ASD Scorpius Systems Engineer (R&D Engineer 2/3)
- Req. Number: IRC143243
- Organization : ASD/Technical Support and Project Execution
- City, State: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Recruiter Name: Broge, Margaret Ann
- Recruiter Email: mbroge@lanl.gov
What You Will Do
This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2 or R&D Engineer 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.
The Advanced Sources and Detectors (ASD) Project, also known as Scorpius, is responsible for the fabrication, installation, and commissioning of a approximately 20 MeV linear induction electron accelerator. This accelerator supports subcritical experiments conducted in an underground facility in support of national security missions. The project is a multi-laboratory effort involving Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Nevada National Security Site.
The selected candidate will serve as a Systems Engineer on the ASD Systems Engineering Team, providing technical support and organizational rigor to complex, high-consequence engineering activities. This role is central to ensuring that system and project requirements are defined, verified, and implemented, and ensuring an effective transition from project execution to operational use.
Primary responsibilities include supporting systems engineering processes that enable successful installation, integration, startup, and turnover of accelerator systems, while working closely with technical leads, engineers, partner laboratories, and operations personnel.
Key Responsibilities
R&D Engineer 2 ($106,400.00 - $176,000.00)
Additional Responsibilities
R&D Engineer 3 ($128,000.00 - $215,900.00)
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, candidates hired at the R&D Engineer 3 level are expected to demonstrate increased technical depth, independence, and leadership, including:
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Additional Job Requirements (R&D Engineer 3)
In addition to the above, qualification at the higher level requires:
Education/Experience for R&D Engineer 2:
Position requires a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation
Education/Experience for R&D Engineer 3:
Position requires a Master's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 6 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.
Desired Qualifications:
Experience in various work environments
Quality and Improvement
Note to Applicants:
Please include a comprehensive cover letter addressing how you meet minimum job requirements and any desired qualifications.
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM USA. 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.
*Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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:
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.
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 P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as 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, state, and local 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 opt. 3.
This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2 or R&D Engineer 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.
The Advanced Sources and Detectors (ASD) Project, also known as Scorpius, is responsible for the fabrication, installation, and commissioning of a approximately 20 MeV linear induction electron accelerator. This accelerator supports subcritical experiments conducted in an underground facility in support of national security missions. The project is a multi-laboratory effort involving Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Nevada National Security Site.
The selected candidate will serve as a Systems Engineer on the ASD Systems Engineering Team, providing technical support and organizational rigor to complex, high-consequence engineering activities. This role is central to ensuring that system and project requirements are defined, verified, and implemented, and ensuring an effective transition from project execution to operational use.
Primary responsibilities include supporting systems engineering processes that enable successful installation, integration, startup, and turnover of accelerator systems, while working closely with technical leads, engineers, partner laboratories, and operations personnel.
Key Responsibilities
R&D Engineer 2 ($106,400.00 - $176,000.00)
- Support requirements and interface management, including maintaining approved requirements and interface documentation.
- Assist with verification and validation activities, ensuring requirements are properly tracked, documented, and verified.
- Support verification tracking, including maintaining authoritative data systems used for requirements and verification status.
- Assist with turnover and knowledge transfer planning, ensuring technical information is complete, accurate, and ready for transition to operations.
- Develop and maintain clear, complete project plans, incorporating input from technical and project stakeholders.
- Collaborate across disciplines and partner sites to ensure consistent system integration and implementation.
- Communicate technical requirements, tradeoffs, and design decisions clearly to diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Uphold high standards for quality, security, and regulatory compliance in all work products.
- Apply structured problem-solving approaches to complex or ambiguous technical challenges.
Additional Responsibilities
R&D Engineer 3 ($128,000.00 - $215,900.00)
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, candidates hired at the R&D Engineer 3 level are expected to demonstrate increased technical depth, independence, and leadership, including:
- Providing technical leadership for systems engineering activities, including mentoring and guiding junior systems engineers.
- Taking ownership of project plan implementation, contributing to the planning and coordinatation of activities necessary for project completion in a manner that integrates with project cost estimation, scheduling, and resource planning.
- Leading or coordinating trade studies and decision-making processes, balancing technical performance, cost, and schedule.
- Serving as a key technical interface between engineering teams, project leadership, and operational stakeholders.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
- Working knowledge of systems engineering principles, including requirements management and verification.
- Ability to perform routine and moderately complex engineering tasks independently under general supervision.
- Experience applying established procedures, standards, and technical concepts to real-world engineering problems.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to document and explain technical information clearly.
- Demonstrated attention to detail, quality, and procedural compliance.
Additional Job Requirements (R&D Engineer 3)
In addition to the above, qualification at the higher level requires:
- Demonstrated ability to apply systems engineering principles across a wide range of complex technical problems.
- Experience providing technical leadership or mentoring within engineering teams.
- Ability to work with minimal supervision and exercise sound technical judgment on high-impact decisions.
- Experience coordinating work across disciplines and organizations and contributing to project-level outcomes.
- Proven capability to develop and evaluate technical tradeoffs and guide engineering decisions.
Education/Experience for R&D Engineer 2:
Position requires a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation
Education/Experience for R&D Engineer 3:
Position requires a Master's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 6 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.
Desired Qualifications:
Experience in various work environments
- Demonstrated knowledge or experience working in a manufacturing or production organization requiring implementation of defined manufacturing, testing and quality requirements.
- Demonstrated experience working in cross-disciplinary and cross-organizational teams.
Quality and Improvement
- Demonstrated knowledge and experience with system and subsystem qualification testing and/or analysis.
- Demonstrated experience applying continuous improvement concepts and tools.
- Demonstrated knowledge of conduct of operations principles.
- Demonstrated experience performing engineering work using rigorous institutional processes.
Note to Applicants:
Please include a comprehensive cover letter addressing how you meet minimum job requirements and any desired qualifications.
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM USA. 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.
*Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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 maternity and parental leave
- Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
- Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
- Flexible schedules and time off (paid sick, vacation, 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.
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 P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.
Equal Opportunity: Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as 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, state, and local 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 opt. 3.
