Project/Program Specialist 4 (PPS-4)
- Req. Number: IRC143114
- Organization : NEN-1/Safeguards Science and Technology
- City, State: Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Salary: $117,200 - $195,400
What You Will Do
The Safeguards Science and Technology group (NEN-1) is seeking qualified and highly motivated applicants for the position of Project/Program Specialist (PPS) 4. As a PPS4, you would join a diverse and goal-oriented group of peers dedicated to the group's primary mission of developing and deploying nondestructive technologies and concepts in support of domestic and international nuclear safeguards and security. The group accomplishes this mission by fostering a work environment that encourages creative problem solving, teamwork, and passion for the mission while allowing flexibility in the work assignment. The group's core competencies and R&D areas include nuclear engineering, nuclear material measurement physics, custom instrumentation development, mechanical and electrical engineering design, prototype fabrication, and training. The group currently has programs that focus on nondestructive assay technologies (measuring radiation, heat, and other signatures), microcalorimetry, data analytics, remote sensing, containment and surveillance technologies, and environmental sampling and analysis.
The PPS4 will engage both internal and external stakeholders to enable the success of programmatic efforts led by NEN-1 staff. Working closely with project leaders and individual principal investigators, the PPS4 will assess the technical direction and progress of projects and adjust as necessary. One such programmatic effort requires frequent interactions with organizations resident at Los Alamos National Laboratory's Technical Area 55 (TA-55), so familiarity with the business systems used by those organizations is desired. Importantly, the PPS4 will help generate project work plans and establish baselines, track project spending and performance to agreed milestones, and will update project work plans as necessary. The selected candidate will generate, manage, and track contracts and procurements of moderate complexity. The selected candidate will also craft project briefs/highlights for both internal and external audiences and manage the submission of monthly reporting, quarterly reports, and other deliverables into relevant reporting systems.
This position demands scrupulous attention to detail, a willingness to constantly follow up to ensure steady progress of projects, outstanding communication skills, and the ability to work with staff, sponsors, and stakeholders from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Knowledge and Expertise
Demonstrated expert-level experience with developing project work plans and baselines for technical or operational work, and tracking project progress relative to budget, scope, and schedule. Familiarity with project risk assessments and risk management. Demonstrated experience with contract generation and management. Ability to work well with staff, sponsors, and stakeholders from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Planning and Scheduling
Experience in planning and defining project scope in collaboration with project leaders and principal investigators. Ability to manage multiple projects of moderate complexity simultaneously.
Leadership
Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team, and make decisions, solve problems, exercise good judgment, work under pressure, work with minimal supervision and prioritize workload. Ability to mentor less experienced coworkers and students.
Accountability
Experience working with controlled, classified, or proprietary information.
Communication
Outstanding written communication skills as evidenced by internal reports or other written work products. Ability to clearly and concisely present information and to respond effectively to internal and external customers, program office points of contact, and management.
Education/Experience:
Position requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution and 12 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. A Project Management Institute certification is preferred for this level.
Desired Qualifications:
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:
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:
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 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. 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.
The Safeguards Science and Technology group (NEN-1) is seeking qualified and highly motivated applicants for the position of Project/Program Specialist (PPS) 4. As a PPS4, you would join a diverse and goal-oriented group of peers dedicated to the group's primary mission of developing and deploying nondestructive technologies and concepts in support of domestic and international nuclear safeguards and security. The group accomplishes this mission by fostering a work environment that encourages creative problem solving, teamwork, and passion for the mission while allowing flexibility in the work assignment. The group's core competencies and R&D areas include nuclear engineering, nuclear material measurement physics, custom instrumentation development, mechanical and electrical engineering design, prototype fabrication, and training. The group currently has programs that focus on nondestructive assay technologies (measuring radiation, heat, and other signatures), microcalorimetry, data analytics, remote sensing, containment and surveillance technologies, and environmental sampling and analysis.
The PPS4 will engage both internal and external stakeholders to enable the success of programmatic efforts led by NEN-1 staff. Working closely with project leaders and individual principal investigators, the PPS4 will assess the technical direction and progress of projects and adjust as necessary. One such programmatic effort requires frequent interactions with organizations resident at Los Alamos National Laboratory's Technical Area 55 (TA-55), so familiarity with the business systems used by those organizations is desired. Importantly, the PPS4 will help generate project work plans and establish baselines, track project spending and performance to agreed milestones, and will update project work plans as necessary. The selected candidate will generate, manage, and track contracts and procurements of moderate complexity. The selected candidate will also craft project briefs/highlights for both internal and external audiences and manage the submission of monthly reporting, quarterly reports, and other deliverables into relevant reporting systems.
This position demands scrupulous attention to detail, a willingness to constantly follow up to ensure steady progress of projects, outstanding communication skills, and the ability to work with staff, sponsors, and stakeholders from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Knowledge and Expertise
Demonstrated expert-level experience with developing project work plans and baselines for technical or operational work, and tracking project progress relative to budget, scope, and schedule. Familiarity with project risk assessments and risk management. Demonstrated experience with contract generation and management. Ability to work well with staff, sponsors, and stakeholders from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
Planning and Scheduling
Experience in planning and defining project scope in collaboration with project leaders and principal investigators. Ability to manage multiple projects of moderate complexity simultaneously.
Leadership
Ability to work independently, as well as part of a team, and make decisions, solve problems, exercise good judgment, work under pressure, work with minimal supervision and prioritize workload. Ability to mentor less experienced coworkers and students.
Accountability
Experience working with controlled, classified, or proprietary information.
Communication
Outstanding written communication skills as evidenced by internal reports or other written work products. Ability to clearly and concisely present information and to respond effectively to internal and external customers, program office points of contact, and management.
Education/Experience:
Position requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution and 12 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. A Project Management Institute certification is preferred for this level.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience working with organizations resident at TA-55
- Experience with Excel, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Projects, and P6
- Experience with relevant federal reporting systems
- Experience managing contracts and procurements
- Knowledge and experience in formal project controls
- Experience working with Oracle, Ariba, and Microstrategy
- Experience supporting large projects with many collaborators
- Effective in a dynamic multitask environment
- Demonstrated familiarity with domestic and international nuclear safeguards and security concepts
- Active DOE Q clearance
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:
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)
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 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. 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.
