Pulsed Power Engineer – Laser and Experimental Systems

LLNL•Livermore, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

We have an opening for an experienced Pulsed Power Engineer to support the National Ignition Facility and Photon Science (NIF&PS) portfolio of programs—including NIF Operations, NIF Sustainment, NIF Enhanced Yield Capability (EYC), HED & Photon Sciences, and the Department of Defense Technology (DoDT). NIF’s laser is the world’s highest energy pulsed laser system, capable of producing over 1.8 MJ of optical energy. Many of NIF’s subsystems have pulsed power technologies at their core. You will be participating in the engineering design and development of new pulsed power and power electronics hardware and for system upgrades to continually improve performance and reliability. You will also provide engineering knowledge to the operations and maintenance staff for NIF’s 400 MJ flashlamp power supplies, as well as its state-of-the-art Plasma Electrode Pockels Cell (PEPC) systems. These positions are in the Laser Systems Engineering and Operations (LSEO) Division, within the Engineering Directorate. These positions will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level. In this role, you will Work under limited direction with moderate responsibility, use comprehensive knowledge, and exercise independent judgment to determine methods and recommend improvements within established frameworks and contribute to the fulfillment of project and organizational goals.

Requirements

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Comprehensive knowledge of, and practical experience with high-voltage/pulsed power systems, including prime power.
Demonstrated proficiency in one or more of the following areas: pulsed power, power modulation/switching, grounding, shielding in harsh EMI environments, and diagnostics/instrumentation systems.
Applied experience in designing, building, testing, and operating high-voltage pulsed power systems.
Comprehensive knowledge and skills and demonstrated proficiency performing moderately complex computational modeling and analysis (SPICE, MATLAB, COMSOL, or similar).
Experience working effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment managing multiple tasks, projects, and priorities.
Proficient verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate in a team environment, including the ability to prepare technical reports, deliver presentations, and explain technical information.
Significant experience in designing, building, testing, and operating complex high-power offline power converters or high-voltage pulsed power systems.
Demonstrated experience effectively leading design reviews and providing technical guidance to teams.
Significant experience interacting and cooperating with all levels of technical staff, managers, and vendors.
Significant experience defining scope from often not well defined and/or rapidly changing requirements, including demonstrated ability and flexibility in reprioritizing and changing programmatic direction depending on emergent needs.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in electrical engineering or related field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Understanding of high-voltage, high-power switched mode power supply design and implementation.
Experience with high-speed/high-power electronics for pulsed laser systems.
Familiarity with the generation and measurement of large, transient magnetic fields and circuit breaker/fuse coordination.

Responsibilities

Participate in providing engineering support and solutions to new pulsed power and power electronics hardware for NIF laser systems.
Contribute to the design and upgrade of high-voltage solid-state pulse generators for multi-pulse systems (e.g., ARC-PEPC).
Contribute to the development and deployment of solid-state pulsed power for high-average-power laser-diode arrays.
Support and troubleshoot NIF’s flashlamp power supplies and PEPC systems.
Participate in the development and presentation of system reliability and performance metrics; provide recommendations and contribute to investments in system improvements.
Provide solutions to problems of moderate complexity involving the electrical performance of system components under dynamic electrical loads and/or harsh electromagnetic interference conditions.
Uphold and adhere to the highest standards of personnel and facility safety standards during all tests and experiments.
Participate in documenting technical designs, creating schematics, authoring test procedures and formal reports, and defining and recommending process improvements.
Present technical results and recommendations in peer reviews and stakeholder meetings
Perform other duties as assigned.
Function independently with minimal direction, taking significant responsibility and using advanced knowledge and judgment to establish objectives, prioritize parallel tasks, allocate resources, and collaborate in the development of innovative methods/technology to guide the completion of projects and contribute to the development of organizational goals.
Lead and participate in multi-disciplinary design and peer reviews to ensure safety and technical soundness of a range of complex electrical equipment, hardware, and related systems.
Represent the organization as the primary technical contact on technical tasks and projects.
Guide the completion of a project, establish project objectives and strategy, and influence technical direction by applying high-level technical concepts and techniques to drive successful outcomes for deliverables.
Mentor junior engineers and contribute to the development and implementation of best practices.