Electrical Engineer 1/2 (R&D Engineer)
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Other Engineering
United States
USD 94,500-154,600 / year
Posted on Sep 18, 2025
What You Will Do
The Accelerator Operations and Technology Division (AOT), Radio Frequency Engineering (RFE) group is seeking an R&D Engineer Level 1 or Level 2 for their Low-Level Radio Frequency (LLRF) team.
The AOT division maintains, operates, and upgrades all accelerator systems used at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) complex. These consist of two 750-keV Cockcroft-Walton-based injector systems (H+ and H- systems), a 201.25-MHz drift-tube linear accelerator (LINAC) utilizing high-power diacrode tubes, an 805-MHz coupled cavity LINAC utilizing high-power klystrons as the primary power source, a proton storage ring, and roughly a kilometer of beam transport lines that deliver beam to the five independent research programs.
The RFE group is principally responsible for all radio frequency (RF) systems. The group consists of three teams: (1) Low-Level RF (LLRF) focused on real-time phase and amplitude controls; (2) High-Power RF (HPRF) systems at 201 MHz; and (3) High-Power RF systems at 805 MHzOur team delivers RF engineering expertise across gridded tube amplifiers, klystrons, RF control systems, and accelerator cavities. We design, implement, and upgrade RF systems to support the LANSCE user facility's current and future projects. Beyond LANSCE, we collaborate with internal and external partners on national accelerator and global security initiatives, and actively participate in international conferences and workshops to advance RF technology.
This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 1 or R&D Engineer 2 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.
R&D Engineer 1 $94,500 - $154,600
As a Key member of the LLRF team at RF Engineering team, you will support the operation and development of LLRF systems by helping to troubleshoot programmatic equipment and assisting with engineering aspects of project execution, including calculations, specifications, procurement coordination, and system installation. The role involves developing control systems using digital signal processing and designing custom analog, digital, and RF printed circuit boards. The candidate will also write and test hardware description language (HDL) or system test code in environments such as LabVIEW or MATLAB. Collaboration with other engineers, technicians, and teams across the accelerator complex-including software, instrumentation, and accelerator physics-is a key aspect of the position.
R&D Engineer 2 $104,100 - $172,200
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the successful candidate will independently lead low-level RF system development projects, provide RF controls technical guidance to broader accelerator initiatives, and offer operational and technical mentorship to LLRF technicians and engineers during system installation, integration, and operation.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
R&D Engineer 1
Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 2 level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
Consideration for the position will be strictly limited to applicants that submit a comprehensive cover letter addressing, bullet by bullet, each of the required and desired skills.
Work Environment:
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
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:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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:
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.
No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.
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. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, 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, state, and local 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 (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.
The Accelerator Operations and Technology Division (AOT), Radio Frequency Engineering (RFE) group is seeking an R&D Engineer Level 1 or Level 2 for their Low-Level Radio Frequency (LLRF) team.
The AOT division maintains, operates, and upgrades all accelerator systems used at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) complex. These consist of two 750-keV Cockcroft-Walton-based injector systems (H+ and H- systems), a 201.25-MHz drift-tube linear accelerator (LINAC) utilizing high-power diacrode tubes, an 805-MHz coupled cavity LINAC utilizing high-power klystrons as the primary power source, a proton storage ring, and roughly a kilometer of beam transport lines that deliver beam to the five independent research programs.
The RFE group is principally responsible for all radio frequency (RF) systems. The group consists of three teams: (1) Low-Level RF (LLRF) focused on real-time phase and amplitude controls; (2) High-Power RF (HPRF) systems at 201 MHz; and (3) High-Power RF systems at 805 MHzOur team delivers RF engineering expertise across gridded tube amplifiers, klystrons, RF control systems, and accelerator cavities. We design, implement, and upgrade RF systems to support the LANSCE user facility's current and future projects. Beyond LANSCE, we collaborate with internal and external partners on national accelerator and global security initiatives, and actively participate in international conferences and workshops to advance RF technology.
This position will be filled at either the R&D Engineer 1 or R&D Engineer 2 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.
R&D Engineer 1 $94,500 - $154,600
As a Key member of the LLRF team at RF Engineering team, you will support the operation and development of LLRF systems by helping to troubleshoot programmatic equipment and assisting with engineering aspects of project execution, including calculations, specifications, procurement coordination, and system installation. The role involves developing control systems using digital signal processing and designing custom analog, digital, and RF printed circuit boards. The candidate will also write and test hardware description language (HDL) or system test code in environments such as LabVIEW or MATLAB. Collaboration with other engineers, technicians, and teams across the accelerator complex-including software, instrumentation, and accelerator physics-is a key aspect of the position.
R&D Engineer 2 $104,100 - $172,200
In addition to the responsibilities listed above, the successful candidate will independently lead low-level RF system development projects, provide RF controls technical guidance to broader accelerator initiatives, and offer operational and technical mentorship to LLRF technicians and engineers during system installation, integration, and operation.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
R&D Engineer 1
- Foundation understanding of design and development of analog, digital or RF circuit boards.
- Basic knowledge of control systems and digital signal processing.
- Understanding engineering design cycle principles: requirements gathering, design, and implementation, debugging, testing, and documentation.
- Solid grasp of core electrical engineering concepts.
- Demonstrated academic or early-career professional achievement.
- Willingness and availability to participate in a rotating on-call schedule and support after-hours work as needed.
- Demonstrated success in design and development of analog, digital or RF printed circuit boards
- Experience in applying control theory and digital signal processing in practical systems.
- Demonstrated success with software development for system operation, integration and testing.
- Track record of successful analog and/or digital system design. Evidence of professional accomplishments through technical reports, publications, patents, or deliverable engineering products. Recognized leadership in identifying, promoting, and developing appropriate new Laboratory-wide technical capabilities.
- Experience contributing to strategic planning, goal setting, and guiding the technical direction of a team or organizational unit. Ability to serve as a technical advisor or consultant to senior-level management on complex engineering matters.
Education/Experience at R&D Engineer 2 level: Position requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an accredited institution and 4 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
- RF Systems design experience.
- High speed digital design experience.
- Real-time system programming experience with VxWorks or RTEMS.
- Programming experience in Tcl/Tk, C, C++, Java, Python, LabVIEW and MATLAB
- Accelerator systems experience, in particular RF systems and RF control.
- Control system design and implementation experience using FPGAs.
- High-speed data converter (both analog-digital and digital-analog) design experience.
- Experience in the design and development of software radio systems.
- Knowledge of control & data acquisition theory and instrumentation hardware
- Signal processing system design using FPGAs.
- Ability to obtain a Q clearance, which normally requires U.S. citizenship.
Consideration for the position will be strictly limited to applicants that submit a comprehensive cover letter addressing, bullet by bullet, each of the required and desired skills.
Work Environment:
Work Location: The work location for this position is onsite and located in Los Alamos, NM. All work locations are at the discretion of management.
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:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China-including the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau-as well as citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), and the Russian Federation, who are not Lawful Permanent Residents ("green card" holders) are prohibited from accessing facilities that support the mission, functions, and operations of national security laboratories and nuclear weapons production facilities, which includes Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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)
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.
No Clearance: Position does not require a security clearance. Selected candidates will be subject to drug testing and other pre-employment background checks.
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. All employment practices are based on qualification and merit, without regard to protected categories such as race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, 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, state, and local 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 (505)-664-6947 opt. 3.