.
Strong systems engineering experience including risk management, reliability engineering, and lifecycle sustainment.
Experience supporting maintenance and operations in high-availability research, defense, industrial, or national security facilities.
Experience leading large multidisciplinary technical organizations in a 24/7 operational environment.
Experience partnering across organizational boundaries where system-level performance ownership and operational execution responsibilities are shared.
Familiarity with safety and quality requirements in high-consequence environments.

Responsibilities

Establish section priorities, work plans, long-term objectives, and resource allocation to ensure the safe operation, system performance, reliability, and readiness of laser, as well as ensure that diagnostic, pulsed power, and alignment systems support the NIF experimental schedule, future mission requirements, and increasing shot rate demands.
Provide technical leadership and management of a large multidisciplinary organization of approximately 90 engineers, technicians, and technical leaders responsible for operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, upgrades and readiness of complex mission-critical systems.
Manage multiple technically challenging operational and engineering efforts with competing priorities, working to improve safety, system performance, reliability, maintainability, shot availability, and efficient around-the-clock operational readiness in support of NIF shot execution.
Manage personnel performance, workforce planning, career development, and succession planning, in partnership with discipline organizations, to sustain organizational capability and support long-term mission success.
Direct maintenance, reliability and lifecycle sustainment strategies for assigned complex systems, including risk reduction, obsolescence management, and continuous improvement of equipment, processes, and operational practices to sustain high-availability execution and enable future capability enhancements.
Collaborate and partner closely with the Laser Science Systems Engineering organization and other NIF sections to align system-level requirements, operational plans, troubleshooting efforts, and new capability upgrades with overall mission objectives.
Interact and coordinate with, report and make recommendations to, influence, and negotiate with senior management and internal and external customers and sponsors regarding the progress, readiness, performance, and future needs of systems supporting NIF operations and mission execution.
Oversee, analyze, and evaluate technical and operational progress of projects and work activities within the section and across organizational interfaces to ensure goals, objectives, schedules, and performance expectations are met.
Exercise independent judgment in resolving complex engineering and operational issues while balancing technical, schedule, staffing, and budget considerations to meet mission requirements.
Perform other duties as assigned.