Beam Instrumentation Engineer; R&D Engineer

Position: Beam Instrumentation Engineer (R&D Engineer 2/3)
** What You Will Do*
* ** This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 2 or 3 level, depending on the skills of the selected candidate. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.*
* The Accelerator Operations and Technology (AOT) Division provides leadership in the Laboratory's core capability of Accelerators and Electrodynamics. Accelerators and Electrodynamics enables charged particle acceleration through controlled utilization of electromagnetic fields, supporting National Security missions involving radiographic imaging, remote measurements of electromagnetic signatures, and development of new capabilities. AOT operates the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) proton accelerator complex and conducts applied research and development in accelerator-focused technologies as they apply to National Security Science programs, and future accelerator missions.

The Instrumentation and Controls Group (AOT-IC) within the Accelerator Operations and Technology (AOT) Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking a motivated R&D Engineer to support advanced diagnostics for the LANSCE accelerator. The LANSCE Accelerator's beam instrumentation suite includes, but is not limited to, Beam Position & Phase Monitors (BPPMs), Wirescanners, Emittance Scanners, Energy Degrader/Faraday Cups, and Camera/phosphor systems. The successful applicants' responsibilities will include the specification, design, modeling, implementation, verification and testing of electrical circuits or FPGAs.

They will also be expected to modify, upgrade and maintain existing LANSCE beam diagnostic instrumentation. Additionally, the position will involve evaluating existing legacy control systems, identifying areas for improvement, and contributing to the development of updated architectures that enhance reliability, maintainability, and performance. Responsibilities include supporting system integration efforts, preparing technical documentation, participating in design reviews, coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, and helping oversee installation, testing, and commissioning activities.

The successful candidate must communicate effectively and work independently with a minimum of supervision with the ability to assume responsibility for projects and their success. The selected individual must be willing to work occasionally at odd hours. The successful candidate will be required to assume 24-hour on-call support of AOT-IC accelerator hardware.

** R&D Engineer 2 ($106,400 - $176,000)*
* + Analyzing high-bandwidth, low signal-to-noise signals to extract beam parameters.

+ Supporting development and deployment of real-time processing solutions on FPGA and embedded platforms

+ Participating in the design, commissioning, and troubleshooting of instrumentation and controls systems

+ Collaborating with accelerator physicists, RF engineers, mechanical engineers, and electrical engineers to improve diagnostic performance and system reliability

+ Ensuring compliance with laboratory safety, cybersecurity, and quality assurance requirements

+ Assume 24 hour, on-call support of AOT-IC diagnostics on a rotating basis

** R&D Engineer 3 ($128,000 - $215,900)*
* In addition to what was outlined at the lower level, at this level:

+ Leading design upgrades to existing beam diagnostics to enhance capability and reliability.

+ Developing and implementing digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms for accelerator instrumentation

+ Designing signal processing workflows integrated with control system architectures (e.g., EPICS-based systems)

+ Leading beam instrumentation capability thrusts, aligning LANSCE with the state of the art in the accelerator community.

** What You Need*
* ** Minimum

Job Requirements:

*
* + Demonstrated experience with advanced design & analysis tools, such as schematic capture tools, analog or digital simulation tools, and signal integrity analysis tools;

+ Demonstrated knowledge of digital signal processing, including filtering, spectral analysis, and time domain techniques;

+ Demonstrated experience debugging & troubleshooting complex hardware systems;

+…