Nevada National Security Sites · 1 day ago
Senior/Principal/Senior Principal Scientist (Multi-Level)
North Las Vegas, NV
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$99K/yr - $149K/yr
5+ years expMission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) operates the Nevada National Security Site, focusing on national security experimentation and environmental stewardship. They are seeking outstanding scientists to support the installation and technical maturation of the Scorpius linear induction accelerator, contributing to various experimental activities and cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Government Administration
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Devises imaginative, thorough, and practical solutions requiring evaluation of standards and processes. Solutions may be unique
Design, execute and analyze accelerator/beam experiments (injector, transport, target/x-ray conversion, stability/BBU, corkscrew mitigation)
Develop, commission, and operate beam and x-ray diagnostics (e.g. BPMs, Faraday cups, scintillators/ICCD, streak cameras, x-ray diodes, spectrometers, interferometry, and others)
Build, validate, and apply physics models and Multiphysics simulations; compare to experimental data and iterate designs
Apply targeted Machine Learning to speed up tuning, improve diagnostics insights, and support experiments planning; build data workflows and integrate with controls where appropriate, validate models against measurements
Author test plans, procedures, and technical reports; present results to program leadership and external partners
Work safety with high voltage, radiation, vacuum/pressure systems; follow Work Planning & Control and configuration management
Collaborate across controls (timing/EPICS), solid state pulse power, alignments, targets, and operations
Lead major ECSE workstreams; define technical roadmaps; serve od design and test readiness reviews; mentor team
Lead a small Machine Learning deployment tied to an experiment; establish validation/rollback
Maintain a rigorous safety culture; own hazard analysis and control implementation for a campaign; enforce configuration management and readiness checklist
Serve as technical lead for major ECSE capability areas; define requirements, interfaces, and acceptance criteria
Plan and lead the future multi-campaign test efforts from IOC to FOC
Integrate cross-discipline work (pulsed power, magnets/alignment, controls/EPICS, target/diagnostics) to achieve replicable beam/x-ray performance
Set minimal standards for Machine Learning use and oversee one or two high value deployments
Maintain a rigorous safety culture; author/approve procedures and hazard analysis; set the safety basis and acceptance criteria for operations, make go/no-go decisions
Mentor senior scientists and engineers; build hiring pipelines and guide career development
Author publications; produces intellectual property; contributes to strategies, reports and technical proposals
Serve as technical leader/design authority for major ECSE capabilities; set technical vision, requirements flow down, interface control, and acceptance criteria
Lead multi-campaign test strategies from IOC to FOC, balancing risks, schedule, and performance
Establish and enforce diagnostics/analysis standards across the program
Own cross-discipline integration (pulsed power, magnets/alignment, controls/EPICS, target/diagnostics) to achieve replicable beam/x-ray performance
Define a focused Machine Learning roadmap (few high-impact use cases) and governance for safe adoption
Develop and mentor technical leaders; build recruiting pipelines
Define the program’s safety strategy – establish leading indicators, conduct audits, and drive continuous improvements across teams
Influence external partnership and vendor roadmaps; guide make/buy decisions, and technology maturation plans
Steward budget and EVMS at the capability level; anticipate long-lead risks; drive corrective actions
Qualification
Required
Bachelors in calculus-based technical (STEM) field plus at least 5 years relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized
Track record leading end-to-end accelerator or plasma or pulsed power campaigns (requirements, designs, safety basis, execution, analysis, publication or report)
Deep expertise in at least two of: injector physics/diodes & cathodes; transport and stability mitigation (BBU/corkscrew); target/x-ray source design & spot optimization; high-speed diagnostics; pulsed power drivers
Minimum Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in a calculus-based (STEM) field, plus at least 9 years' relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized
Proven PI/Co-PI with delivered mission outcomes; sets technical strategy and risk posture
Authority in instability mitigation, injector & transport tuning, or target/diagnostics architecture for ns phenomena
Communicates complex tradeoffs to execs/stakeholders; builds collaborations (labs, universities, vendors)
Minimum Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in calculus-based (STEM) field, plus at least 14 years' relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized
Demonstrated technical authority across three or more domains: injector/cathodes, transport & instability mitigation (BBU/corkscrew), target/x-ray source/spot optimization, fast diagnostics and DAQ, pulsed-power drivers, radiation effect and shielding
Proven record of program-level leadership: architecture decisions, verification/validation strategies, hazard/safety bases, and delivery against mission Key Performance Parameters
Expertise of modeling-to-measurement integration
Strong communication with executives and external stakeholders (DOE/NNSA, partner labs, vendors, academia)
Technical Knowledge (for All Levels): Accelerator physics: high-current electron sources/diodes. LIAs, magnetic focusing/solenoids, emittance, envelope physics, space-charge, BBU & corkscrew, tune/optics matching
Pulsed Power and HV: LTD concepts, solid state pulsed power, switching, transmission lines, grounding/isolation, EMI diagnostics and survivability
Beam-target/x-ray production: converters, bremsstrahlung yield, spot optimization, dose/fluence, target thermal response
Diagnostics and DAQ: fast detectors, timing/jitter, calibration/uncertainty, signal integrity, high-rate data pipelines
Vacuum and magnet systems: UHV practices, leak-check, magnet mapping/alignment, field quality and trim strategy
Modeling tools (examples): LSP, WARP, COMSOL, Geant4, MCNP, Python, CHICAGO, FLAG
Working knowledge of supervised machine learning, basics of model validation in test operations
Controls and test infrastructure: EPICS, LabVIEW, timing/fan-out, triggers, oscilloscopes/digitizers, safety interlocks
Preferred
PhD (or MS/BS with 7- 10+ years) in relevant field
Design Authority experience; developed new diagnostics
Multiphysics optimization linking EM, thermal, structural and beam dynamics
Cost/schedule awareness, vendor/partner technical management
PhD and recognized subject matter expert with 12+ years (or equivalent impact) in high-current accelerators systems, LIAs, or pulsed-power-driven x-ray or particle sources
Prior Design Authority experience on accelerator or pulsed-power systems; developed new diagnostics
Track record of closing the loop between models and measurements
Publications or patents that influenced operational practices at labs or facilities; committee/review pane service
University/lab collaboration building and mentoring senior engineers/scientists
15+ years (or equivalent impact) advancing high-current accelerators, LIAs, or pulsed-power driven sources with authoritative contributions adopted in operations
Recognized SME (fellowships/committee leadership/standard bodies), patents or seminal publications impacting accelerator operations
Experience standing up new diagnostics and next-generation targets or other accelerator crucial sub-systems
Prior Q-cleared work and leadership a high-consequence experiments or facilities
Benefits
Medical, dental, and vision
Both a pension and a 401k
Paid time off and 96 hours of paid holidays
Relocation (if located more than 75 miles from work location)
Tuition assistance and reimbursement
Company
Nevada National Security Sites
The Nevada National Security Sites help ensure the security of the United States and its allies by: supporting the stewardship of the nation’s nuclear deterrent; providing nuclear and radiological emergency response capabilities and training; contributing to key nonproliferation and arms control initiatives; executing national-level experiments in support of the National Laboratories; working with national security customers and other federal agencies on important national security activities; and providing long-term environmental stewardship of the NNSS’s Cold War legacy.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Melissa Biernacinski
Action Officer, Government/Customer Relations and Strategic Partnerships
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