Hydrodynamic Test Device Engineer (R&D Engineer 2/3)

Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos, NM

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JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$106,400–$176,000 Per Year

SKILLS

Administrative Skills, Analysis Skills, Budgeting, Communication Skills, DOE Clearance, DOE-Q (Top Secret Restricted Data), Dental Insurance, Design Verification, Enterprise Protection, Experiment Design, Explosives, Functional Testing, Geometric Dimensioning, Hardware Quality Assurance, Laboratory, Laboratory Management, Leadership, Machine Tool, Manufacturing Assembly, Manufacturing Design, Mechanical Engineering, Mentoring, Nondestructive Testing (NDT), Operations Security (OPSEC), Physics, Plan Meetings, Problem Solving Skills, Process Management, Project Evaluation, Project Planning, Project/Program Management, Prototyping, Purchasing/Procurement, Reporting Skills, Requirements Management, Research & Development (R&D), Safety Process, Schedule Development, Security Policy, Surveillance, System Integration (SI), System Lifecycle, Systems Engineering, Team Player, Technical Presentation, Test Design, Testing, Tuition Fees, United States Citizen, United States Department of Defense (DoD), Validation Testing, Vision Plan

LOCATION

Los Alamos, NM

POSTED

24 days ago

What You Will Do

The Weapon Verification and Validation Division (V-Division) ensures that weapon designs meet all requirements and perform as intended. The division verifies design compliance and validates performance through a combination of investigations, qualification tests, and evaluations. This mission is accomplished through close communication and collaboration with sister divisions within the Weapons Engineering Directorate (ALDW). V-Division carries out its work through assembly, non-destructive evaluation, test design and planning, and test execution, all aimed at confirming the reliability and effectiveness of weapon systems.

The Weapons Test Execution Group (V-21) is responsible for planning and overseeing the execution of weapon tests. V-21 supports experimental evaluations across multiple domains, including mechanical, thermal, hydrodynamic, and subcritical testing. The group leverages capabilities across the national security enterprise, integrating diverse experimental expertise to design, field, and execute large-scale joint tests in partnership with weapon development organizations. As ALDW's center of excellence for complex weapon experimentation, V-21 plays a critical role in advancing the sustainment and modernization of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, ensuring that each experiment delivers the data and insight necessary to maintain a safe, secure, and effective stockpile.

This position is part of the Physics Validation (PV) team within V-21, which supports a range of Integrated Weapon Experiments, including weapon hydrodynamic tests and subcritical experiments. This specific job posting focuses on the hydrodynamic testing portion of our work. In hydrotesting, the PV team provides device engineers and the Lead Test Engineer, who together form one part of a three-person leadership team for each weapon hydrotest. The leadership team consists of the Lead Test Engineer, Lead Physicist, and Lead Experimenter. The Lead Test Engineer follows a Systems Engineering Lifecycle to design, develop, and deliver the experimental device for each test. This role involves extensive collaboration with more than a dozen groups across the laboratory, requiring individuals who can work effectively with team members from diverse technical backgrounds and experience levels to achieve the common goals of the experiment. Because these tests involve many stakeholders, success in this position depends on the ability to communicate clearly, understand differing objectives, and balance competing priorities. The role offers a unique opportunity to learn about various weapon systems and future concepts, while building hands-on experience in prototyping, design, and experimental execution. Our work spans many scientific and engineering disciplines, and success requires working closely with Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to expand technical knowledge and develop expertise in relevant areas. The position also provides strong leadership opportunities, as the Lead Test Engineer heads the experiment team and serves as the primary point of contact among all participating organizations.

As an R&D Engineer on our team, you'll take ideas from concept to reality-designing, building, and testing functional prototype hardware assemblies that directly support our national security mission. You'll tackle a wide variety of mechanical and systems engineering challenges, from defining and managing requirements to performing concept modeling, component design, system integration, and full-scale testing and validation. Every project offers the opportunity to apply creativity and technical expertise to solve complex problems. In addition to hands-on engineering, you'll contribute to the success of our programs by preparing and presenting technical reports, planning documents, and briefings for both internal and external stakeholders. You'll also engage directly with senior laboratory management and external partners on high-visibility projects that shape the future of our mission. This role is ideal for engineers who are collaborative, curious, and driven to learn. You'll have the chance to mentor junior staff, grow your leadership skills, and make a direct impact in advancing cutting-edge national security research.

This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2/3 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.

R&D Engineer 2 ($106,400-$176,000)
Plan project scope

Coordinate test design
Coordinate part procurement & fabrication
Coordinate assembly process
Execute pre-test and post-test activities
Generate project reports & analysis
Complete professional development & administrative tasks
At this level more direction and mentorship will be provided from senior staff

R&D Engineer 3 ($128,000-$215,900)

In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level the expectation is that the employee will provide leadership support to the team and provide extensive expertise to the team & stakeholders.

Capability of self-starting on tasks will be required will less direction, this will be more of an intermediate to senior role on the team.
In this role mentorship to team members is expected.
At this level representing the team to higher level stakeholders will be applicable.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

Basic knowledge of professional engineering concepts, principles, practices, and procedures; demonstrated through experience researching, designing, testing, analyzing, verifying, and validating engineering solutions.
Good communication skills with individuals with varying expertise and backgrounds through proactive engagements
Program management (PM) skillset, with the ability to track schedule, cost, and status throughout lifecycle
Capable of problem solving complex and technical issues
Demonstrated ability to initiate and sustain activities to meet deliverables
Ability to plan and lead meetings to achieve intended goals and track any resulting action items
Capable of appropriately handling classified matter and following security and safety policy and procedures

Additional Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 3:

In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:

Demonstrated mentorship and leadership experience
Ability to mentor and develop other team members
Provide subject matter expertise in hydrodynamic or other relevant testing for stakeholders and other experiment team members

Education/Experience at lower level: 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 at higher level: 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:

Active DOE Q clearance
Formal systems engineering training, certification, or education (e.g. INCOSE ASEP) (Level 3 specific)
Knowledge of and demonstrated experience with nuclear weapon design, development, qualification, certification, assembly/production, or surveillance
Experience working with the LANL Weapons Engineering and Weapons Physics organizations
Knowledge of nuclear weapons, NNSA facilities, or DoD customers that support the U.S. stockpile
Program management-status track while collaborating with other teams (budgeting, scheduling, and scoping)
Leading formal reviews such as design reviews
Experience with tooling design
Formal model-based system engineering (MBSE) training or certification (e.g. OCSMP, Cameo)
Experience with requirements development and maintenance
Knowledge of or experience with hydrodynamic testing
Experience with ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerance
Knowledge of or experience with design for manufacturing principles
Experience with performing safety structural analysis
Experience working with or around high explosives

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.

Work Schedule: 9/80 with either A or B Friday off, 5/40 is ok with management agreement. 4/10 is not allowed.

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 one year.

Note to Applicants:

Along with your resume, submit a detailed cover letter explaining how you meet the minimum requirements and any of the applicable desired requirements.
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.

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.

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.

About the Company

Los Alamos National Laboratory

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