Los Alamos National Laboratory

Program Manager 2/3

Los Alamos National Laboratory$106K — $215K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years in project or program management related to manufacturing or engineering
  • Experience managing scope, schedule, budget, and performance metrics
  • Strong ability to coordinate across technical and operational teams
  • Knowledge of risk management practices and effective communication with diverse stakeholders
  • Willingness to obtain and maintain a Q level security clearance
  • Ability to travel as necessary
  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree preferred for Program Manager 3

Responsibilities

  • Manage and oversee program scope, schedule, budget, and performance metrics
  • Coordinate and report on complex program activities
  • Define programmatic needs and deliverables in collaboration with internal and external customers
  • Facilitate milestone tracking and status reporting for assigned projects
  • Develop execution plans, schedules, and risk management strategies
  • Identify and communicate potential risks affecting mission success
  • Integrate work across technical and programmatic organizations

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health insurance options
  • Dental and vision coverage
  • Free basic life and long-term disability insurance
  • Generous parental leave policy
  • Participating 401(k) with matching contributions
  • Opportunities for tuition assistance and continuous learning
  • Flexible scheduling and generous paid time off
  • Onsite fitness facilities and wellness initiatives
  • Robust relocation packages for qualified candidates
Full Job Description
Description

Job Title Program Manager 2/3

Location Los Alamos, NM, US

Organization Name Plutonium Modernization Mission Office (PMMO)

Minimum Salary

Maximum Salary

What You Will Do

This position is open for external candidates only to apply.

This position will be filled at either the Program Manager 2 or Program Manager 3 level, depending on the skills and experience of the selected candidate. Additional duties and responsibilities are assigned at the higher level.

The Plutonium Modernization Mission Office (PMMO), within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP), is responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing major programmatic activities that enable the Laboratory's pit production mission. This position provides the opportunity to support institutional level, mission critical work within one or more PMMO program areas, helping advance a modern, responsive nuclear deterrence capability.

As a Program Manager, you will serve as a primary interface with internal and external partners to define mission goals, integrate programmatic work, and ensure the successful execution of scope, schedule, budget, and performance targets. You will coordinate across technical, operational, and programmatic organizations; manage risks, issues, and opportunities; and contribute to strategic planning to support a complex national security mission. Program Managers in PMMO may support one or more mission areas within pit production modernization, based on organizational priorities.

Pit Manufacturing Execution (PMX): Oversees manufacturing operations to produce diamond-stamped plutonium pits and achieve higher pit-production capacity goals to produce products for weapon systems on the required timelines.

Maintenance, Equipment & Qualification (MEQ): Manages the equipment lifecycle for programmatic assets supporting LANL's pit mission, from conceptual design, installation, qualification, operations and maintenance to equipment end of life and future-cycle planning.

Material Recycle, Recovery, & Storage (MRR/ST): Safely and efficiently processes plutonium, uranium, and other actinide materials to meet national program requirements while expanding the scientific and engineering basis of nuclear weapons-based manufacturing. Manages safe and secure nuclear storage capability to support storage requirements necessary to meet NNSA's pit production modernization mission.

Program Manager 2 $106,400 - $176,000

Job duties will include, but not limited to:
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, and performance metrics for assigned programmatic work.
• Plan, coordinate, and report on complex program activities supporting mission execution.
• Work with internal and external customers to define programmatic needs and deliverables.
• Serve as a point of contact for assigned work, including milestone definition and status reporting.
• Support development of execution plans, schedule baselines, and risk management activities.
• Identify, assess, and communicate risks, issues, and opportunities affecting mission success.
• Coordinate work and interfaces across multiple technical and programmatic organizations.
• Integrate moderately complex programmatic work with other Laboratory organizations.
• Apply knowledge of project/program management practices, including change control and variance analysis.
• Assist in developing work breakdown structures and resource loaded plans.
• Prepare and submit programmatic documentation, reports, and customer deliverables.
• Maintain working knowledge of relevant technical and non technical disciplines.
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative work environment.

Program Manager 3 $128,000 - $215,900

In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level
• Provide strategic oversight, vision, and planning for complex and multi organization portfolios.
• Lead the development of comprehensive program execution strategies from concept through completion.
• Exert significant latitude in negotiating scope, priorities, milestones, and deliverables with customers.
• Integrate larger or more diverse programmatic portfolios across Laboratory and external stakeholders.
• Represent PMMO at high visibility meetings, briefings, and customer engagements.
• Develop and manage complex baselines, resource strategies, and long range planning documents.
• Apply advanced understanding of regulatory, operational, and technical requirements related to assigned portfolios.
• Lead portfolio level risk management strategies and recommend risk acceptance/avoidance approaches.
• Oversee cross organizational coordination to ensure cost, schedule, and performance objectives are met.
• Provide guidance to teams on programmatic systems, governance, and institutional expectations.
• Contribute expert level knowledge to resolve sophisticated programmatic challenges.

You will report to and support senior program management within PMMO and contribute to a crucial national security mission portfolio. As the mission advances-highlighted by the first W87-1 production unit achieving war reserve status and rate production scaling-this is an exceptional opportunity to shape the future of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

  • Demonstrated program or project management experience in manufacturing, production, engineering, or related technical operations.
  • Experience managing scope, schedule, and budget, including reporting and baseline management.
  • Ability to coordinate across multiple technical and operational organizations.
  • Knowledge of risk management practices.
  • Ability to communicate effectively with diverse teams and customers.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a Q level clearance (U.S. citizenship required).
  • Ability to travel as required.


Additional Job Requirements for Program Manager 3:

In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:

  • Advanced knowledge of program or portfolio management, including planning, execution, and performance tracking.
  • Demonstrated experience with customer engagement, external reporting, and high level communication.
  • Experience integrating complex programmatic efforts across multiple organizations.
  • Advanced understanding of regulatory and Laboratory requirements related to programmatic work.


Education/Experience at lower level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited institution and 5 years of directly related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Education/Experience at higher level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited institution and 8 years of directly related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience with systems analysis, modeling, or Primavera.
  • Knowledge of plutonium operations, pit production, or nuclear facility work.
  • Experience with Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS).
  • Experience with portfolio-level risk management.
  • Experience developing interface agreements, integration tools, or cost models.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills.
  • Master's degree or PMP certification preferred


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.

Notes to Applicants: Official Laboratory Travel might be required. For full consideration, please submit a comprehensive resume and cover letter reflective of your relevant experience to the job requirements and desired skills stated above. Evaluation of applicants will commence immediately.

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 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 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.

426.2: This position is subject to DOE Order 426.2, Personnel Selection, Training, and Qualification Requirements for DOE Nuclear Facilities, which establishes entry-level requirements to ensure candidates selected for specific positions can successfully perform the requirements of the job.

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.

Employment Status Full Time

Appointment Type Regular

Regular

Contact Details

Contact Name Sutton, Jennifer Anne

Email [email protected]

Work Telephone

About Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory initially organized during World War II for the design of nuclear weapons as part of the Manhattan Project. It is located a short distance northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico in the southwestern United States. LANL conducts research in fields such as national security, space exploration, renewable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and supercomputing. It is the largest institution of its kind in the world. LANL is managed and operated by Triad National Security, LLC, which is composed of Battelle Memorial Institute, the University of California, and the Texas A&M University System.
Learn more about Los Alamos National Laboratory
Size
12,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1943

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