Posted today
DoE Q or L
$282,210 - $359,700
Unspecified
Livermore, CA (On-Site/Office)
Company Description
Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability.
Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.
Job Description
We have an opening for a Director to lead the National Ignition Facility (NIF) User Office and serve as the institutional interface for all external and internal scientific users of the facility. In this role, you will develop and manage the governance, policies, scheduling processes, and stakeholder engagement mechanisms that enable NIF to support mission-aligned experiments in support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP), comprising High Energy Density and Inertial Confinement Fusion science, National Security Applications (NSA), Direct Laser Impulse (DLI) and Discovery Science (DS). You will work closely with the NIF Director and the NIF senior management team to balance multi-program demands, guide experiment solicitation and evaluation, and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, laboratory partners, academia, and other scientific users. This position is in the National Ignition Facility and Photon Science (NIF&PS) Directorate.
In this role you will
Qualifications
Desired Qualifications
Pay Range
$282,210 - $359,700 Annually
This is the lowest to highest salary in good faith we believe 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.
Additional Information
#LI-Hybrid
Position Information
This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.
Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?
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.
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.
How to identify fake job advertisements
Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under "Find Your Job" of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.
To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf
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 .
Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world-changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability.
Our mission spans four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.
Job Description
We have an opening for a Director to lead the National Ignition Facility (NIF) User Office and serve as the institutional interface for all external and internal scientific users of the facility. In this role, you will develop and manage the governance, policies, scheduling processes, and stakeholder engagement mechanisms that enable NIF to support mission-aligned experiments in support of the Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP), comprising High Energy Density and Inertial Confinement Fusion science, National Security Applications (NSA), Direct Laser Impulse (DLI) and Discovery Science (DS). You will work closely with the NIF Director and the NIF senior management team to balance multi-program demands, guide experiment solicitation and evaluation, and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, laboratory partners, academia, and other scientific users. This position is in the National Ignition Facility and Photon Science (NIF&PS) Directorate.
In this role you will
- Develop and establish operational and facility policies governing user access, proposal submission, publication practices, training development and compliance, and information management and data handling for experiments conducted at NIF.
- Lead the annual proposal solicitations and peer review processes for experimental campaigns across the SSP, NSA, DLI and DS mission areas, working with review committees, sponsors, and scientific disciplines to ensure technical merit and feasibility.
- Participates in the development of the facility use plan and integrated experiment schedule, coordinating with campaign leads, program sponsors, and operations to align priorities with facility availability and national security objectives.
- Serve as the primary point-of-contact for the user community, working to understand and advocate for external and internal stakeholder needs, including academic, DOE/NNSA, DoD, and international science partners.
- Manage experimental readiness and organizational execution planning in coordination with NIF operations, ensuring compliance with safety, security, and programmatic requirements.
- Serve as the primary systems engineer point-of-contact for the suite of data system tool suite used for NIF experiment proposals, management and approvals.
- Develop and establish user and student engagement strategies, including annual NIF/JLF Users Group meeting, advisory groups, workshops, and governance forums that support long-term facility planning, education and capability development.
- Represent the User Office to Laboratory leadership, the NNSA, other national laboratories, universities, and government agencies, providing updates on user engagement, scheduling, performance, and scientific outcomes.
- Provide briefings, reports, and recommendations to NIF leadership, NNSA sponsors, external advisory committees, and user councils on facility utilization and performance, program balance, and community needs.
- Delegate assignments to User Office staff responsible for user logistics, communications, scheduling coordination, site access, and experiment documentation.
- Promote a culture of scientific excellence, collaboration, professionalism, and transparency across the user community and within the User Office.
- Promote experimental work and findings performed on the NIF.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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 relevant experience and extensive experience resolving complex problems and developing, planning and coordinating solutions.
- Advanced experience in high energy density physics, inertial confinement fusion, or related large-scale experimental research programs.
- Demonstrated experience in leadership and organizational development in a scientific, programmatic, or facility management role involving coordination across multiple stakeholders, institutions, or sponsors.
- Experience leading peer review, experiment planning, or multi-program scheduling at a user facility or comparable research environment.
- Experience working with DOE/NNSA, national laboratories, or other government sponsors and an understanding of mission requirements associated with Stockpile Stewardship and related national security programs.
- Demonstrated ability to represent institutional interests to sponsors, advisory groups, academic collaborators, and internal senior management.
- Expert communication, facilitation, collaboration, and interpersonal skills necessary to direct an organization, lead innovative research and operations, build cooperative multi-disciplinary teams, and interact with management and customers/sponsors.
- Strong problem-solving, organizational, negotiating and analytical skills necessary to guide complex scientific planning activities, evaluate competing priorities, and ensure successful program execution.
- Demonstrated experience fostering a high-performing, respectful, and collaborative work environment.
- Demonstrated success in recruiting, hiring, and retaining staff across various roles.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience interacting with DOE/NNSA program offices relevant to HED, ICF, or stewardship science.
- Knowledge of user facility governance models or prior leadership within a scientific user program.
- Familiarity with LLNS, DOE, and NNSA policies and procedures related to experiment authorization, site access, and information management.
- Experience coordinating external user groups, advisory committees, or inter-laboratory scientific collaborations.
- Experience as a qualified derivative classifier.
- Experience with the NIF shot proposal process.
Pay Range
$282,210 - $359,700 Annually
This is the lowest to highest salary in good faith we believe 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.
Additional Information
#LI-Hybrid
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)
- Our values - visit https://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values
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.
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.
How to identify fake job advertisements
Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under "Find Your Job" of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.
To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf
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 .
group id: LLNL