Inertial Confinement Fusion Chief Engineer

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.

We have an opening for an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) Chief Engineer to provide technical leadership, operational integration, and project engineering oversight for the ICF Science portfolio. This role is responsible for aligning scope, schedule, budget, and shot execution priorities across ICF, National Ignition Facility (NIF) Operations, and partner organizations to ensure successful delivery of program objectives.  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.

You will 

• Operate under consultative direction with substantial authority, using in-depth analysis and subject matter expertise in highly advanced concepts, to resolve a range of highly complex problems, independently determine strategies, modify approaches, and pursue actions that impact organizational operations or directions and achieve long-term goals.
• Direct integration activities across ICF Science, including shot scheduling, project engineering, budget tracking, and project status reporting. Resolve highly complex execution issues that affect program priorities, operational outcomes, and long-range campaign objectives.
• Provide authoritative technical direction for the ICF project engineering scope, including establishing priorities, shaping execution strategies, guiding project engineers supporting ICF and NIF facility campaigns, and ensuring work products meet mission, scope, schedule, and quality objectives.
• Serve as the primary point of contact with engineering line organizations, NIF Operations, Expert Group leadership, and partner organizations to resolve complex shot-related issues, reconcile competing requirements, and enable execution readiness.
• Establish and communicate weekly shot priorities, support prioritization through the Joint Program change control board (CCB) and related operational forums, and recommend adjustments to plans and priorities to meet evolving program needs.
• Direct configuration management of the ICF program plan, evaluate impacts of proposed changes to approved scope and priorities, and recommend or negotiate modifications needed to achieve program objectives.
• Develop and communicate integrated schedules for ICF efforts, including layered shot planning, joint experiments, annual shot proposal activities, and campaign reviews, while identifying risks, resolving conflicts, and adjusting execution strategies to meet major milestones.
• Evaluate quarterly milestones, campaign progress, staff effort charges, and budget status, and advise ICF senior leadership on execution risks, resource tradeoffs, schedule impacts, and recommended corrective actions.
• Lead coordination across engineering, operations, fabrication, and partner organizations to gain cooperation, resolve conflicting priorities, and drive integrated solutions for program objectives.
• Represent ICF priorities and technical execution needs to management and partner organizations and provide technical and operational advice on matters affecting project and program success.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or a related technical field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Significant experience leading highly complex technical, scientific, or engineering programs with multiple stakeholders, and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated expertise in project engineering, systems integration, scheduling, and operational coordination in a high-consequence technical environment.
• Experience managing program scope, milestones, budget performance, and status reporting for multidisciplinary efforts with long-range objectives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor project engineers or comparable technical staff, establish priorities, allocate resources, review work for adequacy, and ensure successful delivery of objectives.
• Expertise of configuration management principles and change control processes.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and build effective working relationships across program, operations, engineering, and fabrication organizations, and to resolve competing requirements across organizational boundaries.
• Expert written and verbal communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills, with the ability to advise senior management and/or external sponsors, represent organizational priorities, and communicate complex technical and operational issues clearly.

Qualifications We Desire

• Masters or PhD in engineering, physics, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience supporting ICF, high energy density (HED), NIF, or similarly complex experimental science campaigns, including responsibility for integration across operational and technical interfaces.
• Familiarity with shot planning, target fabrication interfaces, capsule coating coordination, annual shot proposal processes, and campaign-level execution planning.
• Experience leading implementation of process improvements, workflow mapping, systems engineering methods, or project management tools that improve execution of complex programs.
• Record of technical contributions to publications, reviews, or program strategy documents.

Pay Range

$210,630 - $267,060 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.  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.

#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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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.

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