Director – Facility and Testbed Engineering

The Director of Facility and Testbed Engineering (F&TE) provides executive leadership, strategic direction, and operational management for the multi-disciplinary engineering organizations operating within nuclear and high-hazard facilities at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). Operating under Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS), the prime contractor for the Department of Energy (DOE) / National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the Director aligns F&TE resources to execute national security and stockpile stewardship mission priorities. These include executing the Subcritical Experiment (SCE) schedule of record, fielding next-generation diagnostics, deploying high-hazard qualification testbeds, and executing infrastructure modernization.

MSTS manages and operates the National Nuclear Security Site (NNSS) for the Department of Energy (DOE). NNSS has offices across the country, including Southern Nevada; Santa Barbara and Livermore, California; Washington, D.C.; and Albuquerque and Los Alamos, New Mexico.

• Master’s degree in related field or equivalent training and experience, plus a minimum of 20 years of related and progressively responsible engineering, technical, or facility operations experience in a nuclear, high-hazard, or heavily regulated industrial/defense environment.
• Bachelor of Science degree in an ABET-accredited engineering discipline (e.g., Mechanical, Electrical, Nuclear, Civil, Systems) or a related physical science field.
• A minimum of 8 years of direct managerial experience leading multi-disciplinary engineering organizations, including supervising subordinate managers, executing technical work scopes, and administering operational budgets.
• Demonstrated success managing or influencing large organizations (e.g., teams of 100+ full-time equivalents or substantial matrixed technical teams).
• Demonstrated understanding of engineering management in Hazard Category 2/3 nuclear facilities and high-hazard operations.
• High-level familiarity with Documented Safety Analyses (DSA), Technical Safety Requirements (TSR), and readiness review frameworks.
• Proven ability to build trust, gain consensus, and resolve conflicts across diverse internal and external organizations, including federal oversight bodies and national laboratory partners.
• Experience managing complex operational budgets, project management frameworks, and resource-leveling strategies.
• Demonstrated capability to make sound, defensible technical and management decisions under conditions of ambiguity or limited information.
• Current registration as a Professional Engineer (PE), preferred.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, preferred.
• Firsthand experience navigating DOE/NNSA engineering, operations, and facility maintenance requirements, preferred.
• The primary work location will be at the Nevada National Security Site (located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada).
• The work schedule will be 4/10s Monday through Thursday (subject to change).
• Pre-placement physical examination, which includes a drug screen, is required. MSTS maintains a substance abuse policy that includes random drug testing.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license.

MSTS is required by DOE directive to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants offered employment with MSTS are also subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment. In addition, Applicants for employment must be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship, at least 18 years of age. Reference DOE Order 472.2, “Personnel Security”. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Department of Energy Q Clearance (position will be cleared to this level). Reviews and tests for the absence of any illegal drug as defined in 10 CFR Part 707.4, “Workplace Substance Abuse Programs at DOE Sites,” will be conducted.  Applicant selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation, required to participate in subsequent reinvestigations, and must meet the eligibility requirements for access to classified matter. Successful completion of a counterintelligence evaluation, which may include a counterintelligence-scope polygraph examination, may also be required. Reference 10 CFR Part 709, “Counterintelligence Evaluation Program.”

MSTS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. MSTS is a background screening, drug-free workplace.

Annual salary range for this position is: $221,540.80 - $365,539.20.

Starting salary is determined based on the position market value, the individual candidate education and experience and internal equity. 

Key Responsibilities

The Director of F&TE is responsible for the administrative, financial, safety, and technical performance of all assigned engineering and operational functions. 

• Drive the execution of NNSA mission priorities, including increasing SCE and JASPER experimental cadence, supporting high-explosive physics experiments, and modernizing waste disposition services.
• Establish long-range plans, organizational policies, and tactical objectives that align technical capabilities with future NNSA and NNSS business opportunities.
• Direct the cost, schedule, technical baseline, and performance metrics for all F&TE functions; implement corrective actions to address performance variances or operational issues.
• Partner with the NNSA Nevada Field Office (NFO), NNSA headquarters, National Weapons Laboratories (LANL, LLNL, SNL), and internal peer organizations to achieve integrated, shared mission objectives.
• Maintain the design authority and technical baselines for advanced experimental testbeds, subterranean facilities (e.g., U1a Complex / PULSE), and nuclear facilities (e.g., DAF).
• Ensure compliance with DOE Orders Facility Safety and Program and Project Management for the Acquisition of Capital Assets, and Conduct of Engineering principles.
• Coordinate with nuclear safety organizations to align engineering activities with Documented Safety Analyses (DSA), Preliminary DSAs (PDSA), and Technical Safety Requirements (TSRs) per 10 CFR 830.
• Model and champion a Safety Conscious Work Environment (SCWE) where personnel are empowered to identify, report, and resolve safety and security concerns without fear of retaliation.
• Implement and consistently enforce NNSS and federal environment, safety, health, and quality policies. Take immediate action to correct any non-compliant conditions or behaviors.
• Ensure personnel are provided with the necessary procedures, training, safety equipment, and tools to execute high-hazard operations safely and compliantly.
• Lead recruitment, hiring, and retention strategies to build and sustain a highly technical workforce capable of supporting expanding NNSA mission requirements.
• Establish clear performance expectations; hold direct and indirect managers and staff accountable to company values, behaviors, and core procedures.
• Mentor and develop technical leadership talent, ensuring robust succession planning and structured career pathways for engineering personnel.
• Create an environment where employees feel safe to raise issues, empowered to address issues, and supported to resolve issues.