Pulsed Power R&D Engineer (R&D Engineer 1/2) - Military Veterans

Job Title Pulsed Power R&D Engineer (R&D Engineer 1/2)
Location Los Alamos, NM, US
Organization Name AOT-RFE - The Accelerator Operations and Technology Division- Radio Frequency Engineering
Minimum Salary
Maximum Salary

What You Will Do

The Accelerator Operations and Technology Division (AOT), Radio Frequency Engineering (RFE) group is seeking a pulsed power engineer.

The AOT division maintains, operates, and upgrades all accelerator systems used at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) complex. These consist of two 750-keV Cockcroft-Walton-based injector systems (H+ and H- systems), a 201.25-MHz drift tube linear accelerator utilizing high-power diacrode tubes, an 805-MHz coupled cavity linac utilizing klystrons as the primary power source, a proton storage ring, and roughly a kilometer of beam transport lines that feed beam to the five independent research programs. The RFE group is principally responsible for all RF systems, pulsed power systems, and high-power DC power supplies used to operate magnets on the beam transport lines. Low-level RF (LLRF) control and monitoring of the various RF sources used to drive the beam is critical to the high performance and successful operation of the accelerator. The group consists of five teams: (1) Low-Level RF (LLRF) focused on real-time phase and amplitude controls; (2) accelerator Pulsed Power systems (PP); (3) accelerator Magnet Power Supplies (MPS); (4) High-Power RF (HPRF) systems at 201 MHz; and (5) High-Power RF systems at 805 MHz.

This position will be filled at the R&D Engineer 1 level or the R&D Engineer 2 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

R&D Engineer 1 $92,300 - $151,000

As a member of the AOT-RFE Pulsed Power engineering team, the successful candidate, working closely with other engineers, scientists, technologists, and technicians, will contribute to the operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of LANSCE pulsed power systems, high-voltage power supplies and associated electronics, pulsed high-current power systems, and fast rise-time beam-kicker systems.

The position will also involve working under the direction of senior engineers to plan and implement new pulsed power systems, e.g., Blumlein modulators and associated high-voltage pulsed power systems, beam chopper and related power electronic systems, and analysis, control, and diagnostic systems.

The successful candidate will also provide on-call support for the LANSCE Pulsed Power team after hours and on weekends. The on-call assignment will typically be one week per month during accelerator operations, which span about seven months in the year.

R&D Engineer 2 $101,700 - $168,200

In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, the position at this level will be responsible for planning and managing maintenance activities and analyzing pulsed power systems data to inform design enhancements for improving performance and reliability.

The successful candidate will also provide pulsed power and power electronics expertise to all segments of the group, particularly in the areas related to pulsed power systems and the equipment required to operate them. There will also be opportunities to work with other researchers on special projects across the laboratory.

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements:

Minimum Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 1:

• Demonstrated ability to read and understand schematics.
• Demonstrated undergraduate training in electrical engineering fields that support competency in electrical engineering such as high-voltage and pulsed-power engineering.
• Demonstrated verbal communication and interpersonal skills, and experience in effectively producing written documents.
• Demonstrated ability to accomplish technical tasks while working independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team with engineers, scientists, and technicians.

Additional Job Requirements for R&D Engineer 2: In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:

• Demonstrated record of contributions to the design, development, testing, and installation of high-voltage, high-current, power electronic, or pulsed power systems.
• Demonstrated experience working as part of a team to develop high-voltage/high-current or pulsed power systems.
• Demonstrated recent and successful hands-on experience troubleshooting, installing, and testing pulsed power systems.
• Demonstrated record of being involved with designing, developing, testing, and installing high-voltage/high-current or pulsed power systems.

Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 1 level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited institution related to the occupation combined with 2 years of related experience.

Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 2 level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with high-voltage DC and pulsed-power systems.
• Experience with computer-based circuit layout simulation (PSpice, Multisim, LTSPice, etc.)
• Design experience with high-speed circuits and PCB architecture (Altium, KiCad, Cadence, Mentor Graphic)
• Some experience with microcontrollers and PLC programming.
• Familiarity with 3D CAD software (SolidWorks, AUTOCAD, AutoDesk Inventor/Fusion)
• Experience with matrix algebra and block diagram simulation software (Matlab/Simulink, Scilab/Xcos, etc.).
• Operations experience at an accelerator facility.
• Ability to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires U.S. citizenship.

Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation): Ability to speak, ability to hear in a normal range, standing, walking, reaching overhead, reaching horizontally, reaching down, gripping with hands, typing or keyboarding.

Note to Applicants: Consideration for the position will be strictly limited to applicants that submit a comprehensive cover letter addressing, bullet by bullet, each of the required and desired skills.

Work Environment

Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations areat 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.

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 childbirth and parental leave
• Award-winning 401(k) (6% matching plus 3.5% annually)
• Learning opportunities and tuition assistance
• Flexible schedules and time off (PTO 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.

No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.

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.

Internal Applicants:Regular appointment employees who have served the required period of continuous service in their current position are eligible to apply for posted jobs throughout the Laboratory. If an employee has not served the required period of continuous service, they may only apply for Laboratory jobs with the documented approval of their Division Leader. Please refer to Policy Policy P701 for applicant eligibility requirements.

Equal Opportunity:Los Alamos National Laboratory is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation or preference, marital status or spousal affiliation, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, or citizenship within the limits imposed by federal laws and regulations. The Laboratory is also committed to making our workplace accessible to individuals with disabilities and will provide reasonable accommodations, upon request, for individuals to participate in the application and hiring process. To request such an accommodation, please send an email to applyhelp@lanl.gov or call 1-505-665-4444 option 1.

Employment Status Full Time
Appointment Type Regular
Regular