Project-Program Director (PPD 4) Emerging Missions
- Req. Number: IRC139243
- Organization : PMMO / Plutonium Modernization Mission Office
- City, State: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Salary: $166,900 - $289,000
What You Will Do
As a Project-Program Director (PPD 4) within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP) Plutonium Modernization Mission Office (PMMO) organization you will direct future missions for the Emerging Missions (EM) Program, with a specific focus on future pit production system development.
This role oversees new efforts within LANL's Pu Modernization Program, aligning innovation and emerging production needs with long-term manufacturing milestones. As a senior leader within the LANL-Production Agency (LANL-PA), you will play a critical role in managing a $1B annual portfolio supporting the pit production mission.
As a Project-Program Director (PPD 4), you will lead the development of future system support and other systems needs associated with pit production and pit production capability at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In this capacity, you will define strategy, drive execution, and coordinate across organizational boundaries to ensure successful delivery of transformational capabilities in support of national security objectives.
You will work directly with internal and external stakeholders to align additional or emerging technologies with mission needs, while managing the complexity of transitioning innovative solutions into full-scale production environments. You will also provide leadership to designated project personnel and may coordinate the efforts of other project leads or assume leadership responsibilities on behalf of the PMMO director when needed.
As the PPD 4 over this portfolio, you will serve as the LANL-PA's primary interface with high-level internal and external stakeholders to develop, negotiate, define, and manage your portfolio in alignment with evolving capabilities, capacities, and priorities for reliable rate production. Specifically, you will be responsible for:
The selected individual will provide leadership, vision, strategic and tactical planning, and overall direction for execution of a portfolio which consists of multiple, highly complex, technically driven activities requiring integration across multiple organizations and disciplines.
If you are a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of pit production, mission-driven R&D and complex system development, we invite you to help lead this nationally significant effort.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Strategic Planning: Successful experience in leading a management team in organizational strategic planning initiatives to include establishing, monitoring, and reporting on performance metrics.
Stockpile Management: Knowledge and experience with the overall mission for NA-19 (Office of Production Modernization) based programs, and more specifically within NA-191 (Plutonium Programs) in relation to the production mission within ALDWP
Business Operations: Demonstrated experience leading business operations to include financial, human resources, procurement, and other related business activities.
Leadership: Proven track record as a team-oriented leader with demonstrated success in supervising, developing, and retaining high-performing teams. Skilled in performance management, team building, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Adept at fostering productive collaborations across organizational boundaries-bridging programs and line functions-to drive alignment, enhance communication, and achieve shared mission objectives.
Stakeholder Communication: Demonstrated ability to engage and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders-including internal staff, external partners, program managers, and senior leadership-on matters related to program scope, schedule, budget, and milestones. Proven track record of fostering collaboration, ensuring message consistency, and adapting communication strategies to suit diverse audiences and complex technical environments.
Desired Qualifications:
Experience: Experience working in pit production or managing Pu manufacturing operations or programs. Experience with NA-191 programs is a plus.
Change Management: Demonstrated ability to assign clear authority and accountability, and effectively implementing, directing, and managing change while maintaining efficient operations.
Earned Value Management System (EVMS): Experience utilizing EVMS principles to help manage a project/program. Experience with NNSA Enhanced Management Level A or B reporting is a plus.
Education/Experience:
Position requires a bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution and 8 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Work Environment:
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:
Please submit a comprehensive cover letter addressing both required and desired qualifications and/or training or certifications as applicable with specific work experience examples.
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 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.
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. 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.
As a Project-Program Director (PPD 4) within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP) Plutonium Modernization Mission Office (PMMO) organization you will direct future missions for the Emerging Missions (EM) Program, with a specific focus on future pit production system development.
This role oversees new efforts within LANL's Pu Modernization Program, aligning innovation and emerging production needs with long-term manufacturing milestones. As a senior leader within the LANL-Production Agency (LANL-PA), you will play a critical role in managing a $1B annual portfolio supporting the pit production mission.
As a Project-Program Director (PPD 4), you will lead the development of future system support and other systems needs associated with pit production and pit production capability at Los Alamos National Laboratory. In this capacity, you will define strategy, drive execution, and coordinate across organizational boundaries to ensure successful delivery of transformational capabilities in support of national security objectives.
You will work directly with internal and external stakeholders to align additional or emerging technologies with mission needs, while managing the complexity of transitioning innovative solutions into full-scale production environments. You will also provide leadership to designated project personnel and may coordinate the efforts of other project leads or assume leadership responsibilities on behalf of the PMMO director when needed.
As the PPD 4 over this portfolio, you will serve as the LANL-PA's primary interface with high-level internal and external stakeholders to develop, negotiate, define, and manage your portfolio in alignment with evolving capabilities, capacities, and priorities for reliable rate production. Specifically, you will be responsible for:
- Providing overall direction and management of scope, schedule, and budget for the technology maturation and transformation portfolio responsible for developing and maturing processes and programs that support the future pit production system requirements at LANL.
- Negotiating, managing, and reporting on milestones related to the assigned scope.
- Understanding and developing risks, issues, and opportunities within your portfolio as well as those outside of your portfolio that may impact LANL's trajectory toward becoming a modern pit production agency.
- Interfacing with and other external partnerships that advance capabilities for the LANL-PA and enable production of future systems.
The selected individual will provide leadership, vision, strategic and tactical planning, and overall direction for execution of a portfolio which consists of multiple, highly complex, technically driven activities requiring integration across multiple organizations and disciplines.
If you are a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of pit production, mission-driven R&D and complex system development, we invite you to help lead this nationally significant effort.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Strategic Planning: Successful experience in leading a management team in organizational strategic planning initiatives to include establishing, monitoring, and reporting on performance metrics.
Stockpile Management: Knowledge and experience with the overall mission for NA-19 (Office of Production Modernization) based programs, and more specifically within NA-191 (Plutonium Programs) in relation to the production mission within ALDWP
Business Operations: Demonstrated experience leading business operations to include financial, human resources, procurement, and other related business activities.
Leadership: Proven track record as a team-oriented leader with demonstrated success in supervising, developing, and retaining high-performing teams. Skilled in performance management, team building, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. Adept at fostering productive collaborations across organizational boundaries-bridging programs and line functions-to drive alignment, enhance communication, and achieve shared mission objectives.
Stakeholder Communication: Demonstrated ability to engage and communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders-including internal staff, external partners, program managers, and senior leadership-on matters related to program scope, schedule, budget, and milestones. Proven track record of fostering collaboration, ensuring message consistency, and adapting communication strategies to suit diverse audiences and complex technical environments.
Desired Qualifications:
Experience: Experience working in pit production or managing Pu manufacturing operations or programs. Experience with NA-191 programs is a plus.
Change Management: Demonstrated ability to assign clear authority and accountability, and effectively implementing, directing, and managing change while maintaining efficient operations.
Earned Value Management System (EVMS): Experience utilizing EVMS principles to help manage a project/program. Experience with NNSA Enhanced Management Level A or B reporting is a plus.
Education/Experience:
Position requires a bachelor's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution and 8 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Work Environment:
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:
Please submit a comprehensive cover letter addressing both required and desired qualifications and/or training or certifications as applicable with specific work experience examples.
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 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.
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. 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.
