High-Power Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Manager

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World! Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability.  Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact. Do you want to lead a large multidisciplinary organization responsible for some of the world’s most complex, high performance laser systems while enabling groundbreaking national security science? The National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest and most energetic laser, is seeking a dynamic High-Power Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Manager to lead the Laser and Alignment Systems Engineering Section in support of safe, reliable operations, strong system performance, critical maintenance, and future capability enhancements. This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your leadership, engineering judgment, and strategic vision at one of the world’s most advanced scientific facilities. You will oversee a large organization of engineers and technicians responsible for the operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, performance monitoring, and continuous improvement of critical laser, diagnostic, pulsed power, and alignment systems that support NIF. This includes both engineering sustainment and round-the-clock operational readiness for systems essential to mission execution. As the High-Power Laser Systems Engineering and Operations Manager, you will lead a multidisciplinary technical team responsible for the safe operations, optimized system performance, and reliable, high-availability execution, while driving upgrades and engineering improvements needed to meet future mission requirements and increasing shot rate demands. You will provide direct leadership in organizational development, workforce planning, technical direction, and resource management to sustain and enhance operational excellence across a broad portfolio of complex systems. Operating under broad organizational direction, you will exercise independent judgment in establishing section objectives, setting priorities, allocating resources, and resolving complex engineering and operational challenges. This position is in the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate. This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work. In this role, you will  Establish section priorities, work plans, long-term objectives, and resource allocation to ensure the safe operation, system performance, reliability, and readiness of laser, as well as ensure that diagnostic, pulsed power, and alignment systems support the NIF experimental schedule, future mission requirements, and increasing shot rate demands. Provide technical leadership and management of a large multidisciplinary organization of approximately 90 engineers, technicians, and technical leaders responsible for operation, maintenance, troubleshooting, upgrades and readiness of complex mission-critical systems. Manage multiple technically challenging operational and engineering efforts with competing priorities, working to improve safety, system performance, reliability, maintainability, shot availability, and efficient around-the-clock operational readiness in support of NIF shot execution. Manage personnel performance, workforce planning, career development, and succession planning, in partnership with discipline organizations, to sustain organizational capability and support long-term mission success. Direct maintenance, reliability and lifecycle sustainment strategies for assigned complex systems, including risk reduction, obsolescence management, and continuous improvement of equipment, processes, and operational practices to sustain high-availability execution and enable future capability enhancements. Collaborate and partner closely with the Laser Science Systems Engineering organization and other NIF sections to align system-level requirements, operational plans, troubleshooting efforts, and new capability upgrades with overall mission objectives. Interact and coordinate with, report and make recommendations to, influence, and negotiate with senior management and internal and external customers and sponsors regarding the progress, readiness, performance, and future needs of systems supporting NIF operations and mission execution. Oversee, analyze, and evaluate technical and operational progress of projects and work activities within the section and across organizational interfaces to ensure goals, objectives, schedules, and performance expectations are met. Exercise independent judgment in resolving complex engineering and operational issues while balancing technical, schedule, staffing, and budget considerations to meet mission requirements. Perform other duties as assigned. Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship. Bachelor’s degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, or another related technical field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. Expert knowledge of and extensive experience with leadership, management, and organizational development principles to lead and achieve unit objectives and meet Laboratory, Department of Energy (DOE), and customer/sponsor requirements. Extensive experience effectively planning and directing work and strategies involving technical objectives, estimating effort, setting milestones, and managing within a designated budget. Expert technical knowledge and extensive operational experience with complex laser, pulsed power, alignment, electro-mechani