Project-Program Director 4

Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a Project-Program Director 4 to lead NA-12 program portfolios, including Production Operations, W88/W93, B61, and Stockpile Sustainment. You will drive program development, lifecycle planning, and risk management in a complex national security environment.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree and 8 years of related experience, with a strong background in program management, leadership, and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Position requires a bachelor's degree and 8 years related experience; or an equivalent combination.
• Expert knowledge of and demonstrated experience in all aspects of program or project management including work scope, schedules, budgets, milestones, baselines, variance reporting, change control and risk.
• Experience across the NNSA complex and industry, building trust and consensus, with strong communication and leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead NA-12 program portfolios as a PPD 4, providing overall leadership and management.
• Develop and maintain life-cycle and annual resource-loaded schedules with Earned Value rigor as necessary.
• Define and actively manage risks, SCURA analyses, and other programmatic risks.
• Engage with internal and external stakeholders (PRTs, IPTs, FPOs, DAs, PAs) to ensure program delivery.

Skills

Program management

Leadership

Communication

Risk management

Earned Value Management

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Project execution

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

What You Will Do

The Associate Laboratory Directorate, Weapons Production (ALDWP), at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) enables credible and sustainable strategic deterrence for the nation through the production of plutonium pits, detonators, and other non-nuclear components, along with the necessary evaluation that ensures safe and reliable products. The directorate's programs support multiple aspects of the nuclear security enterprise (NSE) and national security mission, including plutonium processing and disposition, high explosives and non-nuclear component production, manufacturing for NASA deep space missions, surveillance, materials management, and waste operations. ALDWP must simultaneously expand capacity and mature rate production for pits and detonators, while continuing to build on its high-precision, high-quality manufacturing capabilities for non-nuclear parts fabrication.

What You Will Do

The Associate Laboratory Directorate, Weapons Production (ALDWP), at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) enables credible and sustainable strategic deterrence for the nation through the production of plutonium pits, detonators, and other non-nuclear components, along with the necessary evaluation that ensures safe and reliable products. The directorate's programs support multiple aspects of the nuclear security enterprise (NSE) and national security mission, including plutonium processing and disposition, high explosives and non-nuclear component production, manufacturing for NASA deep space missions, surveillance, materials management, and waste operations. ALDWP must simultaneously expand capacity and mature rate production for pits and detonators, while continuing to build on its high-precision, high-quality manufacturing capabilities for non-nuclear parts fabrication. The ADLWP Senior Directors office (Stockpile Production Management, ALDWP-SPM) ensures the effectiveness of the stockpile by providing key components and services with quality, reliability, and responsiveness. Stockpile Production Management supports and is responsible for the ALDWP production agency (PA) program office managing the NA-12 weapons portfolios in NA-121, NA-122 and NA-125 along with direct oversight of the weapon detonator production mission at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The ALDWP-SPM Senior Director organization scope includes enabling production of detonators, non-nuclear components, radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), and surveillance (pits, detonators, actuators, RTGs). ALDWP-SPM also supports weapon production in various ways (i.e. Production Operations, Weapons Dismantlement & Disposition team, Product Maturation, Metrology, etc...). The organization provides guidance and leadership to each designated team to meet the production mission across ALDWP and ensure collaboration with other groups at LANL and sites across the complex. The Senior Director for Stockpile Production Management (ALDWP-SPM) office is seeking highly qualified candidates at the Project-Program Director 4 (PPD 4) level to manage NA-12 program portfolios. The PPD 4 vacancies will serve as program lead for one of our NA-12 programs (e.g., Production Operations, W88/W93 Programs, B61 Program, and Stockpile Sustainment Surveillance), providing overall leadership and management for their assigned program portfolio. The PPD 4 will be responsible for program development and/or program management of their respective program to ensure the overall deliverables and outcomes of their program are successfully managed. The PPD 4 will be responsible for ensuring life cycle and annually based program resource loaded schedules are maintained or developed and that the schedules are managed and status on a routine basis with the appropriate level of Earned Value Management (EVM) rigor (including Enhanced Management Level A) as necessary. In conjunction with the use of EVM to manage our programmatic scope, the PPD 4 is expected to provide guidance and leadership to define and actively manage risks including the formality of dedicated Schedule Cost Uncertainty and Risk Analyses (SCURA). Active involvement and engagement with both internal and external program stakeholders are expected: Product Realization Teams (PRTs), Integrated Product Team (IPT) members, Project Teams (PTs), Federal Program Offices (FPOs), other M&Os [Design Agencies (DAs) and Production Agencies (PAs), e.g. LLNL, LANL DA, KCNSC, SNL], LANL line organization management.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements

Demonstrated experience in the technical and operational discipline of the assigned portfolio(s). This requires experience leading complex technical project organizations, including demonstrated experience leading strategic and tactical planning and execution, customer service, project management, continuous improvement, and management systems such as safety, security, configuration management, conduct of operations and earned value management.

Leadership

Expert knowledge of and demonstrated experience in all aspects of program or project management of technical or operational scope, including defining work scope, schedules, budgets, priorities, and performance milestones; developing scope, cost, and schedule baselines; reporting cost and schedule variance; and managing change control and risk.

Relationship/Teaming

Demonstrated expertise in developing and nurturing effective relationships with a variety of constituencies, sponsors, other project organizations, managers, direct reports, and other employees. Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills for multiple levels of employees and stakeholders are a must.

Personal Leadership

Strong leadership characteristics including personal integrity and accountability, fiduciary responsibility, trustworthiness in relationships, commitment to quality and excellence in programs and operations, commitment to workforce diversity and human resource development.

NNSA Collaboration

Demonstrated experience working across the NNSA complex, the broader Nuclear Security Enterprise, and industry executing projects, setting strategic direction, program management leadership and expertise, building trust, and gaining consensus.

Compliance and Security

Knowledge of and demonstrated experience in developing, implementing, and enforcing governmental regulations related to implementing plans or programs to meet or exceed contractual requirements, performance measures, regulations, and laws, including the proven ability to do so while operating within a highly sensitive national security environment.

Education/Experience:

Position requires a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution and 8 years related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Desired Qualifications:

• Active DOE Q-Clearance
• NA-12 Stockpile Management portfolio experience, specifically working with NA-121, NA-122 and NA-125 programs.
• Science or engineering degree in a related field from an accredited institution, advanced degree preferred.
• Expert knowledge and experience with manufacturing management practices such as supply chain, inventory control, quality control, manufacturing execution systems, and configuration management

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.

Note to Applicants:

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.

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 1 year.

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.

Regular position:

Term status Laboratory employees applying for regular-status positions are converted to regular status.

Internal Applicants:

Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Incentive Compensation Program:

Position is eligible to participate in the Triad Incentive Compensation Program. You must be in an eligible position for a minimum of 3 months, before July 1st and remain in an eligible position as of the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. The annual distribution is prorated based on the number of months in the eligible position.

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 applicable 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 [e-mail] or call (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.