Company Description

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.

We are looking for individuals that demonstrate an understanding of working in partnership with team peers, who engage, advocate, and contribute to building an inclusive culture, and provide expertise to solve challenging problems.

Pay Range

$178,410 - $240,384 Annually for the SES.4 level

$214,050 - $288,432 Annually for the SES.5 level

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.

Job Description

We have an opening for a Physics Lead for the W87-0 system to work within the Weapon Physics and Design (WPD) program. In this role you will work closely with the WPD Associate Program Director for Stockpile Design and Modernization as well as the other system leads to accomplish WPD and Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) programmatic deliverables and will be responsible for the Annual Assessment of the W87-0 system. This position is in the Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) Directorate.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at a higher level.

In this role you will

• Assess the highly complex physics interactions that take place in a nuclear explosion.
• Design and provide in-depth analysis of experiments exploring the physics of nuclear explosives.
• Simulate weapons phenomena and perform highly advanced weapons assessment and certification tasks using physical models in computer codes.
• Determine and rank priorities for annual W87-0 system physics assessments.
• In consultation with the W87-0 Primary and Secondary Physics Leads, coordinate, and present the budget and short and long-term physics assessment plan for the system.
• Prepare and present material for the Annual Assessment Review of the W87-0 at the WPD, WCI, and Lab Director’s level.
• Represent the W87-0 to WPD and WCI management at internal and external meetings, including preparing and giving presentations.
• Assign responsibilities to and ensure mentoring of staff members new to the system.
• Work with engineering and other WCI partners to coordinate and assign responsibility for assessments of any surveillance findings relevant to the system.
• Promote and maintain strong relationships and communication with NNSA and other NNSA laboratories and sites.
• Develop and promote partnerships and collaborations across LLNL with disciplines and other programs to ensure programmatic deliverables are met.
• Support plans to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within the program.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities at the SES.5 Level

• Participate in the negotiations for Stockpile to Target Sequence (STS) requirements for new delivery vehicle.
• Negotiate additional budget and scope with the Weapons Technologies and Engineering (WTE) program management.
• Develop and implement plans for small scale experiments to validate models.
• Develop and implement strategies plans, and goals to advance the state of the art in assessments.

Qualifications

• This position requires an active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top-Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency at the time of hire.
• PhD in physics, engineering or a related field or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Significant experience and expertise in the physics of nuclear weapons and knowledge of weapons programs.
• Substantial experience presenting and disseminating highly advanced research results at scientific conferences and peer-reviewed publications, in open or classified environments, internal or external to LLNL.
• Substantial experience communicating results of work with external sponsors.
• Substantial experience developing innovative methods to expand knowledge of interrelated fields of highly advanced physics important to weapons assessment and certification.
• Substantial experience setting specific strategies and/or directing multi-disciplinary teams to achieve program goals.
• Expert communication skills, both written and verbal, necessary to effectively explain, present, negotiate, advise, and influence all levels of LLNL management.
• Demonstrated ability/commitment to valuing diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in the workplace.

Additional qualifications at the SES.5 Level

• Demonstrated extensive expert knowledge of primary and secondary physics.
• Demonstrated extensive experience setting and implementing specific strategies and directing multi-disciplinary teams to achieve stockpile goals.
• Substantial experience communicating weapons program information to sponsors and customers.

Qualifications We Desire

• Significant experience and expertise in the physics of nuclear weapons and knowledge of WCI and the LLNL weapons program.
• Substantial experience communicating stockpile results to NNSA sponsors and DoD customers such as the Strategic Advisory Group Stockpile Assessment Team (SAGSAT).

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
• Our core beliefs - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values
• Employee engagement - visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement

Security Clearance

This position requires an active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance or active Top Secret clearance issued by another U.S. government agency at time of hire.

Pre-Employment Drug Test

External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.

Pre-Placement Medical Exam

A job related pre-placement medical examination may be required.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.

We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.

California Privacy Notice

The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.