Manufacturing Quality Engineer

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

$148,920 - $226,668 Annually

$148,920 - $188,880 Annually for the TSS.3 level

$178,770 - $226,668 Annually for the TSS.4 level

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage.  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.

We have multiple openings for a Manufacturing Quality Engineer to support the Advanced Sources and Detectors (ASD) Scorpius project. You will be part of an engineering organization, planning, implementing, and troubleshooting in-house and subcontracted assembly and testing. Your role will include building consensus on make-buy decisions and development of acquisition strategies, with preparation of assembly procedures and contract documents (e.g., Statements of Work). You will be responsible for building and maintaining an effective quality culture among a team of physicists, electrical and mechanical engineers, designers, technicians, and supplier-management staff. The role requires a schedule-sensitive, solution-oriented individual, with the ability to recognize and apply varying levels of rigor in anticipating (or resolving) quality challenges.  The Advanced Sources and Detectors (ASD) project is a multi-year, multi-lab project to design and commission the next generation of radiographic capabilities for use in ensuring the safety and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear stockpile. This position is in the National Security Engineering Division (NSED) in the LLNL Engineering Directorate.

This position offers a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You will have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.

This position will be filled at either level based on knowledge and related experience as assessed by the hiring team. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if hired at the higher level.

You will

• Independently contribute to the development of assembly processes for complex scientific equipment designed by engineering colleagues.
• Support industry research and design for manufacturability, contributing to prototyping, early fabrication, assembly, and testing of mechanical, electrical, and control systems.
• Provide a vision for delivering a complete product or system, build consensus among stakeholders, and lead implementation.
• Collaborate with MRP specialists to align parts availability and assembly with the project schedule, manage EBoM-to-MBoM creation, make-buy decisions, serialization, work orders, spares planning, and site registry, and hold regular shortage review meetings.
• Serve as a liaison between vendors and relevant LLNL stakeholders to coordinate achievable schedules, develop solutions to manufacturing issues, and ensure high build quality is achieved.
• Partner with subcontractors on prototype assembly to prepare statements of work, specifications, cost estimates, schedules, justifications, and technical documents for each solicitation.
• Provide complex quality-related expertise on design, quality assurance, production, and surveillance functions, and configuration management.
• Write and communicate clear concise requirements using in-depth analysis and/or ingenuity.
• Provide solution-oriented oversight of suppliers’ Quality Assurance programs, while personally assisting suppliers with development and implementation of appropriate/warranted improvements (assist with Corrective Actions).
• Travel to various LLNL labs,assembly areas and suppliers’ facilities and other manufacturing sites to observe, assess, and verify the implementation of and consistent adherence to standard requirements, repeatable fabrication, inspection, assembly, and surveillance processes, determine and provide necessary process improvements, identify and mitigate risks, and ensure progress on assembly of complex scientific equipment.
• Provide regular status updates to stakeholders; recognize when to develop and initiate workarounds to project obstacles.
• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with quality organizations across the DOE/NNSA enterprise. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the TSS.4 level

• Support management in setting direction for quality implementation and supporting strategic engagements across the program.
• Provide quality subject matter expertise and advanced support to engineers/scientists in solving highly complex technical problems for various projects.
• Proactively address and influence resolution of emergent and systemic quality issues between LLNL and production agencies.
• Identify, assess, and implement process improvements for achieving increased efficiency and ensuring compliance to quality requirements across the program.
• Analyze, communicate, and resolve impacts from changes to federal requirements, institutional requirements, and production agency processes.

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or related technical discipline or the equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Advanced knowledge and significant experience and responsibility for one or more of: research, design, analysis, prototyping, early fabrication/assembly/test, transition to production, and production troubleshooting/process-improvement.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities on multi-disciplinary engineering projects of complex scopes which includes the development of new technologies.
• Advanced knowledge and significant experience with QA/QC documentation approaches and practices, including preparing requirements documents, statements of work/specifications, assembly procedures, cost estimates, schedules, and other engineering reports.
• Advanced knowledge in a wide range of conventional and advanced fabrication and/or manufacturing methods.
• Advanced knowledge of industry-standard Quality Assurance programs, quality control methods, and applicable industry standards (e.g., ASQ, IPC, ANSI); significant experience developing and implementing in-house QA/QC practices appropriate to varying design maturity; e.g., early prototype vs. production-ready design.
• Significant experience in developing a list of suppliers of specialized components and integrated assemblies.
• Advanced knowledge of commercial/business practices and incentives, including understanding of limitations resulting from various regulations typical in a taxpayer-funded environment.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills necessary to effectively collaborate in a team environment to present and explain technical information, clearly articulate, effectively interpret and ensure design documentation meets established requirements, and provide assessments/recommendations to management.
• Ability to travel.

Additional qualifications at the TSS.4 level

• Subject matter expert knowledge of industry-standard Quality Assurance programs, quality control methods, and applicable industry standards (e.g., ASQ, IPC, ANSI); Expert level experience developing and implementing in-house QA/QC practices appropriate to varying design maturity; e.g., early prototype vs. production-ready design.
• Expert communication, facilitation, collaboration, interpersonal, and negotiation skills necessary to effectively present, explain, provide strategic technical advice, build consensus, and influence senior management, external sponsors, regulators, reviewers, and stakeholders.
• Significant experience establishing and sustaining a quality program for highly specialized products and systems.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams in effectively defining/improving administrative/business/engineering processes covering quality of in-house design efforts, quality of in-house/supplier documentation, and quality of various in-house and supplier-provided “products."
•  Significant experience successfully adapting/tailoring your implementations to the cultural characteristics, skills, knowledge, and abilities of the overall team.

Qualifications We Desire

• Experience with taxpayer-funded (e.g., state university or federal government) acquisition regulations, intellectual property practices, export control guidelines, etc.
• Significant experience building consensus, generally without formal authority, across a wide-range of engineering and organizational disciplines.
• Significant experience with implementation/configuration of an MRP system, with responsibility for user/organizational aspects. ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, or similar nationally recognized certification.
• Experience in developing suppliers of new specialized components and integrated assemblies, e.g., experience assisting suppliers with quality challenges of new product introductions (NPIs).

#LI-Hybrid

Position Information

This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.

Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2025 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.

How to identify fake job advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under “Find Your Job” of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf

Equal Employment Opportunity

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.

Reasonable Accommodation

Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory.  If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request. 

California Privacy Notice

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