R&D Engineer 3

Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Tuition assistance

Onsite gym and wellness

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM, seeks a Process Engineer for the Detonator Production - Process Engineering group. You will initiate and maintain engineering activities for inert and high explosive detonator subcomponents, interpret drawings, and design solutions to minimize process uncertainties.

The role requires a Master's in Engineering with 6 years of related experience (Ph.D. preferred) and strong capabilities in design, CAD, and quality systems.

Qualifications

• Master's Degree in Engineering and 6 years related experience; or an equivalent combination.
• Strong knowledge of electrical cable manufacturing methods and process development.
• Leadership in day-to-day process startup, operation, tooling, and engineering decisions.
• Analytical skills to improve quality and efficiency using data.
• Effective communication across departments and teams.
• Experience with Quality systems and PA-MAP workflows.

Responsibilities

• Ensure safety and security compliance and maintain required training.
• Support procurement of War Reserve process materials with detailed requirements.
• Manufacture and test War Reserve detonator assemblies and subcomponents.
• Collaborate with Process, Product, and Quality Engineers to implement new technologies.
• Create training plans and provide OJT for technicians.
• Develop tooling and fixturing to support processes.
• Monitor process performance using statistical methods and SPC.
• Document processes with Travelers, instructions, and SOPs.
• Serve as a Subject Matter Expert on cross-functional teams.

Job description

What You Will Do

Detonator Production (DP) Division is the premier Production Agency (PA) assigned to produce War Reserve (WR) detonators for the Nation's nuclear stockpile security mission. Detonator Production is comprised of a team of motivated, highly skilled technical and operational support staff. The organization is centered on high-rigor manufacturing operations to produce high quality, safe, and reliable WR detonator products. DP partners with customers and stakeholders such as NNSA (National Nuclear Security Administration), Weapon System Design Agencies (LANL, Sandia and Livermore), and LANL program management organizations. DP values teamwork, personal integrity, a respectful workplace, and continuous improvement in operations, technical excellence, safety, and security. The Detonator Production - Process Engineering group (DP-2) provides subject matter expertise to develop and improve detonator and subcomponent manufacturing and inspection processes. Process engineers support production, monitor process control metrics, and pursue yield improvement projects. They are responsible for accurate documentation (Travelers, Quality Instructions, and Standard Operating Procedures) and support the manufacturing team on the production floor. Process Engineers partner with Product Engineers to ensure product requirements are met. Process Engineers in Detonator Production will have specific manufacturing experience related to their field of expertise and can use the principles and theories of engineering, math, and science to drive a disciplined approach to solving technical problems. They will support projects in demanding assignments requiring initiative and independent judgment. They must be able to work independently and as part of a team and have excellent communication skills. As an R&D Engineer 3 you will initiate, develop and maintain engineering activities and processes for inert and/or high explosive detonator subcomponents and assemblies. You will be expected to interpret drawings requirements, develop solutions to problems, design and implement new technologies, improve cycle times, and minimize process uncertainties.

Primary Work Scope

• Ensuring safety and security compliance, maintaining required training, adhering to Laboratory policies, programs, procedures, and practices.
• Support the procurement of War Reserve process material through detailed requirements documents.
• Responsibility for the manufacturing and testing of War Reserve and experimental detonator assemblies and subcomponents.
• Collaboration with other Process Engineers, Product Engineers, Quality Engineers, and Production Technicians to develop solutions to complex problems, design and implement new technologies, improve production cycle times, and minimize process uncertainties.
• Create training plans and provide briefings and on-the-job trainings (OJTs).
• Develop tooling and fixturing in support of processes.
• Monitor process performance using statistical analysis methods.
• Quantify and document process uncertainty and TAR/TUR.
• Identify and procure equipment in support of manufacturing processes.
• Coordinating calibration, maintenance and repair services to ensure equipment operates within required guidelines and specifications.
• Documenting manufacturing processes through thorough design evaluations and completion of Travelers, Quality Instructions, and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Serve as a process Subject Matter Expert on cross-functional teams.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements: Technical – Knowledge of and experience in designing, planning, and executing projects associated with electrical cable manufacturing methods. Leadership – Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership in the day-to-day process of system startup & operation, tooling setup, in-process performance monitoring, and engineering decision-making. Analytical – Use data to identify areas of poor quality or efficiency and collaborate with all stakeholders to develop and implement improvements to make the manufacturing processes more robust. Communication – Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with all levels of the department and division. Can effectively explain equipment usage and training processes to technicians both verbally and through formal written documentation. Process Development – Experience developing processes including interpreting engineering blueprints, sketches, specifications and related data, specifying equipment, characterizing process variables, and maintaining process performance. Quality – Demonstrated experience in monitoring process performance using Statistical Process Control, Six Sigma, and other methods. Experience working per NAP 401.1a and PA-MAP processes. Education – Position requires a Master's Degree in Engineering from an accredited institution and 6 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation. At this level a Ph.D. may be preferred.

Desired Qualifications

• Knowledge of the United States nuclear weapons programs, designs, and engineering.
• Previous experience or knowledge of manufacturing practices and processes, such as, conduct of engineering and conduct of operations.
• Thorough knowledge of and experience in designing, planning, and executing projects in a manufacturing environment.
• Experience in authoring standard operating instructions, work instructions, quality instructions, and basic project management skills.
• Knowledge or experience in the use of the following systems:
• MRP/ERP software such as Solumina, SOMS, SAP
• Quality systems such as MQS, NCR
• Configuration control systems such as PDMLink and MPMLink
• Statistical analysis software such as JMP, Minitab
• CAD systems such as CREO and / or SolidWorks
• Proficient in GD&T per ANSI/ASME Y14.5

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.

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.

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.

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.