National Nuclear Security Administration
General Engineer/ Physical Scientist
Department of Energy · Los Alamos, New Mexico
- Salary
- $90,479 - $203,388 per year
- Pay grade
- EN-3 to 4
- Schedule
- Full-time
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Opened
- Oct 30, 2026
- Closes
- Nov 6, 2026
- Remote
- No
- Telework eligible
- No
- Openings
- few
- Security clearance
- Q Access Authorization
- Promotion potential
- 4
- Announcement
- 27-NA-LA-XE-00104-NAT
Who may apply: Open to the public
Applications are submitted on USAJOBS.gov, not on Careers.org. Always confirm details in the official announcement.
Summary
The successful candidate for the General Engineer/Physical Scientist (QA position) will provide quality assurance technical expertise on all aspects of nuclear weapons components at a DOE Research and Production Laboratory in Los Alamos, NM.
Duties
- As a General Engineer/ Physical Scientist (QA) you will: Conduct and review quality assurance surveys to analyze the results and recommendations for appropriate corrective actions or improvements in the quality control program and manufacturing processes and establish new or improved techniques for evaluating the contractor's quality program. Monitor and appraise new weapon systems in the development phase to determine what quality controls are needed and what components require a QAIP and the appropriate survey coverage. Ensure QAIP coverage and /or assists in the development of new QAIPs. Review the QAlP's for the Site Office for accuracy submits for approval. Analyze unique and complex engineering problems related to the principles of precision machining and measurements: metallurgy, production processes: Electro-mechanical devices: electronic assemblies, radio frequency [RF] assembly and test procedures, rubber, plastics: and polymeric materials: and/or test equipment design in order to evaluate the adequacy of the contractor's control over quality, and to assist weapons quality staff in determining the seriousness and resolution of identified quality problems in products or processes. At times, represent the Quality Assurance [QA] program management and/or the Site Office: at conferences and meetings with the contractor, NNSA weapon design laboratories: other contractors and other Site Offices to exchange information to participate in problem resolution and to remain current on changes occurring in assigned areas of responsibility. Attend program review meeting design reviews, etc. to monitor preproduction progress, product/process qualification, and impact on NNSA Quality Assurance [QA] planning. Utilize quality assurance and quality control methods, principles, practices and associated costs sufficient to evaluate the adequacy of, and need for, improvements in the contractor's program for economically assuring quality of a variety of highly complex plastic, Chemical, explosive, mechanical, electrical: and electro-mechanical components, subassemblies and assemblies of nuclear weapons.
Qualifications
EN-03: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., EN-00 or GS-11. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in quality assurance engineering for nuclear and non-nuclear weapons components, adept at applying DOE and Technical Business Practices to evaluate product and production quality, and proficient in conducting receipt inspections and addressing non-conformances to ensure stringent compliance and reliability. Examples of qualifying experience include but are not limited to: Experience using quality assurance and quality control methods, principles, practices and associated costs sufficiently to evaluate the adequacy of, and need for, improvements in the contractor's program for economically assuring quality of a variety of highly complex plastic, chemical, explosive, mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical components, subassemblies and assemblies of nuclear weapons. Experience preparing written and/or oral reports, program status findings and evaluations, briefings, and/or statistical data regarding assigned program areas as required or needed. EN-04: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower NNSA Demonstration Project pay band or GS grade level in the Federal service, i.e., EN/NN-03 or GS-13. Specialized experience for this position is defined as: Experience in quality assurance engineering for nuclear and non-nuclear weapons components, with a track record of meticulously monitoring and investigating complex electrical, electronic, mechanical, and electro-mechanical systems to ensure compliance with stringent quality requirements and drive continuous improvement in production processes. Examples of qualifying experience include but are not limited to: Experience using quality assurance and quality control methods, principles, practices and associated costs sufficiently1et to evaluate the adequacy of, .and need for, improvements in the contractor's program for economically assuring quality of a variety of highly complex plastic, chemical, explosive, mechanical, electrical, and electro-mechanical components, subassemblies and assemblies of nuclear weapons. Experience in and knowledge of NNSA security programs and procedures, environmental safety and health programs, procedures and laws, fabrication techniques, equipment, materials, special processes and product characterizations, and the interrelationships to other functional areas and to other programs/projects involved in related activities sufficient to evaluate the adequacy of the programs/projects contractor's control over quality and to select criteria for government inspection. Experience in managing a directive process to include communicating reporting requirements, and setting organizational directives (requirements, responsibilities, and procedures). Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your application how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the KSAs identified below. Cite specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position. DO NOT write "see resume" in your application! "Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills; and can provide valuable training and experience that tra…
Education
Engineering Series, 0800:Basic Requirements: A. Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR B. Combination of education and experience -- college-level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following: 1. Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration by means other than written test (e.g., State grandfather or eminence provisions) are eligible only for positions that are within or closely related to the specialty field of their registration. For example, an applicant who attains registration through a State Board's eminence provision as a manufacturing engineer typically would be rated eligible only for manufacturing engineering position…
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