NIF Sustainment Deputy Program Manager, NIF and Laser Systems

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Join us and make YOUR mark on the World! Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place. We are dedicated to fostering a culture that values individuals, talents, partnerships, ideas, experiences, and different perspectives, recognizing their importance to the continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.

Pay Range $262,410 - $332,772 Annually

Job Description Are you ready to lead a multi-year, $600M program advancing the world’s most powerful laser systems in support of national security science? The National Ignition Facility (NIF) Sustainment team is seeking a Deputy Program Manager to help oversee a portfolio of complex, interdependent projects focused on NIF and advanced laser systems. In this role, you will apply your technical expertise and strategic vision to deliver mission‑critical outcomes, optimize resources, and ensure operational readiness in a highly regulated environment.

• Lead and manage teams, programs, and functions with a technical focus, operating under broad consultative direction…
• Provide strategic technical and operational leadership for a large, multi‑disciplinary team, setting vision and strategy…
• Lead, execute, and/or coordinate recruiting, hiring, training, career development, and performance…
• Lead and oversee highly complex, interdependent sub‑projects, establishing program governance, cadence, and controls…
• 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…
• Lead program planning and execution, managing rolling IMS, baselines, and recovery plans, and coordinating system engineering V‑model activities…
• Champion reliability and lifecycle sustainment by developing and applying highly advanced systems engineering and asset management methods…
• Align technical baselines with operational objectives, ensuring laser safety, QA/QC, test plans, and validation criteria are embedded…
• Scale and balance staffing across phases (75‑120 FTEs), coordinate cross‑functional teams, develop RACI matrices and succession plans…
• Develop and maintain effective relationships and transparent communication with sponsors, lab leadership, safety authorities, and internal partners…
• 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.

• 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…