What are the responsibilities and job description for the Space Instrument Realization PSA (Professional Staff Assistant 2) position at Los Alamos National Laboratory?
What You Will Do
The ISR-5 Space Instrument Realization group is seeking a Professional Staff Assistant (PSA) to join our dynamic and complex organization. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, highly organized, and creative self-starter with a strong desire and capacity to learn and work across disciplines. This role will support the design, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, and deployment of innovative space and remote sensing instruments for scientific and national security missions executed in the Intelligence & Space Research (ISR) division.
This position has two important roles: 1) laboratory and user facility utilization coordinator, focusing on the management of ISR-4's, ISR-5's, and ISR-7's shared spaces, interfacing with laboratory and equipment users, and handling many associated administrative responsibilities; and 2) ISR-5 point of contact, providing expert operational, programmatic, and administrative support. The PSA will receive high level direction from group leadership and is expected to work independently with minimal supervision to establish and balance priorities and collaborate across multiple organizations to accomplish work. This includes close collaboration with ISR-4 Space Electronics & Signal Processing, ISR-7 Space Systems Assurance & Modernization, and other ISR partners who rely on physical infrastructure for work execution. Enthusiastic engagement and partnership with the ISR Staff Operations Manager, Operational Support Specialists (OSS)s, PSAs, and Administrative Assistants (Admins) is required to successfully perform in this job. As a member of the group leadership team, the PSA will attend regular leadership meetings to provide updates on areas of responsibility and gather input from the team.
Specialized roles and responsibilities for this PSA are listed below, with the understanding that these may evolve based on the skills and interests of the selected candidate:
ISR-4, ISR-5 and ISR-7 Laboratory and User Facility Utilization Coordinator
Minimum Job Requirements:
Infrastructure Knowledge And Experience
Desired Qualifications:
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 or 2 years.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of 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.
For full consideration, applicants MUST submit their resume and a detailed cover letter addressing all the requirements of the position. An additional writing sample is invited but not required.
Work Schedule: Typical work schedules in ISR division are 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. There may be flexibility for some shift in normal work hours on a case-by-case basis. Employees will select a standard work schedule offered by the Laboratory, including 5/40, 9/80, and 4.5/40 schedules in coordination with other colleagues to ensure that group offices have coverage during normal business hours each weekday.
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.
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.
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 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 a disability accommodation, email applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505) 664-6947, opt. 3.
The ISR-5 Space Instrument Realization group is seeking a Professional Staff Assistant (PSA) to join our dynamic and complex organization. The ideal candidate will be a collaborative, highly organized, and creative self-starter with a strong desire and capacity to learn and work across disciplines. This role will support the design, prototyping, testing, manufacturing, and deployment of innovative space and remote sensing instruments for scientific and national security missions executed in the Intelligence & Space Research (ISR) division.
This position has two important roles: 1) laboratory and user facility utilization coordinator, focusing on the management of ISR-4's, ISR-5's, and ISR-7's shared spaces, interfacing with laboratory and equipment users, and handling many associated administrative responsibilities; and 2) ISR-5 point of contact, providing expert operational, programmatic, and administrative support. The PSA will receive high level direction from group leadership and is expected to work independently with minimal supervision to establish and balance priorities and collaborate across multiple organizations to accomplish work. This includes close collaboration with ISR-4 Space Electronics & Signal Processing, ISR-7 Space Systems Assurance & Modernization, and other ISR partners who rely on physical infrastructure for work execution. Enthusiastic engagement and partnership with the ISR Staff Operations Manager, Operational Support Specialists (OSS)s, PSAs, and Administrative Assistants (Admins) is required to successfully perform in this job. As a member of the group leadership team, the PSA will attend regular leadership meetings to provide updates on areas of responsibility and gather input from the team.
Specialized roles and responsibilities for this PSA are listed below, with the understanding that these may evolve based on the skills and interests of the selected candidate:
ISR-4, ISR-5 and ISR-7 Laboratory and User Facility Utilization Coordinator
- Capture, track, and analyze facility utilization metrics as ISR-5 formulates shared space management processes for key ISR-4, ISR-5 and ISR-7 capabilities such as multifunctional lab spaces, cleanrooms, and environmental test facilities
- Interface with infrastructure users to identify needs, schedule spaces, and ensure equipment maintenance meets work execution requirements
- Administrate complex, facilities-adjacent tasks, including partnership on Facility Service Request (FSR) needs & prioritization; Integrated Work Document (IWD) coordination; serve as Chemical Hygiene Officer and interface with ISR Hazardous Waste Coordinator; salvage coordination
- Process improvement, how-to guides, and POC for staff on complex processes
- Collaborate closely with the Admins in ISR-4 and ISR-7 to serve the combined needs of ISR-4, ISR-5 and ISR-7; team broadly across ISR's PSA and Admin communities
- Conduct analysis, design, and implementation of business, operational, and programmatic-related initiatives to support organizational success
- Coordinate and assist in planning logistics, scheduling, announcements, and administrative facilitation of business, operational, or programmatic meetings/conferences
- Proactively perform a wide variety of administrative functions associated with Procurements, subcontracts, records management, visitor processing (including some HR actions/recruiting), Foreign National Visits, and Postdoc/student coordination.
Minimum Job Requirements:
Infrastructure Knowledge And Experience
- Specialized knowledge of functions, organizations and programs relating to this position's laboratory and user facility utilization focus, such as:
- Knowledge of and experience working in a hardware, manufacturing, and/or R&D organization
- Knowledge of policies, practices, and procedures related to infrastructure administration, including work safety and hazard documents, waste disposal, chemicals, cleanrooms, and/or other hands-on laboratory-related discipline
- Experience with some aspect of infrastructure utilization such as personal experience performing hands-on work in a lab, administrative support for infrastructure or equipment in a lab environment, industrial hygiene background, experience working in a hardware-focused organization, and/or other related knowledge and experience
- Willingness and aptitude to deeply engage in and understand the space management, hazard management, utilization tracking and improvements of a large, multi-disciplinary organization
- Demonstrated experience and expertise in supporting standard office functions such as:
- Ability to organize, prioritize, and follow through on tasks under tight deadlines and changing priorities
- Ability to interact effectively with all levels of internal and external personnel. Includes networking with senior internal and external technical, safety, business, and managerial personnel
- Effectively manage complex calendars and mailing lists
- Proactive willingness to support ISR Admins during times of urgent, high-volume workflow
- Full proficiency in using computer systems, including knowledge of and experience with software systems associated with the administration and operations of a complex organization
- Knowledge of and experience with the organizational structure, policies, practices, and procedures of a large, complex institution
- Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills while interacting effectively with people throughout the organization's hierarchy and internal support organizations, to include grammatical proficiency, formatting, and editing capabilities of written materials
- Demonstrated ability to work well as a team player, strong customer service skills and a record of dealing effectively with conflict
- Strong active listening skills
- Proven ability to work and interact effectively in a dynamic team environment and to build lasting cross-organizational collaborations.
- Enthusiasm for solving problems, developing creative solutions, and innovating business practices in collaboration with a wide range of colleagues
- Skill and experience in researching issues, investigating alternatives, and recommending solutions on problems affecting group operational and/or programmatic oversight.
- Flexibility, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning, which are highly valued qualities in ISR division
- Demonstrated experience coordinating high-profile meetings and events
- Demonstrated experience assuming responsibility for projects from inception to completion, including reporting on project results
- Ability to maintain excellent quality in daily operational work, as well as the fine-tuned skills of organizing, prioritizing, and following up on multiple projects
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and calmly under pressure of multiple deadlines, frequent interruptions, and changing priorities
- Demonstrated record of dependability and reliability as proven through good attendance and quality of work
- Working knowledge and experience with document control and records management implementation and tracking
- Skill and experience in the preparation of reports, including specialized reports related to operation and administration of hardware, manufacturing, and/or R&D organizations
- Ability to work with sensitive information and/or classified matter
Desired Qualifications:
- Knowledge of Los Alamos National Laboratory's organizational structure, policies, practices, and procedures
- Experience and demonstrated skill with LANL Integrated Work Management (IWM), Activity Tracking System (ATS), Facility Service Request (FSR), chemical inventory, hazardous waste coordination, and/or salvage processes
- Knowledge of governmental regulations and potential environmental impacts related to hands-on mechanical and electronics hardware realization
- Experience interacting with high-level managers and officials, both internal and external to LANL
- Hands-on experience working in a lab, fabrication, or assembly environment
- Active Q clearance
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 or 2 years.
Note to Applicants:
Due to federal restrictions contained in the current National Defense Authorization Act, citizens of the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People's Republic of 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.
For full consideration, applicants MUST submit their resume and a detailed cover letter addressing all the requirements of the position. An additional writing sample is invited but not required.
Work Schedule: Typical work schedules in ISR division are 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. There may be flexibility for some shift in normal work hours on a case-by-case basis. Employees will select a standard work schedule offered by the Laboratory, including 5/40, 9/80, and 4.5/40 schedules in coordination with other colleagues to ensure that group offices have coverage during normal business hours each weekday.
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.
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.
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 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 a disability accommodation, email applyhelp@lanl.gov or call (505) 664-6947, opt. 3.
