Special Equipment and Tooling Engineer

Mid-Senior Level | Full-time
Engineering | Livermore, CA | 07/14/2026
Reference #: REF
8567Q
Job Code: SES.
3 Science & Engineering MTS 3 / SES.
4 Science & Engineering MTS 4
Organization: Engineering
Position Type: Career Indefinite
Security Clearance: Anticipated DOE Q clearance (requires U.S. citizenship and a federal background investigation)
Drug Test: Required for external applicant(s) selected for this position (includes testing for use of marijuana)
Medical Exam: Not applicable Apply Now

Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!

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 four critical national security areas nuclear deterrence, threat preparedness, energy security, and multi-domain defense empowering teams to take on the toughest challenges of today and tomorrow. With a culture built on innovation and operational excellence, LLNL is a place where your expertise can make a real impact.

We have an opening for a Special Equipment and Tooling Engineer supporting target fabrication for the National Ignition Facility & Photon Science (NIF&PS) Directorate, home to the world’s most energetic laser. It is an exciting time to join the team that achieved fusion ignition in December 2022, and multiple times since, a historic moment in science that opened new physics regimes and set the stage for fusion energy possibilities.

You will be a core member of an interdisciplinary team supporting the fabrication of complex target articles for Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and other national security programs at the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Targets are essential components for high-energy laser experiments and consist of intricate assemblies of finely manufactured parts with precision tolerances ranging from 25 nm to several micrometers. Fabrication, assembly, and testing of these targets require highly-specialized equipment and tooling to support precision alignment, metrology, x-ray radiography, high-pressure gas handling, cryogenic, and vacuum environments.

You will collaborate closely with process engineering, production, and maintenance teams to support equipment updates and new system development, applying project management and systems engineering methods to manage the process from initial concept through production and qualification. This position is in the Laser Systems Engineering and Operations (LSEO) Division within the Engineering Directorate.

This position requires full-time on-site presence due to the nature of the work.

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.

In this role, you will

• 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 to guide the completion of projects and contribute to organizational goals.
• Collaborate in the design, development, prototyping, integration, testing, and commissioning of special equipment and tooling.
• Apply systems engineering principles to conduct technical tasks for requirements, interfaces, verification, and ensure traceability through implementation and test.
• Perform engineering analyses and provide solutions to formal design reviews to support performance, safety, reliability, maintainability, and mission requirements.
• Maintain engineering documentation, procedures, and configuration-controlled records, and plan and execute commissioning, acceptance, and verification test activities to confirm readiness and requirements compliance.
• Support Integrated Safety Management by identifying hazards, developing engineering controls, and ensuring work is performed safely and in compliance with applicable requirements.
• Support equipment improvements, integration of vendor-produced equipment, control software…