Laser System Engineering and Operations Group Leader

LLNL•Livermore, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is hiring Engineering Group Leaders for the Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Division within the Engineering Directorate. The leaders will administratively lead multidisciplinary engineering groups supporting operations, design, and research and development activities across the Systems Engineering, Integrated Engineering, and Systems Integration Engineering Sections. The role focuses on developing staff, fostering an inclusive and high-performing work environment, and ensuring the engineering workforce meets program needs. Full-time on-site presence is required. Positions will be filled at either the SEL.4 or SEL.5 level based on knowledge and related experience; the SEL.5 level includes additional responsibilities and qualifications. The Group Leader provides technical, operational, and administrative leadership and supervision. The role includes managing staffing and workforce plans, recruiting and developing employees, setting work objectives and priorities, ensuring work is properly resourced, guiding engineering quality and safety, and coordinating technical work with program leaders. The Group Leader also supports strategic technical initiatives, communicates program risks and requirements to senior leadership, and maintains internal and external collaborations. At the SEL.5 level, the role also addresses unusually complex or sensitive technical and programmatic issues, leads long-range and succession planning with division and section leadership, influences strategic technical decisions, and serves as a senior technical expert or spokesperson for Laboratory management and external customers. The position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. This is a Career Indefinite position open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Requirements

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance; U.S. citizenship is required for the clearance.
Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Significant technical and operational leadership experience in a multidisciplinary team environment, including leading technical staff, coordinating across functions and disciplines, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture focused on complex program objectives.
Significant experience, subject matter expertise, and leadership in design, analysis, and implementation in one or more of these areas: hardware or systems used on precision optomechanical or electromechanical systems; system design, assembly, and commissioning; shot or facility operations; fabrication and process engineering of highly integrated systems; systems and project engineering; or project management with extensive funding-sponsor interaction.
Significant experience leading technical presentations and participating in design reviews, identifying technical needs, developing practical approaches, and delivering strategic working solutions for program customers.
Expert communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills to lead teams; present, explain, influence, and advise management, program leaders, and sponsors; interpret and convey Laboratory policies; and promote employee situational awareness.
Interpersonal skills to attract, motivate, and retain high-performing technical staff.
Demonstrated ability to lead and manage positively and professionally, communicate effectively, empathize, overcome setbacks, and proactively defuse conflict.
Aptitude for mentoring and supervising staff and managing sensitive personnel matters with discretion and integrity.
At SEL.5, extensive experience leading highly complex personnel management issues, innovative workforce development activities, incident investigation teams, and policy initiatives at the institutional or national level.
At SEL.5, subject matter expertise and extensive leadership experience advancing state-of-the-art technologies in one or more of precision clean systems, optomechanical or electromechanical systems, project management, optical engineering, or precision alignment.
At SEL.5, extensive experience and expert ability to champion, lead, and develop innovative, cutting-edge principles, theories, concepts, and technologies.
At SEL.5, extensive experience translating abstract, high-level requirements into specific technical development strategies and outlining project plans, tasks, and milestones.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or PhD in Mechanical, Electrical, or Optical Engineering, or a related field.
Significant experience with LLNL and Engineering administrative policies, procedures, and design safety practices and standards.
Experience in payroll supervision, preparation of performance reviews, ranking and salary management, and knowledge of Engineering Directorate policies and procedures.
Experience in high-energy and high-power laser systems.
Experience in an Ombuds program or equivalent.

Responsibilities

Provide technical and operational leadership, supervision, and administrative direction to a multidisciplinary team of engineers.
Lead recruiting, hiring, training, career development, performance management, career counseling, mentoring, and technical guidance for group members.
Collaborate with NIF&PS / LMF leaders to assign group members, define work objectives, and advise and evaluate staff on technical work.
Lead and participate in formal and informal design reviews; promote engineering excellence, engineering safety, industry best practices, systems engineering, and project management.
Mentor staff in the design, analysis, implementation, and integration of components and systems, including use of systems engineering methodology in the Integrated Product Review Board process.
Manage workforce projections with programmatic managers to address staff availability and training needs and inform the group’s vision.
Align and prioritize work scope, staffing, and resources to support milestones and deliverables; manage parallel tasks, resolve conflicting requirements, and set priorities.
Maintain effective internal and external communications and collaborations, and communicate program risks and requirements to senior leadership in a timely manner.
Identify and foster Science & Technology initiatives in lasers, optics, diagnostics, or other relevant research areas for NIF&PS / LMF and Engineering.
At SEL.5, provide technical or programmatic management solutions for highly unusual, complex, or sensitive issues where the solution path is not known in advance.
At SEL.5, develop and deliver strategic and succession planning for long-range goals with division, deputy division, associate division, section, and peer group leadership.
At SEL.5, influence strategic technical decisions made by senior management and external customers.
At SEL.5, serve as an organizational spokesperson and senior technical expert for Laboratory management and/or an external advisor to customers and sponsors.
Perform other duties as assigned.