Nuclear Safety Engineer

LLNL•Livermore, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is hiring a nuclear weapon safety engineer to participate in new and ongoing programs. The role involves designing, assessing, and implementing nuclear weapon safety components and subsystems, and collaborating with colleagues at other National Laboratories and Production Agencies, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Department of War (DoW), and their contractors. The position is in the Defense Technologies Engineering Division (DTED), within the Engineering Directorate, which supports Strategic Deterrence Programs. Depending on assignment, the position may offer a hybrid schedule with the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week. The role will be filled at either the SES.2 or SES.3 level based on knowledge and related experience; additional responsibilities apply at SES.3. The engineer partners with system engineers, product realization teams, test engineers, analysts, and other stakeholders to derive safety requirements, develop conceptual designs, and perform supporting analyses and tests to demonstrate compliance with weapon safety requirements. The role evaluates component, subsystem, and system responses in normal and abnormal environments in support of stockpile stewardship, modernization programs, and future weapon system concepts. The engineer maintains awareness of activities affecting weapon-system safety, prepares safety and engineering documentation, participates in design reviews, and travels to other laboratories, production agencies, NNSA locations, and DoW sites for meetings, briefings, and safety evaluations. At the SES.3 level, the engineer coordinates project interfaces and execution, leads and provides technical direction to multidisciplinary project teams, resolves complex technical and programmatic issues, performs independent technical work, and selects methods and evaluation criteria to analyze multiple identifiable factors. This is a Career Indefinite position open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Requirements

Active DOE Q-level clearance or active Top Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency at the time of hire.
Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Experience working with safety-critical components, subsystems, and systems for high-hazard, high-consequence applications, such as aerospace systems safety, reactor safety, nuclear facility safety, or munition safety.
Strong verbal and written communication skills and experience working effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment; ability to present and explain technical information to peers and project leaders.
Ability to obtain higher clearances if needed to support programmatic work, which may require a polygraph test.
At SES.3: Proficient verbal and written communication skills to collaborate in a team environment and present and explain technical information to peers, project leaders, and senior leadership.
At SES.3: Systems engineering experience for nuclear or high-consequence systems, including applying systems thinking to ensure stakeholder needs are met.
At SES.3: Proficiency with foundational science and engineering principles and experience with safety analysis methods and tools, such as event-tree, fault-tree, failure modes and effects analysis, and margin and uncertainty quantification.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Experience with nuclear weapon safety design and assessment, the NNSA documented safety analysis process for nuclear explosive operations, Nuclear Explosive Safety evaluations, and nuclear weapon surety requirements such as DOE Order 452-series.
Experience working with NNSA Nuclear Security Enterprise laboratories and plants, including Pantex Plant, Kansas City National Security Campus, Sandia National Laboratories, and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Ability to obtain certification for NNSA’s Nuclear Explosive Safety Study Group through classroom and on-the-job training.
Knowledge of design applications employing high explosive materials.
Experience working in an environment with stringent safety and security policies.

Responsibilities

Partner with system engineers, product realization teams, test engineers, analysts, and other stakeholders to derive safety requirements, develop and mature conceptual designs, and perform analyses and tests demonstrating that weapon safety requirements are met.
Evaluate components, subsystems, and system responses under normal and abnormal environments in support of stockpile stewardship, modernization programs, and future weapon system concepts.
Maintain awareness of design, development, production, maintenance, and dismantlement activities that affect weapon-system safety.
Prepare supporting safety and engineering documentation and participate in engineering design reviews.
Work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Travel to other National Laboratories, Production Agencies, NNSA locations, and DoW sites for meetings, briefings, and safety evaluations.
Perform other duties as assigned.
At SES.3: Coordinate project interfaces and execution with organizations inside and outside the Laboratory.
At SES.3: Lead multidisciplinary project teams and provide guidance and technical direction.
At SES.3: Apply engineering knowledge to resolve complex technical and programmatic issues and perform independent technical tasks to address complex issues.
At SES.3: Select methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria to obtain results based on analysis of multiple, largely identifiable factors.