Optics Materials Science and Technology Manager for Operations

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

Are you ready to play a pivotal role in supporting world-class optics processing capabilities at the National Ignition Facility? We are seeking a dynamic Operations Manager to lead operations for the Optics Materials Science & Technology (OMST) engineering and maintenance organization within the National Ignition Facility & Photon Science (NIF&PS) Directorate. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to a team that supports critical national security missions through advanced optics processing, specialized manufacturing, and operational excellence. In this role, you will lead operational execution and integration across OMST facilities and work centers, ensuring safe, efficient, and reliable support for production, maintenance, system availability, and mission commitments. This position is in the Laser Systems Engineering & Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate.

This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

In this role, you will

• Lead teams, programs, or functions with a technical focus, operate under consultative direction with substantial authority, use subject matter expertise and significant team leadership experience, and exercise judgment within established policies to monitor workflow, allocate resources, ensure timely completion of projects, independently determine strategies, and achieve objectives while managing organizational impact and pursuing actions to achieve long-term goals.
• Oversee the management and execution of OMST operations scope, identifying, planning, and executing courses of action essential to obtaining desired outcomes, and managing internal sponsor expectations and operational priorities.
• Lead a team of work center supervisors, technicians, asset managers, and project teams responsible for daily operations in OMST facilities, including support for optics processing systems, production activities, facility coordination, and maintenance execution.
• Manage assets that include over 120 custom and commercial equipment that handle and process optics to include the ownership of the computerized material management system (CMMS) used by OMST, equipment maintenance plans & procedures, and coordination with optics vendors for offsite equipment owned by LLNL.
• Manage highly complex operational interfaces among engineering, maintenance, production, facility operations, projects, and program stakeholders to ensure seamless execution of critical path activities and mission commitments.
• Lead teams that develop scoping documents and project charters for new facilities, equipment relocations, purchase of engineered equipment from third party vendors, while working with other LLNL construction management teams, building trades, architects, facility engineers, and infrastructure teams in the execution of the work.
• Represent OMST operations interests in working group interactions with other managers and operational partners, including participation in the improvement of Safety, Security, Quality, and Efficiency (SSQE).
• Identify and coordinate with the appropriate organizations the support from work teams and resources required for each phase of OMST activities, including personnel, equipment, facility needs, and maintenance windows, while ensuring OMST scope is clearly understood, appropriately represented, evaluated for safety, and effectively prioritized.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for OMST operations, representing OMST at planning and coordination meetings, ensuring that operational scope and priorities are communicated and understood, and escalating gaps in planning and execution as needed.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement through regular meetings with managers, planners, engineers, maintenance personnel, work center supervisors, and appropriate project teams to clarify roles, processes, integration needs, and priorities for OMST, and solicit feedback for continuous improvement.
• Oversee the management and development of operations training and operational readiness activities, including development of advanced methods and metrics to track progress toward strategic and operational goals.
• Oversee the management of the team that supports continuous operations and issues resolution for OMST facilities and systems, including fielding off-hours calls and providing onsite presence as needed to resolve highly complex technical or operational issues.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, Physics, or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and significant related experience and ability to lead independent work.
• Expert level knowledge in science or engineering that relates to implementation of integrated, highly complex, and large-scale technical or industrial systems.
• Expert level experience in management of operations for large and highly complex technical systems operated by multidisciplinary teams, including work control, operational coordination, maintenance integration, and configuration management.
• Significant experience managing and executing integrated safety management processes and applying balanced safety, security, quality, and efficiency principles in an operational environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading a team and/or group effectively in a fast-paced, high-pressure, complex, multidisciplinary team environment, working across organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated leadership skills for successfully leading and managing multidisciplinary technical and operations teams.
• Experience coordinating operational interfaces across engineering, maintenance, production, and facility organizations to support mission delivery and system availability.
• Experience using tools like failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) and/or root cause analysis.
• Expert interpersonal skills, including the ability to manage personnel conflicts and maintain high morale in a demanding and dynamic environment.
• Expert level 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 stakeholders.

Qualifications We Desire

• Master's degree in Science, Engineering, Physics, or related technical field.
• In-depth knowledge of NIF&PS management and organizational structures, and familiarity with OMST operations, optics processing systems, and interfaces across NIF&PS organizations.
• Experience supporting facility or production operations involving cleanliness, stability, controls, and specialized processing systems.
• Experience with maintenance planning, reliability, and operational support in high-consequence environments.

Pay Range

$227,430 - $288,396 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.

Additional Information

#LI-Onsite

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 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.

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