Senior Diagnostic Scientist

Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) manages and operates the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Our MISSION is to help ensure the security of the United States and its allies by providing high-hazard experimentation and incident response capabilities through operations, engineering, education, field, and integration services and by acting as environmental stewards to the Site’s Cold War legacy. Our VISION is to be the user site of choice for large-scale, high-hazard, national security experimentation, with premier facilities and capabilities below ground, on the ground, and in the air. (See NNSS.gov for our unique capabilities.) Our 2,750+ professional, craft, and support employees are called upon to innovate, collaborate, and deliver on some of the more difficult nuclear security challenges facing the world today.   

• MSTS offers our full-time employees highly competitive salaries and benefits packages including medical, dental, and vision; both a pension and a 401k; paid time off and 96 hours of paid holidays; relocation (if located more than 75 miles from work location); tuition assistance and reimbursement; and more.  
• MSTS is a limited liability company consisting of Honeywell International Inc. (Honeywell), Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Jacobs), and HII Nuclear Inc.

• Bachelor’s in calculus-based technical (STEM) field plus at least 5 years relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized.
• Demonstrated experience with theory and practical applications of electro-optical diagnostic systems required.
• Experience with the installation and operation of interferometry systems required.
• Experience leading high performance teams is a plus.
• Experience planning, preparing, and managing a budget is a plus.
• Understanding of data analysis or engineering software such as MATLAB, Python, LabVIEW, SolidWorks, or Creo is a plus.
• Working knowledge of office software programs including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work underground required.
• Ability to function in a team environment, as they will regularly interface with team members, other teams and outside organizations including Scientists, Engineers, Technicians, and Designers.
• Ability to effectively deal with pressures of deadlines and multiple tasks.
• Ability to work under minimal supervision on a dynamic multidisciplinary project with simultaneous commitments to performance, cost, and schedule.
• Must have good work ethic, be motivated to succeed, and be a self-starter.
• Ability to builds teaming relationships with technical and other company organizations.
• Executes work in a disciplined manner to demonstrate compliance with laws, codes, orders, and MSTS policies and procedures.
• Occasional travel required.
• The primary work location will be at the Nevada National Security Site (located 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada).
• 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: $99,340.80 - $149,011.20.

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

Do you want to be a part of a national security mission that conducts research and development? Mission Support and Test Services, LLC (MSTS) is seeking a full-time Senior Scientist to work as part of a multidisciplinary team to provide diagnostic development and deployment support in a national laboratory environment. The Stockpile Experimentation & Operations (SEO) organization is looking for a highly motivated Scientist to collaborate in design, development, characterization, and deployment of diagnostics systems on high stake weapons physics experiments conducted at the Principal Underground Laboratory for Subcritical Experiments (PULSE) and other facilities located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). This Diagnostic Scientist will report primarily to the NNSS and will support deployment efforts for a wide variety of diagnostic detection and recording systems, with an emphasis on theory and practical applications of diagnostics systems such as interferometry and radiographic imaging systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Work alongside, and at times, lead a team of Scientists, Engineers, and Technicians in the development and deployment of optical, electrical, and laser diagnostic data acquisition systems.
• Responsible for operating diagnostic equipment such as lasers, optical imaging equipment, oscilloscopes, function generators, delay generators, fiber optic inspection and cleaning equipment, time domain reflectometers, etc.
• Provides support for execution of program/project activities and data collection (i.e., classified systems/networks, diagnostics, x-rays, and laser systems).
• Contribute to the research and development of new interferometry diagnostics and/or refine current systems to increase data fidelity 
• Serve as a technical subject matter expert and mentor to junior team members.
• Works with peers and other disciplines to coordinate project execution compliance.
• Alone or as a member of a team, participate in researching, extracting, analyzing and compiling technical data.
• Author reports, graphs, proposals, studies and correspondence related to project work.
• Assists in preliminary engineering analysis, conceptual design and engineering calculations.
• Assists in and reviews project design and technical documents.
• Performs drafting assignments, revises prints and prepares sketches.
• Participate in long term scheduling meetings to prioritize and deconflict activities required to maintain experimental execution. 
• Serve as a Work Package Manager (WPM) and plan, prepare, and maintain a budget that supports NNSS Diagnostic fielding.
• Perform other duties as assigned.