Control Systems Engineer

Company Description

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has turned bold ideas into world‑changing impact advancing science and technology to strengthen U.S. security and promote global stability. Our mission spans nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi‑domain defense. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

We have multiple openings for Control Systems Engineers. You will provide engineering solutions for developing, implementing, and maintaining control systems in the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s highest‑energy pulsed laser system. With over 60,000 control points distributed throughout the facility, many of NIF’s subsystems have control technologies at their core. You will contribute to the engineering design and development of new control systems and system upgrades to continually improve system performance and reliability.

This position is full‑time on‑site in the Laser Systems Engineering and Operations (LSEO) Division. The role is offered at the SES.
2 or SES.
3 level, with additional responsibilities for the higher level.

• Work under limited direction with moderate responsibility, use comprehensive knowledge, and exercise independent judgment to determine methods and recommend improvements within established frameworks and contribute to the fulfillment of project and organizational goals.
• Provide hardware and software solutions to problems of moderate complexity involving design, documentation, deployment, and maintenance of NIF & PS control systems, including utility systems, safety systems, machine protection systems, laser alignment and diagnostics systems, and optics processing systems.
• Collaborate with scientists, engineers, technicians, designers, and operations teams for the development of control systems.
• Provide technical input on control system requirements and designs through formal and informal design reviews in collaboration with project leaders.
• Contribute to software and hardware design, implementation, and deployment following strict configuration‑management processes.
• Provide solutions and propose improvements to control system architectures, processes, and frameworks.
• Collaborate with system managers and/or software testers to develop and execute commissioning test procedures.
• Support the NIF & PS operations teams by troubleshooting facility issues, finding root causes of problems, and supporting planned work that impacts moderately complex control systems.
• Participate in the reactive maintenance on‑call rotation as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Function independently with minimal direction, taking significant responsibility and using advanced knowledge and judgment to establish objectives, prioritize parallel tasks, allocate resources, and collaborate in the development of innovative methods and technology.
• Provide control system solutions to complex problems by applying in‑depth analysis and independent judgment to identify root causes and deliver reliable outcomes.
• Utilize advanced technical knowledge to support complex troubleshooting efforts by analyzing system behavior, diagnosing root causes, evaluating corrective actions, and collaborating with cross‑functional teams to resolve issues efficiently while maintaining system reliability and performance.
• Conduct Failure Modes and Effects Analysis research and perform in‑depth analysis to identify potential system vulnerabilities and advance the architecture of the control systems through informed design improvements.
• Mentor junior staff and provide oversight and guidance into production and commissioning activities on subsystems to ensure work is performed accurately, efficiently, and in alignment with project requirements, quality standards, and operational objectives.
• May lead project teams in the development and deployment of control solutions.

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q‑level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer…