NIF Sustainment Deputy Program Manager, NIF and Laser Systems

LLNL-posted about 9 hours ago
Full-time • Mid Level
Onsite • Livermore, CA
5,001-10,000 employees
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Are you ready to lead a multi-year, $600M program advancing the world’s most powerful laser systems in support of national security science? The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Sustainment team is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to help oversee a portfolio of complex, interdependent projects focused on NIF and advanced laser systems. In this role, you will apply your technical expertise and strategic vision to deliver mission-critical outcomes, optimize resources, and ensure operational readiness in a highly regulated environment. As the Deputy Program Manager, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to a dynamic team of 75–120 personnel across engineering, operations, procurement, quality, safety, and scientific disciplines. You will coordinate and integrate multiple sub-projects, ensuring technical coherence, safety, and schedule performance across the entire portfolio. You will partner with program leadership, technical staff, and external stakeholders to drive execution, manage risks, and achieve long-range goals for NIF and laser systems. This position is part of the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate.

  • Lead and manage teams, programs, and functions with a technical focus, operating under broad consultative direction and significant autonomy, using expert knowledge and extensive team leadership experience, and exercise judgment within established policies to monitor workflow, allocate resources, ensure timely completion of projects, and influence and direct high-level strategic plans to achieve objectives while managing organizational and operational impact and attaining long-range goals.
  • Provide strategic technical and operational leadership for a large, multi-disciplinary team, setting vision and strategy for reliability, quality, and mission delivery in NIF and laser systems.
  • Lead, execute, and/or coordinate recruiting, hiring, training, career development, and performance and salary management activities as needed to meet programmatic staffing, employee development, and performance and salary related needs, including providing career counseling, mentoring, and technical guidance.
  • Lead and oversee highly complex, interdependent sub-projects, establishing program governance, cadence, and controls, including IMS, risk register, change control board, phase gates, and readiness reviews to ensure technical, safety, and regulatory compliance.
  • Develop and maintain Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), cost accounts, and earned value management (EVM) practices; direct financial planning, budget control, and resource allocation for a $600M portfolio, including procurement strategies and vendor management.
  • Lead program planning and execution, managing rolling IMS, baselines, and recovery plans, and coordinating system engineering V-model activities, requirements traceability, ICDs, and configuration management.
  • Champion reliability and lifecycle sustainment by developing and applying highly advanced systems engineering and asset management methods, and integrating upgrades, new technologies, and process improvements.
  • Align technical baselines with operational objectives, ensuring laser safety, QA/QC, test plans, and validation criteria are embedded; drive design reviews, hazard analyses, FMEA, and readiness assessments.
  • Scale and balance staffing across phases (75–120 FTEs), coordinate cross-functional teams, develop RACI matrices and succession plans, and mentor project managers and team leads.
  • Develop and maintain effective relationships and transparent communication with sponsors, lab leadership, safety authorities, and internal partners; lead risk and opportunity management, issue resolution, change requests, and scope discipline.
  • Direct commissioning, ramp-up, and transition to operations, ensuring training, SOPs, spares, reliability, and sustainment plans are in place for long-term success.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.
  • Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
  • Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Engineering, or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
  • Extensive technical leadership and management experience directing large, multi-disciplinary technical and operations teams in a highly complex industrial, laboratory, or defense-related environment.
  • Extensive experience, expert level knowledge and skills, and demonstrated success with EVM, IMS, WBS, cost account management, and phase-gate governance in a regulated environment.
  • Extensive experience, expert level knowledge and skills, and demonstrated success in strategic planning, resource optimization, and driving innovation in technical settings.
  • Extensive experience in effectively managing multi-million-dollar budgets, allocating resources strategically, collaborating with leadership to align annual priorities with organizational goals, and applying expert-level knowledge of systems and engineering principles, infrastructure sustainment strategies, and asset management.
  • Demonstrated extensive experience in facility operations involving cleanliness, stability, controls, and specialized laser systems.
  • Demonstrated expert level skills and extensive experience in successfully resolving highly complex technical issues, tackling unique challenges, and sustaining critical infrastructure.
  • Expert communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills necessary to effectively present, explain, influence, and advise professional colleagues, senior management, and external collaborators.
  • Master’s degree in Physics, Engineering, or a related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
  • PMP, PgMP, or equivalent program management certification.
  • Experience in national laboratory, defense, nuclear, or high-energy physics environments.
  • Background in laser safety, QA/QC systems, and commissioning of complex facilities.
  • Contract management experience with large vendors and specialized suppliers; familiarity with FAR/DFAR or similar frameworks.
  • Flexible Benefits Package
  • 401(k)
  • Relocation Assistance
  • Education Reimbursement Program
  • Flexible schedules (depending on project needs)
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