Job Information
Los Alamos National Laboratory Electrical Engineer for Pulsed Power Systems (R&D Engineer Level 1) in Los Alamos, New Mexico
What You Will Do
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has an immediate opening for a technically excellent and highly motivated entry level electrical engineer at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory Pulsed Field Facility. The job involves working with a small team to provide engineering for a multitude of pulsed power systems including a 1430 MVA generator with exciter and LCI-drive, seven 84 MVA pulsed power converters, circuit breakers, bus work, as well as various large high voltage capacitor banks and their related subsystems. These systems are all operated at voltages and currents in the range of several tens of kVs and respective kA, with stored energy levels from 1 MJ to beyond 1000 MJ. The systems are used by LANL to power pulsed magnets which are at the forefront of scientific research and push the envelope in terms of technical performance. Successful applicant will work with the Power Team to design, build, operate, and maintain these custom systems to support the scientific research.
R&D Engineer 1 ($92,300 - $151,000)
Responsibilities:
Apply electrical engineering principles and techniques to resolve challenging technical issues for complex pulsed power systems
Designing, develop, and troubleshoot electrical subsystems for pulsed power systems for everything from low voltage controls circuits to high-energy power systems.
Developing and maintain electrical drawings for new and existing power systems.
Work with electrical test equipment, such as oscilloscopes, voltage & current injection instruments, and other equipment to verify the systems performance.
Developing and execute the validation protocols for new electrical hardware and document results in technical reports.
Support technical root cause investigations, identify potential solutions, and evaluate them against the requirements.
Performing electrical feasibility and selection for design in electrical systems with generators, motors, variable frequency drives, transformers, uninterruptable power systems (UPS), control panels, circuit breakers, power panels, batteries, protection relays, and other electrical components.
Use engineering design and simulation tools at varying levels of complexity (e.g., MATLAB, AutoCAD, COMSOL, etc.).
Execute work in accordance with LANL guidelines, e.g., Engineering Standards Manual and Electrical Safety Program.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Ability and inclination to contribute to a wide range of engineering and technology programs as needs and opportunities evolve with time.
Knowledge in one or more of the following areas:
High voltage electrical engineering.
Utility substations, generators, motors, and variable speed drive systems.
Programmable logic controller (PLC) instrumentation and control systems.
Operating principles of power converters, and power delivery systems.
How requirements and work approach must change for low, medium, and high voltage electrical power systems.
Required Education and/or Experience : Position requires a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering from an ABET accredited institution related to the occupation combined with 2 years of related experience.
Desired Qualifications :
Experience working with high-power converters and motor-generators.
Understanding of industrial standards for electrical power (e.g., IEEE, IEC, ANSI, NEC, NESC, OSHA).
Ability to support planning, designing, maintaining, or operating power delivery systems.
Experience with power system diagnostics, data acquisition, and analysis.
Understanding of systems engineering principles, e.g., Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Root Cause Analysis (RCA), etc.
Experience or working knowledge of engineering design and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB, AutoCAD, COMSOL, etc.).
Work Location : The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at 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, 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.