Job Title: Primary Physics Group Leader (R&D Manager 4)

What You Will Do

Are you looking for an opportunity to contribute as a Group Leader in a high impact organization at the Laboratory? Are you interested in making a difference in the Laboratory's Weapons Program? If you answered "yes" to these questions we encourage you to learn more about this exciting opportunity to be a scientific leader within the X-Theoretical Design (XTD) Division's Primary Physics Group (XTD-PRI).

As the Group Leader for XTD-PRI, you would be responsible for the scientific direction of a community that designs nuclear weapon primaries and assesses their performance in support of the Laboratory's stockpile stewardship mission. XTD-PRI provides intellectual leadership toward an improved predictive understanding of nuclear weapon physics and performance, develops weapon certification methods, and plays a leadership role in the integration of weapons-directed theoretical, experimental and modeling activities throughout the Laboratory. XTD-PRI designs small-scale science experiments as well as large, integrated weapons experiments that utilize facilities like the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT) facility, the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and the Principal Underground Laboratory for Subcritical Experimentation (PULSE). The R&D Manager 4 for XTD-PRI will work closely with the rest of the XTD management team, will maintain and develop working relationships with stakeholders inside and outside the Laboratory, and holds chief responsibility for the mentoring and development of the personnel within the group.

As the XTD-PRI group leader your principal responsibilities would be to:

Provide overall leadership for the primary design capability at the Laboratory Facilitate key advances in the understanding of primary physics performance utilizing an appropriate balance of experiment and simulationWork with line and program partners across the Laboratory in support of primary design community objectives and goals. Represent the LANL primary design community of the Laboratory to internal stakeholders and external stakeholders including but not limited to the LLNL weapons design community, DoD partners and NNSA HeadquartersWork closely with the XTD Division Leader to steward the primary physics design capability at the Laboratory
What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

Technical Expertise and Familiarity with the Weapons Program
To succeed in this role, you will need to have demonstrated technical expertise and experience in the areas of nuclear weapon physics and design. In addition, a broad understanding of the goals of XTD activities and their relationship to an integrated Laboratory stockpile stewardship program is vital. You must have technical knowledge and a record of achievement in weapons science as evidenced by technical publications, programmatic contributions, and recognition within the design community.

Leadership and Collaboration
You must have strong collaborative and relationship-building skills that drive a creative and positive work environment with a demonstrated ability to lead with integrity and decisiveness towards institutional goals. In addition, you should have demonstrated leadership skills, including development of a vision, strategic thinking, creativity, and a commitment to fostering technical and scientific excellence. Management skills and strong interpersonal skills, as well as the ability to work with a range of staff from different backgrounds, is necessary.

Talent Acquisition and Growth
To succeed in this role, you will need to have the drive for recruiting and staffing programs to help build and maintain technical capabilities within the team. Along with recruitment you should have experience successfully mentoring junior staff. A commitment to staff growth and development is critical

Communication
You must have a demonstrated ability to effectively present technical work and concepts to others, including non-technical audiences. Strong oral and written communication skills are critical.

Education/Experience: Position requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and 8 years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Desired Qualifications:

PhD in science or engineering in a specialization relevant to XTD-PRI is strongly preferred. An active DOE Q Clearance.
Specific Technical Expertise Areas
Demonstrated experience in direct stockpile-related programs is preferred. Demonstrated experience in nuclear physics, particle physics, neutral or charged-particle transport, fluid dynamics, shock physics, high explosives, equations of state, material science, plasma physics, or another closely related discipline is desired. Experience with large-scale simulation of complex physical processes is preferred.
Experience in designing, analyzing, coordinating, and/or conducting experimental activities is also desired.

LANL Weapons Program Knowledge
Knowledge of LANL line/program interactions and roles & responsibilities, plus knowledge of the activities, needs, and workflow of the nuclear weapons physics applications community, is desired.

NNSA NA-10 Program Knowledge
Knowledge and familiarity with how NNSA NA-10 is structured and interacts with the LANL Weapons Program is highly desirable. Experience supporting NNSA federal program managers in coordination with local LANL weapon program managers is also desired.

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:
For full consideration please attach a cover letter that addresses how you meet the requirements of the position.

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.

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.