Senior Optical Component Materials Scientist

LLNL•Livermore, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

We have an opening for a Senior Optical Component Materials Scientist to be a project manager of a multi-disciplinary team in the final process development, vendor qualification, and pilot & production implementation of a newly developed optically address light valve (OALV) device to be used on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) as a beam-based programmable spatial shaper (BBPSS). This position also includes additional research and development assignments in the S&T program in Optics & Materials Science & Technology (OMST) group for developing new optics technologies. This position is in the Optical Materials Group in the Materials for Emerging Applications and Extreme Conditions section of the Materials Science Division in the Physical & Life Sciences (PLS) Directorate matrixed to OMST within the NIF & Photon Science Directorate. This position offers a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You will have the flexibility to work from home 2 days per week.

Requirements

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
PhD in Chemical Engineering, or a related field or the equivalent combination of education and related experience
Extensive experience applying chemical engineering principles to achieve process development and process improvement goals with external visibility.
Comprehensive experience performing production of complex optical components (e.g. OALVs), serving as a technical authority for specification, fabrication, measurement, and testing (e.g., interferometry, photometry, laser damage testing, surface quality)
Demonstrated ability to apply broad knowledge of transport phenomena and chemical kinetics to diagnose and resolve complex performance or yield issues in production environments.
Experience in pilot‑plant‑scale operations and process development, including design of experiments, scale‑up strategy, and risk mitigation for transitioning to full production.
Expert verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate across disciplines, lead technical discussions and design reviews, present and explain complex technical information to management and sponsors, and provide authoritative technical advice.
Extensive experience necessary to work in a collaborative research environment and influence and align a diverse set of scientists, contractors, engineers, technicians, and other technical and administrative staff toward common objectives.

Responsibilities

Provide technical and business leadership of the supplier base to manufacture NIF optical components, specifically the OALV, including defining requirements, developing new processes & tooling, directing process optimization, and leading the transition from development into production.
Own and manage scope, budget, schedule and data management of the fabrication and build of the OALVs, including prioritization of tasks and resources across multiple vendors and internal stakeholders.
Lead cross‑functional integration with the programmable spatial shaper (PSS) R&D team to plan and execute the transition of prototype devices to robust pilot and production‑level manufacturing.
Collaborate at a senior level with PSS physics and integration teams to define and negotiate device requirements, acceptable yield targets, and installation plans on NIF, and to resolve high‑impact technical and integration issues.
Lead root‑cause analysis and yield‑improvement initiatives, applying advanced materials knowledge of device components, especially the transparent photoconductor in the OALV device, and define and drive corrective action plans across vendors and internal teams.
Analyze moderately complex to highly complex data from optics production operations with the goal of improving the process and process yields.
Direct technicians to design, build or modify specialized process equipment, and review and approve critical design and operational decisions.
Prepare written analyses and verbal briefings that capture and communicate research results as well as periodic progress reports, including presentations for program management and external reviews.
Analyze vendor production control methods for weaknesses and make recommendations to realize high quality components and/or lower unit cost.
Work with optical coordination staff to track vendor performance, additional onsite metrology, optic location, and archive metrology data.
Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers, scientists, and technicians in a team‑ and project-oriented environment, influencing technical direction across disciplines while contributing as a senior individual contributor.
In addition to OALVs, conduct and lead some advanced research and development of other optic technologies within OMST
Publish research results in peer-reviewed scientific or technical journals and present results at external conferences, seminars and/or technical meetings.