What are the responsibilities and job description for the Python Specialist (Scientist 2/3) position at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
What You Will Do
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2/3 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 Weapon Stockpile Modernization Division (Q Division) provides systems engineering and program management to develop and field qualified engineering solutions to improve the safety, reliability, and security of our nation's nuclear stockpile throughout the weapon life cycle. Q Division leads the development of new LANL weapons programs as well as life extension and alteration projects.
As a part of Q Division, the Advanced System Development Group (Q-18) is responsible for systems engineering & design of future weapons systems from conception through initial engineering design with emphasis on improved performance, safety, producibility, and agility of the future stockpile. Q-18 also provides system-agnostic system engineering support to a wide range of experiments including internally-fielded bench tests, hydrodynamic test, subcritical experiments, and system flight tests.
In particular, this Scientist 2/3 position will support Python-based code development and maintenance as a member of the small and fast paced Q-18 Future System Effectiveness team, and will have (at minimum) the following responsibilities:
Scientist 2 ($99,200 - $164,100):
Scientist 3 ($119,200 - $201,100):
In addition to the responsibilities at the Scientist 2 level, the Scientist 3 candidate will be expected to:
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Advanced knowledge of the syntax, structure, and features of Python; relevant programming and development standards and procedures; object-oriented programing architectures and designs. Experience applying existing theories, principles, and concepts of computer science practices to lead development by investigating, designing, refactoring, optimizing, documenting, testing, evaluating, parallelizing, and implementing code to be maintainable and efficient.
Project Facilitation & Integration
Proven ability to satisfy customer requirements as demonstrated by the ability to resolve a wide range of issues while directly contributing to the completion of milestones on multiple concurrent projects. Ability to meet schedule and deliverables for multiple assigned projects. Ability to develop and foster successful cross-organizational teams to solve complex problems. Strong multitasking capabilities with the ability to work on multiple products and issues simultaneously under tight deadlines.
Collaboration
Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimum supervision, as well as the ability to be an effective member of a multidisciplinary team. Experience providing technical direction & mentorship, peer reviewing code, and serving as a role model for effective and creative technical leadership.
Communication
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills are essential in this position for building and maintaining effective business relationships within the organization, in partnership with internal or external support organizations, and with customers.
Education and Experience:
Scientist 2 ($99,200 - $164,100): This level requires a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related technical field from an ABET accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the job duties. At this level a Master's degree may be preferred.
Scientist 3 ($119,200 - $201,100): This level requires a Master's Degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related technical field from an ABET accredited institution and 6 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the job duties. At this level a Ph.D. may be preferred.
Desired Qualifications:
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM.
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.
Note to applicants: For full consideration, please submit a detailed cover letter (in addition to your resume) explaining how you meet the minimum requirements and any of desired qualifications.
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:
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.
Clearance: Q/SCI (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.
*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.
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 or preference, 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.
Employment StatusFull TimeAppointment TypeRegularRegular
This position will be filled at either the Scientist 2/3 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 Weapon Stockpile Modernization Division (Q Division) provides systems engineering and program management to develop and field qualified engineering solutions to improve the safety, reliability, and security of our nation's nuclear stockpile throughout the weapon life cycle. Q Division leads the development of new LANL weapons programs as well as life extension and alteration projects.
As a part of Q Division, the Advanced System Development Group (Q-18) is responsible for systems engineering & design of future weapons systems from conception through initial engineering design with emphasis on improved performance, safety, producibility, and agility of the future stockpile. Q-18 also provides system-agnostic system engineering support to a wide range of experiments including internally-fielded bench tests, hydrodynamic test, subcritical experiments, and system flight tests.
In particular, this Scientist 2/3 position will support Python-based code development and maintenance as a member of the small and fast paced Q-18 Future System Effectiveness team, and will have (at minimum) the following responsibilities:
Scientist 2 ($99,200 - $164,100):
- Effectively lead maintainable and efficient Python code development.
- Coordinate code version deployments through configuration control processes (Git/GitLab), build automation tools, and support Continuous Integration (CI) and Continuous Deployment (CD) needs.
- Lead development of Slurm scripting for job scheduling execution on high-performance computing clusters.
- Wrap FORTRAN codes with Python interface, allowing for scalability and data management efficiency.
Scientist 3 ($119,200 - $201,100):
In addition to the responsibilities at the Scientist 2 level, the Scientist 3 candidate will be expected to:
- Lead small projects and teams and mentor junior developers.
- Evaluate and recommend new tools and/or technology stacks needed to solve to complex technical issues.
- Develop Machine Learning (ML) techniques for automation of evaluating large scale data sets.
- Develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems for wargaming applications.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Technical Knowledge
Advanced knowledge of the syntax, structure, and features of Python; relevant programming and development standards and procedures; object-oriented programing architectures and designs. Experience applying existing theories, principles, and concepts of computer science practices to lead development by investigating, designing, refactoring, optimizing, documenting, testing, evaluating, parallelizing, and implementing code to be maintainable and efficient.
Project Facilitation & Integration
Proven ability to satisfy customer requirements as demonstrated by the ability to resolve a wide range of issues while directly contributing to the completion of milestones on multiple concurrent projects. Ability to meet schedule and deliverables for multiple assigned projects. Ability to develop and foster successful cross-organizational teams to solve complex problems. Strong multitasking capabilities with the ability to work on multiple products and issues simultaneously under tight deadlines.
Collaboration
Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimum supervision, as well as the ability to be an effective member of a multidisciplinary team. Experience providing technical direction & mentorship, peer reviewing code, and serving as a role model for effective and creative technical leadership.
Communication
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills are essential in this position for building and maintaining effective business relationships within the organization, in partnership with internal or external support organizations, and with customers.
Education and Experience:
Scientist 2 ($99,200 - $164,100): This level requires a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related technical field from an ABET accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the job duties. At this level a Master's degree may be preferred.
Scientist 3 ($119,200 - $201,100): This level requires a Master's Degree in Computer Science/Engineering or related technical field from an ABET accredited institution and 6 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the job duties. At this level a Ph.D. may be preferred.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience in FORTRAN and/or Java
- Experience with ML/AI techniques
- The ability to research new technologies and tools and incorporate their usage into new products and services
- Experience interacting with and presenting to senior-level management and customers
- Active Q/SCI Clearance
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM.
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.
Note to applicants: For full consideration, please submit a detailed cover letter (in addition to your resume) explaining how you meet the minimum requirements and any of desired qualifications.
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.
Clearance: Q/SCI (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government, and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance. and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.
*Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.
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 or preference, 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.
Employment StatusFull TimeAppointment TypeRegularRegular
Salary : $99,200 - $164,100
