Senior Level Operations Support Specialist Jobs

What You Will Do

This position will be filled at either Operations Support Specialist 1 or Operations Support Specialist 2, depending on the skills of the selected candidate(s). Additional job responsibilities, outlined below, will be assigned if the candidate is hired at the higher level.

The Weapons Mission Services, Programmatic Training & Mission Services group (WMS-3) is seeking a skilled Operations Support Specialist level 1/2 to support various projects within the Mission Services Team. You will support the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP) pit production mission, including support organizations by processing Engineering Authorizations (EAs) as a vital liaison between the design and production agencies in the DOE complex.

You will report to the WMS-3 Mission Services team First Line Manager (FLM), supporting customer organizations under the guidance of the EA program lead. The successful candidate will have efficiency, accuracy, positive attitude, and desire to learn new skills. Attention to detail, responsiveness, and a collaborative mindset are critical.

In addition to EA development and processing, you will also manage entitlements/authorities for one of the document control and records management systems that serves the weapons production portfolio.

This position also may be cross trained to other functions within the Mission Services team.

Job Duties for Operations Support Specialist 1:

• Provide direct support of cradle-to-grave management of EAs developed in-house and those generated by external entities.
• Collaborate with technical Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to author and validate EA content in support of production.
• Directly support the configuration management of design deviations and changes, ensuring traceability, risk mitigation, and conformance with protocols across multiple high-consequence production lines, adhering to institutional and local requirements.
• Coordinate EA development and authorship and/or receipt and processing of EAs via centralized repositories, ensuring procedural rigor, auditability, and compliance with classified information protocols.
• Administer enterprise documentation systems and digital repositories, driving data integrity, version control, and long-term accessibility to support mission assurance and system health.
• Assist the primary liaison for EA governance within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP), policy compliance standards, and documentation strategy.
• Assist with review and revision of EA program procedures, desktop instructions (DIs), and other process documents to ensure process improvement.
• Provide customer service to internal and external stakeholders and customers of the EA program.
• Conduct training validations, providing assurance of training and qualification for completed work.
• Administer authorities/entitlements for classified document control and records management system access.
• Document regular communication within the team to ensure task status is known and understood and that deliverables are on track.

Job Duties for Operations Support Specialist 2: In addition to the duties listed for Operations Support Specialist 1, candidates at Operations Support Specialist 2 will...

• Contribute to organizational goals and objectives and resolves a wide range of issues in creative ways.
• Collaborate with and provide customer service to external stakeholders in support of the EA objectives.
• Administer enterprise documentation systems and digital repositories, driving data integrity, version control, and long-term accessibility to support mission assurance and system health.
• Assist the primary liaison for EA governance within the Associate Laboratory Directorate for Weapons Production (ALDWP), policy compliance standards, and documentation strategy.
• Lead review and revision of EA program procedures, desktop instructions (DIs), and other process documents to ensure EA process improvement.
• Provide high-level customer service to internal and external stakeholders and customers of the EA program, providing oversight and leadership for assigned scope areas as assigned.
• Document regular communication within the team and with other organizations to ensure task status is known and understood and that deliverables are on track.

The primary difference between the level 1 and level 2 position is a reduction in supervision, assumption of more leadership, and independent performance of assigned duties.

Salary Range: While the posted salary range for this position is broad, it is highly unusual for selected applicants to be hired at the top end of the range and more common for selected candidates to grow into the full salary band over time.

• Operations Support Specialist 1: $60,500 to $93,600
• Operations Support Specialist 2: $72,800 to $115,400

#shiftwork

What You Need

Minimum Job Requirements: Applicants must submit a comprehensive cover letter and resume reflective of relevant experience that addresses the minimum job requirements and desired qualifications of the position below for full consideration.

• Education/Experience for Operations Support Specialist 1: Position requires an Associate's Degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution and 2 years of directly related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
• Education/Experience for Operations Support Specialist 2: Position requires an Associate's Degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution and 4 years of directly related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.

• Knowledge and Abilities for Operations Support Specialist 1:
• • Entry-level knowledge of the scope, processes, methodologies, and requirements for document control and configuration management.
  • Entry-level knowledge of the facility, program, and associated deliverables associated with the EA program.
  • Knowledge of Laboratory policies, procedures, and DOE requirements.
  • An understanding of integrated safety, work control, and compliance requirements within facility operations.
• Knowledge and Abilities for Operations Support Specialist 2:
• • Knowledge of the scope, processes, methodologies, and requirements for document control and configuration management.
  • Knowledge of the facility, program, and associated deliverables associated with the EAs or analogous programs.
  • Working knowledge of policies, procedures, and DOE requirements.
  • An understanding of integrated safety, work control, and compliance requirements within facility operations.
  • Working/demonstrated knowledge of LANL policies and procedures (or analogous programs) and knowledge of requirements/drivers such as DOE Orders, federal regulations, etc.

• Additional Knowledge and Skills:
• • Knowledge of and experience in operational work, specifically in data management, metrics generation, and status reporting mechanisms.
  • Demonstrated skillset in high attention to detail with technical administrative processes and protocol.
• Organization and Time Management:
• • Demonstrated ability to organize, manage, prioritize, and follow-through to completion on multiple tasks, often under strict deadlines, with frequent interruptions, and changing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced, high accuracy, and fluid working environment.
  • Ability in planning and executing to defined due dates, documenting actions completed, providing status on actions completed, and completing all work tasks with some direction.
• Business Systems:
• • Demonstrated knowledge and experience with standard business software, including the Microsoft Office Suite (particularly with Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams, and SharePoint), WebEx, Adobe applications, etc.
• Critical Thinking:
• • Proven ability to research, compile, and interpret technical data derived from multiple sources to produce reliable metrics, trends, and forecasts related to projects.
  • Utilize data to recommend solutions.
• Communication:
• • Communicates and coordinates with team-members, supervisors, and other involved organizations to ensure that deliverables are efficiently met, obstacles are anticipated, and priorities are clearly understood.
  • Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills while interacting effectively with people throughout the organization hierarchy and in partnership with internal support organizations.
  • Ability to communicate program requirements and detailed elements to both technical and non-technical personnel.

Desired Qualifications:

• Understanding of Quality Assurance requirements that flow down to programmatic operational customers supporting nuclear weapons scope, emphasizing Weapons Quality, Conduct of Operations, Laboratory records management, document development, and configuration management.
• Knowledge of organizational improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma, Human Performance Initiative, and/or 5S.
• Lead continuous improvement and innovation in documentation practices, identifying systemic gaps, leveraging data insights, and driving process enhancements in collaboration with engineering, quality, and operations stakeholders.
• Experience working with confidential or proprietary information, classified documents, or sensitive information.

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.

Work Schedule: This position may/will require 24/7 coverage, which could/will involve working a shift/weekend schedule. Employees may be eligible for the shift differential pay when assigned by their manager. Shift/weekend assignments are at the discretion of the manager.

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)

Additional Details

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.

Clearance: Q (Position will be cleared to this level). Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation conducted by or on behalf of the Federal Government and must meet eligibility requirements* for access to classified matter. This position requires a Q clearance and obtaining such clearance requires US Citizenship except in extremely rare circumstances. Dependent upon the position, additional authorization to access classified information may be required, which may or may not be available to dual citizens. Receipt of a Q clearance and additional access authorization ultimately is a decision of the Federal Government and not of Triad.

• Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

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.

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 applicable 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.