Department Planner for Operations - National Ignition Facility

Fusion Energy Base; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 212,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Relocation Assistance

Education Reimbursement

Flexible schedules

Job summary

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory seeks a Department Planner for Operations to lead the planning and execution of complex facility operations at NIF. This role requires coordinating cross-disciplinary teams, directing 24/7 activities, and ensuring safety and efficiency while advancing strategic goals.

You will develop schedules, allocate resources, mentor staff, and collaborate with multiple work centers to de-conflict scope and optimize throughput in a high-stakes research environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering or related field; or equivalent education/experience.
• Advanced knowledge in and significant experience with science or engineering for integrated, large-scale systems through full lifecycle.
• Significant experience managing operations for large, complex technical systems.
• Significant experience implementing an integrated safety management system.
• Experience formulating strategies for planning, resources, scheduling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Provide advanced technical leadership of operations and maintenance for large-scale systems.
• Develop and lead facility operations and maintenance planning and scheduling to meet goals.
• Plan and schedule projects, coordinating with other work centers to ensure timelines.
• Mentor technicians and ensure SSQE requirements are met.
• Lead and guide multidisciplinary teams in a high-pressure environment.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Resource planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Team management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Science or Engineering

Master’s degree in Science or Engineering or MBA

Job description

Job Description

We have multiple openings for Department Planners for Operations in several sections at the National Ignition Facility. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the team that achieved fusion ignition in December 2022, a historic moment in science that opened new physics regimes and set the stage for future fusion energy possibilities.

You will join a team which is responsible for directing the 24/7 activities of the National Ignition Facility. You will be responsible for the strategies required for successful planning and execution of complex facility operations, maintenance, and upgrade activities in the NIF. This position is in the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate and supports projects within the National Ignition Facility & Photon Sciences (NIF&PS) / Light Matter and Fusion (LMF) directorate. This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

In this role, you will Function independently with minimal direction, taking significant responsibility and using advanced knowledge and judgment to establish objectives, prioritize parallel tasks, allocate resources, and collaborate in the development of innovative methods/technology to guide the completion of projects and contribute to the development of organizational goals.

Provide advanced technical leadership of the operations, engineering, and maintenance teams for large-scale, complex, integrated systems critical to the successful execution of scientific experiments on NIF in support of established section and facility strategy.

Develop, implement, and lead facility operations and maintenance planning and scheduling, monitoring workflow to achieve established goals and objectives, ensuring operations activities are appropriately staffed and that projects are completed on schedule, and working with other work centers to de-conflict scope and share resources as needed.

Partner with section management to plan and schedule engineering projects, working with and gaining the cooperation of other work centers to ensure the successful coordination of projects and timelines.

Collaborate with and provide technical leadership to a large multi-disciplinary team of support personnel including scientists, engineers, operators, and technicians.

Develop and communicate work priorities operations, engineering, and maintenance team, working with section management and Work Center Supervisors to prioritize, schedule, and resource load work, exercising independent judgment within established policies and objectives to modify approaches using improved methods and processes when appropriate.

Provide leadership and direction in the field to an operational team responsible for mentoring technicians safety, security, quality and efficiency (SSQE) functional requirements. Analyze trends in these functional areas, identify and implement mitigations, and report findings to management. Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.

• Bachelor’s degree in Science or Engineering or related field, or the equivalent combination of education and significant related experience.
• Advanced knowledge in and significant experience with science or engineering as it relates to implementation of integrated, complex, and large-scale systems through the full operational lifecycle.
• Significant experience in the management of operations for a variety of large and complex technical control and hardware systems operated by multidisciplinary teams.
• Significant experience managing and executing an integrated safety management system.
• Significant experience formulating strategies for planning, resources, project scheduling, tracking milestones, and modifying scope when necessary for work integration functions, including collaborating across multiple technical disciplines.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage personnel conflicts and maintain high morale in a demanding and dynamic environment.
• Experience effectively leading and managing a team and/or group of 10 or more employees, providing consultative direction and overseeing independent work in a fast-paced, high pressure, complex, multidisciplinary team environment, working across organizational boundaries.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate and lead in a team environment, present and explain technical information, and provide advice to management, personnel, and internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications We Desire

• Master’s degree in Science, Engineering, Physics, or Business Administration.
• In-depth knowledge of DOE, sponsors, and Laboratory management structures and requirements.

Pay Range

$167,340 - $212,160 Annually This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Position Information

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

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!

Flexible Benefits Package

• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)

Security Clearance

This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance. If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing. Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship.

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.

Wireless and Medical Devices

Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession. This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices. If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas. Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.

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.

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.