Project Engineer Jobs in Manteca, CA (NOW HIRING)

Company Description
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.
Job Description
We have an opening for a Senior Project Management Engineer to lead and support the execution of milestone-driven, high-risk, high-reward national security projects in fast-paced, multidisciplinary environments. This position sits at the intersection of project management rigor and technical fluency. The ideal candidate brings sufficient technical depth to engage credibly with sponsors and technical leads, representing the project's needs and status independently while knowing when to escalate to project leadership. You will work alongside Principal Investigators and technical experts to deliver results on aggressive timelines by driving technical solutions, cost, schedule, and risk management, reporting, and stakeholder management across highly complex scientific and engineering landscapes. The position emphasizes initiative, autonomy, and ownership in both planning and execution, serving as the connection between internal teams, external collaborators, and project sponsors. This position will be in the Materials Engineering Division (MED) within the Engineering Directorate.
This position offers a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You will have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.
You will

• Lead project planning and direct technical tasks for highly complex, high-impact scientific and engineering efforts while using independent judgment to accomplish project objectives.
• Develop, maintain, and prioritize tasking across integrated technical project plans, schedules, milestones, and cross-project dependencies as part of a multi-institute team.
• Implement project controls to support cost, schedule, quality, and risk objectives, and solve highly complex risks and issues utilizing in-depth, multi-factor analysis.
• Facilitate effective communication, coordination, and alignment among internal teams, external collaborators, and Federal sponsors and synthesize and communicate technical information for reports, proposals, briefings, and milestone updates.
• Advise project leaders, technical teams, and senior managers on scope, organization, budgeting, scheduling, quality, risk, and deliverables.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams to ensure integrated execution across experimental, computational, engineering, and business functions and promote safe, compliant, and efficient project execution through application of technical and operational knowledge.
• Contribute to the advancement of project management tools and utilize these tools and reporting methods to track tasks, communicate status, and support decision-making.
• Drive process improvement efforts to strengthen project execution, operational efficiency, and stakeholder coordination.
• Support procurement, fabrication, integration, contract coordination, and collaboration agreements as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Department of Energy Q-level security clearance, equivalent to a DoD Top Secret clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, science, project management, or a related field, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience
• Experience working in a biological laboratory or experimental R&D environment.
• Experience managing large, complex technical projects with the ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to represent project status, risks, and needs directly to sponsors or senior stakeholders, with judgment to resolve issues independently or escalate appropriately to technical leads.
• Expert level application of project management tools, such as Microsoft Project.
• Expert level knowledge of project management methodologies and experience implementing project management tools and practices.
• Strong Expert verbal and written communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills to effectively document analyses, prepare, present, and explain technical information and advise senior management, external sponsors, regulators, reviewers, and stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative, multidisciplinary team environment with initiative, creativity, and strong interpersonal skills.
• Experience managing and mentoring less experienced project managers.

Qualifications We Desire

• Master's or PhD in bioscience, bioengineering, or related field.
• Experience working with the U.S. Department of War (DoW) on highly complex, milestone-driven research and engineering programs.
• Experience leading DoW biological and chemical defense programs focused on pharmaceuticals and/or medical countermeasure development.
• Familiarity with DoW project and contract reporting requirements.
• Experience implementing a software system, process efficiency, or wide-reaching procedure.
• Current security clearance with the DOE, DoW, or another government agency.

Pay Range
$185,850 - $235,692 Annually
This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. 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-Hybrid
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.
Wireless and Medical Devices
Per the Department of Energy (DOE), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory must meet certain restrictions with the use and/or possession of mobile devices in Limited Areas. Depending on your job duties, you may be required to work in a Limited Area where you are not permitted to have a personal and/or laboratory mobile device in your possession. This includes, but not limited to cell phones, tablets, fitness devices, wireless headphones, and other Bluetooth/wireless enabled devices.
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.
How to identify fake job advertisements
Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under "Find Your Job" of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.
To learn more about recruitment scams: https://www.llnl.gov/sites/www/files/2023-05/LLNL-Job-Fraud-Statement-Updated-4.26.23.pdf
Equal Employment Opportunity
We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.
Reasonable Accommodation
Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.
California Privacy Notice
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.
Videos To Watch
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