Pit Technologies First Line Manager (Manufacturing Manager 3)

What You Will Do

This position will have the title of Deputy Group Leader and will assist in the oversight of PT-1 (Metal Production) employees and activities within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production. Assists in establishing a vision and path for the future for their organization by ensuring the timely and successful delivery of plutonium pit related products and services of superior quality and value to protect our nation and promote world stability.

The successful candidate will partner with the Group Leader, Manufacturing Manager 3's (FLM's), Manufacturing Manager 1's (MM-1s), and other Deputy Group Leaders across the Division to provide consistent technical and administrative leadership. Activities will involve operational supervision of group activities, supporting the Group's strategic and tactical planning, assisting with developing and advocating for programs, promote effective partnering with other LANL and outside organizations, oversight of group finances, human resource management, and safety & security management.

The selected candidate will report to the PT-1 group leader and team with other management and staff to advance PT Division's capabilities enhancing the laboratory national security mission. The selected candidate will use their skills and expertise to organize and guide research and technical efforts, while interacting with peers and other leaders for strategic purposes. You will facilitate hiring, mentoring staff, and building strong technical teams to fulfill mission objectives. You will contribute to advanced manufacturing and development concepts for pit technology modernization and the PT-DO strategy. This is an excellent opportunity to apply your technical leadership skills and advance your career while making lasting contributions on important efforts directly influencing national security.

Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Partner with the Group Leader in planning, organizing, and managing technical activities of the group.
  • Work with the PT-1 Group Leader to develop and foster effective teams across the Group to meet customer goals.
  • Plan, organize, and use group resources effectively within budget.
  • Utilize, nurture, and develop personnel to promote excellence at all levels and establish an environment of trust and mutual respect.
  • Assist the Group Leader in recruiting, staffing, and diversity; performance appraisals and employee development; addressing and resolving personnel issues; time and labor approvals and salary management; overall quality, and effectiveness, planning for capabilities; and security issues.
  • Build and maintain effective workforce development including nurturing of the group's existing capabilities and the fostering of new, mission relevant, and technical capabilities.
  • Assist with financial management, oversight, and staffing planning and forecasting.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:


Engineering Expertise

  • Thorough knowledge of and experience in one or more of the following engineering disciplines: mechanical, materials science, chemical, metallurgical, or other R&D engineering field.
  • Thorough knowledge of and experience in designing, planning, and executing research and development projects.
  • Thorough knowledge of professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, and procedures, as demonstrated by experience researching, designing, analyzing, testing, verifying, and validating engineering solutions.
  • Demonstrated experience performing a broad range of complex engineering work, including experience designing or reviewing a complete project, system, or component.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of manufacturing, system, and component testing operations.
  • Demonstrated experience developing, codifying, and validating engineering requirements.


Leadership and Management

  • Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in implementing Laboratory objectives and other statements of policy, practice, and/or procedure.
  • Enhance technical and professional expertise of a junior staff through active mentoring and training.


Communication and Teamwork

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently in high-intensity environments with coworkers representing a variety of technical backgrounds.
  • Demonstrated ability to express detailed ideas clearly in ways that build understanding, respect, and trust, as demonstrated through presentations and publications.


Education/Experience: Position requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and 5 years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. Master's degree is strongly preferred.

DOE Order 426.2: Requires a Bachelor of Science in engineering or related science and 4 years of nuclear experience. Education or experience that is job related may be substituted on a case-by-case basis. The degree may fulfill 3 of 4 years of nuclear experience on a one-for-one time basis.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience in various work environments

  • Related experience and expertise in actinide pyrochemistry/recovery, metallurgy, and/or nuclear manufacturing, engineering, and science.
  • Program delivery working in high hazard operations, while in compliance with a modern safety authorization basis, with demonstrated compliance with conduct of operations.
  • Demonstrated experience working in glovebox environment.
  • Demonstrated knowledge or experience working in a manufacturing or production organization requiring implementation of defined manufacturing, testing and quality requirements.
  • Demonstrated experience working in a nuclear facility.
  • Glovebox Operator qualification and Fissile Material Handler (FMH) Certification highly desirable.

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management

Position commitment: Regular appointment employees are required to serve a period of continuous service in their current position in order to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the time required, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. The position commitment for this position is 1 year.

Note to Applicants:

PT-1 Metal Production - is responsible for plutonium production, processing, and research in support of pit manufacturing, surveillance, and national security missions. In the course of our operations in the Plutonium Facility (PF-4), we use high-temperature molten-salt pyrochemical processes for the purification, separation, and recovery of plutonium feedstocks.
Where You Will Work

Located in beautiful northern New Mexico, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security. Our generous benefits package includes:

§ PPO or High Deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network

§ Dental and vision insurance

§ Free basic life and disability insurance

§ Paid childbirth and parental leave

§ Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)

§ Learning opportunities and tuition assistance

§ Flexible schedules and time off (PTO and holidays)

§ Onsite gyms and wellness programs

§ Extensive relocation packages (outside a 50 mile radius)
Additional Details

Directive 206.2 - Employment with Triad requires a favorable decision by NNSA indicating employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. Please note that this requirement applies only to citizens of the United States. Foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.

Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.

*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

HRP: This position is subject to the requirements of the DOE Human Reliability Program as specified in 10 Code of Federal Regulation, Part 712, §712.11. These requirements include on going drug and alcohol testing, as well as periodic medical and psychological evaluations.

426.2: This position is subject to DOE Order 426.2, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities, which establishes entry-level requirements to ensure candidates selected for specific positions can successfully perform the requirements of the job.

New-Employment Drug Test: The Laboratory requires successful applicants to complete a new-employment drug test and maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing. Although New Mexico and other states have legalized the use of marijuana, use and possession of marijuana remain illegal under federal law. A positive drug test for marijuana will result in termination of employment, even if the use was pre-offer.

Regular position: Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants: Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Incentive Compensation Program: Position is eligible to participate in the Triad Incentive Compensation Program. You must be in an eligible position for a minimum of 3 months, before July 1st and remain in an eligible position as of the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. The annual distribution is prorated based on the number of months in the eligible position.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call 1-505-664-6947 option 2 and then option 3.