Apply on Employer Site

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory · 13 hours ago

NIF Sustainment Deputy Program Manager, NIF and Laser Systems

Livermore, CA

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$262K/yr - $333K/yr

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to lead a multi-year, $600M program advancing powerful laser systems for national security. In this role, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to a dynamic team, overseeing complex projects, optimizing resources, and ensuring operational readiness.

Information TechnologyMarket ResearchSecurity

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Lead and manage teams, programs, and functions with a technical focus, operating under broad consultative direction and significant autonomy, using expert knowledge and extensive team leadership experience, and exercise judgment within established policies to monitor workflow, allocate resources, ensure timely completion of projects, and influence and direct high-level strategic plans to achieve objectives while managing organizational and operational impact and attaining long-range goals

Provide strategic technical and operational leadership for a large, multi-disciplinary team, setting vision and strategy for reliability, quality, and mission delivery in NIF and laser systems

Lead, execute, and/or coordinate recruiting, hiring, training, career development, and performance and salary management activities as needed to meet programmatic staffing, employee development, and performance and salary related needs, including providing career counseling, mentoring, and technical guidance

Lead and oversee highly complex, interdependent sub-projects, establishing program governance, cadence, and controls, including IMS, risk register, change control board, phase gates, and readiness reviews to ensure technical, safety, and regulatory compliance

Develop and maintain Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), cost accounts, and earned value management (EVM) practices; direct financial planning, budget control, and resource allocation for a $600M portfolio, including procurement strategies and vendor management

Lead program planning and execution, managing rolling IMS, baselines, and recovery plans, and coordinating system engineering V-model activities, requirements traceability, ICDs, and configuration management

Champion reliability and lifecycle sustainment by developing and applying highly advanced systems engineering and asset management methods, and integrating upgrades, new technologies, and process improvements

Align technical baselines with operational objectives, ensuring laser safety, QA/QC, test plans, and validation criteria are embedded; drive design reviews, hazard analyses, FMEA, and readiness assessments

Scale and balance staffing across phases (75–120 FTEs), coordinate cross-functional teams, develop RACI matrices and succession plans, and mentor project managers and team leads

Develop and maintain effective relationships and transparent communication with sponsors, lab leadership, safety authorities, and internal partners; lead risk and opportunity management, issue resolution, change requests, and scope discipline

Direct commissioning, ramp-up, and transition to operations, ensuring training, SOPs, spares, reliability, and sustainment plans are in place for long-term success

Perform other duties as assigned

Qualification

Earned Value Management (EVM)Strategic planningBudget managementSystems engineeringTechnical leadershipProject management certificationLaser safetyContract managementCollaboration skillsCommunication skillsMentoring

Required

Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship

Bachelor's degree in Physics, Engineering, or related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience

Extensive technical leadership and management experience directing large, multi-disciplinary technical and operations teams in a highly complex industrial, laboratory, or defense-related environment

Extensive experience, expert level knowledge and skills, and demonstrated success with EVM, IMS, WBS, cost account management, and phase-gate governance in a regulated environment

Extensive experience, expert level knowledge and skills, and demonstrated success in strategic planning, resource optimization, and driving innovation in technical settings

Extensive experience in effectively managing multi-million-dollar budgets, allocating resources strategically, collaborating with leadership to align annual priorities with organizational goals, and applying expert-level knowledge of systems and engineering principles, infrastructure sustainment strategies, and asset management

Demonstrated extensive experience in facility operations involving cleanliness, stability, controls, and specialized laser systems

Demonstrated expert level skills and extensive experience in successfully resolving highly complex technical issues, tackling unique challenges, and sustaining critical infrastructure

Expert communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills necessary to effectively present, explain, influence, and advise professional colleagues, senior management, and external collaborators