Principal Control Systems Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Company Description
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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.
Job Description
We have multiple openings for a Control Systems Engineer. You will provide engineering solutions for developing, implementing, and maintaining control systems hardware in the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world's highest-energy pulsed laser system responsible for the recent LLNL fusion breakthrough. 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 hardware and system upgrades to continually improve system performance and reliability. 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

• Operate under general direction with limited responsibility, adhere to established procedures, and use fundamental knowledge and standard techniques to solve problems and contribute to project milestone completion.
• Provide hardware and software solutions that support the definition, design, documentation, assembly, fielding, and maintenance of National Ignition Facility control systems. This may include utility systems, safety systems, and laser alignment and diagnostics hardware.
• Contribute to daily activities by providing engineering support for deployment, activation, commissioning, troubleshooting, and maintenance of control systems of limited complexity, using standard techniques and methodologies.
• Assist in developing and maintaining system requirement specifications and control system designs with guidance from senior engineers, ensuring they are consistent with project goals and established standards.
• Help minimize project risks by participating in formal and informal design reviews, providing input on technical issues, and implementing feedback from senior staff.
• Maintain close communication with scientists, engineers, technicians, and designers to support effective collaboration, provide status on assigned tasks, and facilitate end user communication within the scope of assigned work.
• Support the National Ignition Facility operations team by troubleshooting facility issues and planned work that impacts the control system.
• Participate in the reactive maintenance on-call rotation, as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Additional job responsibilities, at the SES.2 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.
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of control system requirements to meet stakeholder needs for project goals.
• Provide solutions and propose improvements to control system architectures, processes, and frameworks.
• Provide technical input on control system designs through formal and informal project design reviews, in collaboration with project leads and team members.

Qualifications

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in an Engineering discipline related to electronics, electrical engineering, control systems, or a related technical field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience.
• Fundamental knowledge and practical experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Hardware and/or software development for data acquisition and control systems.
  • Hardware design and selection of analog and digital instrumentation such as sensors, actuators, and controllers to meet system requirements.
  • Software development for basic signal conditioning or processing in data acquisition or calibration scenarios.
  • User Interface (UI)/Human Machine Interface (HMI) development for control system applications.
  • Data acquisition and basic signal conditioning or processing.
• Basic understanding and application of documentation standards, including drawings, procedures, statements of work, and test plans, with the ability to follow established formats and practices.
• Experience using standard electronic measurement and diagnostic tools, such as oscilloscopes and TDRs, to support testing and troubleshooting activities.
• Experience supporting control systems during some portion(s) of the engineering lifecycle, such as design, assembly, integration, testing, or maintenance.
• Sufficient verbal and written communication skills to collaborate effectively in a team environment and to present and explain technical information on assigned tasks.

Additional qualifications at the SES.2 level

• Comprehensive knowledge and previous experience in developing hardware or software solutions for control systems in industrial or research environments, with a focus on supporting project execution to meet stakeholder needs.
• Experience working as a member of a multidisciplinary project team, including collaboration with scientists, engineers, technicians, and designers.
• Broad experience reading, interpreting, and generating design documents including drawings, procedures, statements of work and test plans.
• Experience supporting control systems throughout the full engineering lifecycle, including design, assembly, integration, testing, and maintenance.
• Proficient verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate technical information and enable close collaboration with project team members, control systems leadership, and other project stakeholders across the organization.

Qualifications We Desire

• Experience in industrial production environments (e.g. food & beverage, automotive, electronics, pharmaceuticals).
• Hands-on experience with PLC/research hardware programming and troubleshooting.
• Experience with HMI/SCADA configuration and support.

Pay Range
$121,830 - $185,544 Annually
$121,830 - $154,500 Annually for the SES.1 level
$146,340 - $185,544 Annually for the SES.2 level
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting; pay will not be below any applicable local minimum wage. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.
Additional Information
#LI-Onsite
Position Information
This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.
Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?

• Included in 2026 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Our values - visit https://www.llnl.gov/inclusion/our-values

Security Clearance
This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance. If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing. Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship.
Pre-Employment Drug Test
External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.
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If you use a medical device, which pairs with a mobile device, you must still follow the rules concerning the mobile device in individual sections within Limited Areas. Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities require separate approval. Hearing aids without wireless capabilities or wireless that has been disabled are allowed in Limited Areas, Secure Space and Transit/Buffer Space within buildings.
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