Sustainment Project Manager - NIF and Laser Systems

LLNL•Livermore, CA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is seeking a Project Manager to lead a major sustainment project portfolio for the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and advanced laser systems. This role involves managing complex, interdependent projects focused on long-term reliability, modernization, and operational readiness. The Project Manager will provide strategic and operational leadership, directing activities across engineering, operations, procurement, quality, safety, and scientific disciplines to ensure technical coherence, safety, schedule performance, and successful delivery of project objectives. This position is within the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division and requires full-time on-site presence.

Requirements

Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Significant experience managing complex technical projects or programs in a highly regulated industrial, laboratory, defense, or similarly specialized environment.
Significant experience leading multi-disciplinary teams and directing project execution across technical, operational, and business functions.
Significant experience developing and implementing project management tools, systems, and processes, including schedule management, risk management, budget planning, performance tracking, and change control.
Significant experience with integrated project scheduling, earned value management, work breakdown structures, and phase-gate or readiness review processes.
Demonstrated ability and significant experience successfully resolving a range of complex scientific, engineering, operational, and project execution challenges, and developing strategic solutions that improve performance and efficiency.
Significant experience planning and managing project budgets, resources, procurements, and schedules to achieve defined objectives and sponsor commitments.
Significant experience interacting with and influencing senior management, customers, sponsors, and other internal and external stakeholders on matters of significance.
Expert communication, facilitation, collaboration, and problem-solving skills necessary to effectively present, explain, negotiate, influence, and advise senior management and stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or a related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
Extensive experience managing and successfully delivering multiple parallel projects within a large technical portfolio.
Extensive knowledge of NIF programs and expertise in laser systems, engineering, and production or sustainment environments.
Experience meeting milestones and working collaboratively across NIF programs and the Laboratory.
Ability to deal effectively with high levels of management within customer organizations such as NNSA/DOE.
Experience in national laboratory, defense, nuclear, or high-energy physics environments.
Applied knowledge of Laboratory programs, project management processes, and NIF mission objectives, strategies, and operational environment.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the sustainment project and associated related projects with a complex technical focus, operating and using extensive leadership experience and independent judgment to establish objectives, manage resources, and achieve project milestones, sponsor commitments, and long-range goals.
Direct and coordinate a multi-disciplinary team of 75 - 120 personnel across engineering, operations, procurement, quality, safety, and scientific disciplines to execute scope, maintain alignment with mission priorities, and ensure successful delivery of project objectives across the major sustainment effort and the broader $600M portfolio.
Develop and implement project execution strategies, governance, and controls, to ensure technical, safety, regulatory, and schedule compliance.
Manage and oversee project scope, budget, staffing, procurements, and schedules, applying project controls and earned value management (EVM) practices, as appropriate, to ensure commitments are met and work is executed in accordance with Laboratory and sponsor expectations.
Apply project management rigor and systems engineering discipline to sustainment and modernization efforts, including interface coordination, technical reviews, and validation of project deliverables, while aligning technical baselines with operational objectives.
Lead development of recovery strategies, issue resolution plans, and mitigation actions for technical, schedule, resource, and operational challenges affecting project success, and implement improvements in project execution processes and efficiency.
Collaborate with senior management, program leadership, and partner organizations to establish priorities, align project activities with broader NIF and Laboratory strategies, and ensure effective integration with related efforts across organizational boundaries.
Interact and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders, customers, sponsors, and support organizations on matters of significance to the project and organization, and communicate project status, risks, and resource needs with clarity and strategic focus.
Lead, mentor, and develop technical leaders and project team members, fostering collaboration, accountability, innovation, and high performance, including clarifying team roles and responsibilities and supporting effective coordination approaches such as RACI matrices, succession planning, and cross-functional team integration.
Ensure project activities are carried out in accordance with applicable safety, security, quality, and regulatory requirements, and that operational, engineering, and project execution practices support sustained mission success.
Perform other duties as assigned.