Principal Associate Director (PAD) for Engineering

We have an opening for the Principal Associate Director (PAD) for Engineering. In this key leadership position you report to the Laboratory Director and are a member of the Laboratorys Senior Leadership Team (SLT). You are responsible for managing the labs engineering workforce of approximately 3000 personnel and for sustaining and enhancing the broad range of engineering (both hardware and computational) capabilities and infrastructure to support the current and future missions of the Laboratory. Together with other lab leaders and stakeholders you will help shape the Laboratorys strategic vision and develop and articulate a strategy for the Directorate in support of the institution. You will manage discretionary R&D resources and sustain/grow relationships with government agencies that fund engineering capability development.

LLNL houses one of the premier engineering competencies to support national security missions. Work conducted by Engineering personnel supports a broad spectrum of programs across missions scientific research and operations and includes weapon engineering laser and optical engineering space hardware engineering pulsed power systems advanced manufacturing micromechanical systems energy technologies bioengineering and computational engineering. With a workforce of 3000 and more than one million square feet of engineering infrastructure the directorate supports the full spectrum of research and developmentfrom advancing the frontiers of science and technology to pilot-scale manufacturing and qualification of components and systems. The engineering workforce and technological landscape are undergoing significant transformation through the adoption of advanced manufacturing (additive manufacturing robotics and automation); digital engineering (data sciences modeling and simulation) and artificial intelligence tools.

LLNL is one of the nations premier national laboratories applying leading edge science and technology (S&T) to a broad range of national security missions. LLNL is a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC) operated by Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS) Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) for the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration. Today LLNL has a multidisciplinary workforce of approximately 9000 and an annual budget of more than $3.5 billion.

The Laboratorys mission is to meet the nations most pressing needs. At our core we will remain architects and stewards of nuclear deterrence ensuring the safety security and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear stockpile. We are adopting a transformational approach to this mission seeking to deliver needed capabilities faster and with high confidence while working with our production partners to ensure continuous modernization of our capabilities. Our responsibilities and the mission we support extend beyond this foundational role. Our programs in threat analysis and reduction space superiority conventional munitions directed energy cyber and critical infrastructure resilience autonomous systems energy dominance and biosecurity establish our unique role addressing todays challenges and preparing for an uncertain future. Underlying all of this we will continue to be international leaders in strategic areas of science and technology to both support these missions and send a clear signal of our capabilities.

You will

• Partner with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to create and advance strategies to achieve institutional goals.
• Develop and implement strategies for the sustainment and advancement of world class engineering capabilities spanning cutting-edge scientific advances to pilot-scale production and qualification.
• Advance Engineerings role as custodian of LLNLs engineering rigor and quality.
• Oversee the operation of engineering facilities laboratories and service centers critical to the execution of LLNL missions.
• Manage and grow engineering capabilities by pursuing external funding for early-stage innovative concepts.
• Maintain close partnerships with key stakeholders in government academia and industry including DOE/NNSA.
• Work with lab leadership to address technical and workforce challenges and opportunities in engineering with a particular emphasis on adoption of AI digital engineering and advanced manufacturing tools.
• Collaborate with the SLT on long-term multidisciplinary initiatives in support of the labs future programmatic needs.
• Oversee the directorates budget consistent with Laboratory and DOE fiscal policies and practices.
• Manage Directorate personnel ensuring an effective system for recruiting hiring managing and developing a high-quality engineering workforce.
• Provide oversight and personal commitment to safety security environmental stewardship good business practices compliance and equal opportunity.

Qualifications :

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q/SCI-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Ph.D. in engineering or related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Extensive senior-level experience leading a large-scale mission-oriented research and development organization.
• Expertise and national visibility in areas of engineering and its applications.
• Broad knowledge of the DOE/NNSA Laboratory enterprise.
• Demonstrated success in managing engineering programs projects or organizations and promoting creative contributions to solving complex engineering problems.
• Experience leading and managing a large complex technical organization including hiring processes workforce development resource management and strategic planning.
• Ability to manage technical priorities and balance the need to deliver program milestones while maintaining world-class capabilities in engineering.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills necessary to explain present direct negotiate influence and coordinate technical or programmatic activities.
• Extensive experience in effectively balancing complex technical budgetary and personnel priorities to achieve desired results.
• Experience ensuring that standards of safety security environmental stewardship and quality assurance are established and appropriately followed.

Qualifications We Desire

• Broad knowledge of national security policy issues.
• Established contacts with the relevant academic national laboratory industry and government communities.

Pay Range

$521580 - $669864

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 employees 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.

Additional Information :

#LI-Onsite 

Position Information

This is an At Will Career Indefinite position open to Laboratory employees and external candidates. This key personnel position requires a commitment from you to serve at least two years in this position.

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  Clearance

  This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance.  Also you must have the ability to obtain and maintain Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access.  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.

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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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  Remote Work :

  No

  
  

  Employment Type :

  Full-time