R&D Engineer 4

What You Will Do

The Product Realization and Reliability Office (PRRO) in Pit Technologies consists of a multidisciplinary group of engineers and scientists that support plutonium programs (i.e., pit production, surveillance, research & development, and subcritical experiments) across the entire Pit Technologies (PT) Division. The primary role of the Quality Assurance lead is to continuously improve and drive consistency within existing processes, procedures, and operations. You will be the technical lead integrating various manufacturing, characterization, and testing processes applicable to pit surveillance and pit manufacturing in your area of expertise. This role will involve integration with other Design and Production agencies across the nuclear security enterprise as well as with subject matter experts in material science, chemistry, and nondestructive evaluation. Primary responsibilities include:

  • Lead continuous improvement efforts throughout the Pit Technology programs.
  • Ensure that Quality requirements are effectively identified and implemented internally and externally.
  • Oversee and positively influence development of continuous improvement plans.
  • Support development of production and technical readiness reviews
  • Develop and implement trend analysis processes and drive continuous performance improvement.
  • Define and implement strategic initiatives designed to drive long term improvement to Quality metrics, including cost of poor quality and non-conformances.
  • Develop partnerships with senior site leaders, program product managers, and engineering functions to define steps necessary to implement continuous improvement strategies for successful mission execution.
  • Perform process walks and use metrics to drive continuous improvements across programs.
  • Revise and update processes and procedures to align with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
  • Lead internal and external audits to assess compliance with quality management system standards.
  • Plans and performs engineering testing and development programs and uses advanced statistical and scientific methods to address and resolve engineering and production problems and to assure product manufacturability.



What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

  • Expertise and experience in systems engineering, statistical process control (SPC), and lean six sigma processes.
  • Experience with configuration management principles and practices.
  • Knowledge and demonstrated experience in manufacturing process development.
  • Familiarity with AS9100 Quality Management Systems.
  • Demonstrated application of advanced design, development, evaluation, and quality control techniques to complex engineering projects.
  • Expertise in project development, reporting, and presentation to management and sponsors.


Education/Experience: Position requires a master's degree in engineering from an accredited institution and 12 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. At this level a Ph.D. may be preferred.

DOE Order 426.2: Requires a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering or related science, 2 years of job-related experience, and 1 year of nuclear experience.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of Weapons Quality requirements, e.g., NAP-401.1, DPBPS, etc.
  • Experience in NNSA product realization processes.
  • Knowledge and experience in machining, welding, or vacuum techniques.
  • Certification in Six Sigma, CORE, or American Society for Quality (ASQ).
  • Application of advanced analytics to process monitoring and process control.

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:

For Full Consideration: Applicants must include a resume with a detailed cover letter that addresses all the minimum requirements of the position; any additional desired requirements should also be addressed.
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.
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 505-664-6947 option 2.