Project Leader 03

Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Life and disability insurance

Paid maternity and parental leave

401(k) with matching and company match

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a Construction Readiness Office Project Leader 3 to lead cross‑functional teams and coordinate readiness activities for complex infrastructure projects in Los Alamos, NM. You will oversee planning, turnover, startup integration, and operational transition to meet scope, schedule, budget, safety, and quality requirements.

This role requires a bachelor’s degree and six years of related experience (or equivalent).

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree and six years of related experience or an equivalent combination.
• Postgraduate coursework may be desirable.

Responsibilities

• Leads and coordinates construction readiness and operational integration efforts across infrastructure projects.
• Coordinates readiness planning with programmatic, engineering, and operations teams to ensure readiness milestones.
• Develops and implements readiness strategies, schedules, metrics, and tracking tools for successful delivery.
• Interfaces with project managers, engineers, maintenance, procurement, and subcontractors to align readiness with objectives.
• Oversees readiness reviews, turnover planning, punch‑list management, and issue resolution.
• Monitors scope, schedule, risks, and actions; supports change management and baseline control.
• Identifies risks and develops mitigation to minimize impacts on schedules and readiness.
• Supports development of institutional readiness processes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provides status updates, readiness assessments, risk evaluations, and strategic recommendations to leadership.
• Facilitates readiness reviews and stakeholder engagements to resolve issues effectively.

Skills

Project management

Construction coordination

Operational readiness

Stakeholder communication

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

What You Will Do

The Construction Readiness Office (CRO) Project Leader 3 leads and coordinates construction readiness activities across the Laboratory, providing oversight for complex multidisciplinary efforts associated with construction planning, readiness verification, turnover coordination, startup integration, and operational transition activities.

The selected candidate will lead cross‑functional teams and coordinate with programmatic organizations, engineering, project management, operations, maintenance, startup/testing, procurement, facility operations, and subcontractors to ensure projects achieve readiness objectives aligned with scope, schedule, budget, safety, quality, and operational requirements.

This position requires a demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities across multiple projects while serving as a primary interface between project delivery teams and operational stakeholders. The Project Leader will support the successful transition of projects from construction through commissioning, readiness verification, turnover, and operational occupancy.

What You Need

• Leads and manages moderately large and complex construction readiness and operational integration efforts associated with institutional and mission‑support infrastructure projects.
• Coordinates readiness planning activities to support project execution, facility turnover, startup integration, commissioning, operational acceptance, and occupancy readiness.
• Develops and implements project readiness strategies, execution plans, milestones, schedules, tracking tools, and performance metrics to support successful project delivery and operational transition.
• Interfaces with project managers, construction managers, engineering organizations, facility operations, maintenance personnel, startup/testing organizations, procurement, and subcontractors to ensure alignment of readiness activities with project objectives and operational requirements.
• Oversees multidisciplinary teams responsible for readiness reviews, turnover planning, punch‑list management, deficiency resolution, operational coordination, and project closeout activities.
• Monitors and manages project readiness scope, schedule, risks, issues, and action tracking while supporting change management and baseline control processes.
• Identifies potential project execution and operational risks and develops mitigation strategies to minimize impacts to project schedules, startup activities, and operational readiness.
• Supports the development and implementation of institutional readiness processes, procedures, standards, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Provides project status updates, readiness assessments, risk evaluations, and strategic recommendations to Laboratory management, project leadership, and operational stakeholders.
• Facilitates meetings, readiness reviews, operational coordination sessions, and stakeholder engagements to ensure effective communication and issue resolution across organizations.
• Ensures compliance with applicable DOE orders, Laboratory procedures, construction requirements, startup/readiness expectations, and operational governance requirements.
• Fosters a mutually respectful and inclusive work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

Education and Experience

Position requires a bachelor’s degree and six years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. At this level, postgraduate coursework may be desirable.

Desired Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge and demonstrated experience in project management, construction coordination, operational readiness, facility turnover, commissioning, startup integration, or infrastructure project execution.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex multidisciplinary projects involving construction, engineering, operations, maintenance, and facility stakeholders.
• Advanced knowledge of project controls, schedule management, risk management, readiness verification, and operational transition processes.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement project execution plans, readiness schedules, tracking systems, and corrective action management processes.
• Experience coordinating construction turnover, startup activities, testing/commissioning efforts, and operational acceptance processes.
• Knowledge of DOE, NNSA, and LANL institutional requirements related to construction, facility operations, startup, readiness, and contractor assurance.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, build consensus, resolve conflicts, and effectively communicate with personnel at all organizational levels.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem‑solving skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting field execution activities and coordinating with subcontractors, craft personnel, engineering teams, and operational organizations.
• Experience with integrated project delivery, construction management, infrastructure modernization, or mission‑critical facility projects is highly desirable.

Work Environment

Work location: onsite 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 to be eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. The position commitment for this role is one year.

Eligibility Note

Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong and Macau), the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation who are not lawful permanent residents 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.

Benefits

• PPO or high‑deductible medical insurance with the same large nationwide network
• Dental and vision insurance
• Free basic life and disability insurance
• Paid maternity and parental leave
• Award‑winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
• Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
• Flexible schedules and time off (paid sick, vacation, 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 the employee is suitable under NNSA Supplemental Directive 206.2. This requirement applies only to citizens of the United States; foreign nationals are subject to a similar requirement under DOE Order 142.3A.
• Position requires Q clearance. 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 Q clearance, and obtaining such clearance requires U.S. citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances.
• Eligibility requirements for clearance: The applicant must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances.

Drug Test Requirement

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.

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 accommodation, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to [e-mail] or call (505)-664-6947.