Scientist I/II

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.

The Enhanced Capabilities for Subcritical Experiments (ECSE) program is seeking outstanding scientists at various career stages (Scientist I and Scientist II) to work with ESCE team to support installation, commissioning, and technical maturation, the world's newest and most advanced linear induction accelerator, Scorpius. 

Scientists will contribute to ECSE program advancing high-current pulsed accelerator, beam transport, and x-ray source performance. Responsibilities span experimental activities (e.g. diagnostics developments), modeling and simulations, data analysis, and cross-disciplinary collaboration with pulsed power, target, controls, and operation teams in high-consequence DOE environment.

Successful candidates will work within a collaboration between the Nevada National Security Site, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory to prepare the accelerator for state-of-the-art experiments and to solve challenging problems that will improve accelerator performance and understanding of the physics behind.

Key Responsibilities

•  Contributes to solutions of problems and issues with limited scope and basic complexity, using a well-defined set of technologies, generally in support of more senior scientists. 
  • Solutions use established basic standards, practices and procedures as well as technical knowledge to address problems and complete tasks.
  • Focus is on applying academic knowledge to the work environment and developing good work/team habits.
• Design, execute and analyze accelerator/beam experiments (injector, transport, target/x-ray conversion, stability/BBU, corkscrew mitigation).
• Develop, commission, and operate beam and x-ray diagnostics (e.g. BPMs, Faraday cups, scintillators/ICCD, streak cameras, x-ray diodes, spectrometers, interferometry, and others).
• Build, validate, and apply physics models and Multiphysics simulations; compare to experimental data and iterate designs. 
• Apply targeted Machine Learning to speed up tuning, improve diagnostics insights, and support experiments planning; build data workflows and integrate with controls where appropriate, validate models against measurements.
• Author test plans, procedures, and technical reports; present results to program leadership and external partners.
• Work safety with high voltage, radiation, vacuum/pressure systems; follow Work Planning & Control and configuration management.
• Collaborate across controls (timing/EPICS), solid state pulse power, alignments, targets, and operations.

Scientist I (Role Expectations):

• Execute well-scoped tasks under mentorship; own sub-system/test; grow into project ownership within 6-12 months.
• Contributes to solutions of problems and issues with limited scope and basic complexity.
• Defines specifications for procurements and initiates purchase requests.
• Follows established technical procedures and instructions.
• Assist in compiling and summarizing scientific data. Utilizes technology solutions for both experimental and operational needs.
• Assists in data cleaning, baseline models, and simple optimization trials under mentorship.
• Consistently practice Work Planning & Control; participate in pre-job briefings, wear required PPE, exercise stop-work authority and promptly report near-misses.

Scientist II (Role Expectations):

• Own experimental or modeling packages; mentor juniors; contribute to hazard analysis and test readiness reviews.
• Assists in researching, compiling and analyzing scientific data. Participates in developing field programs and prepares designs, strategies, reports and proposals. Implements and uses technology solutions for both experimental and operational needs.
• Own a focused Machine Learning use case with clear success metrics.
• Lead pre-job briefs for small tests; author/update Job Hazard Analysis, verify LOTO/controls, and capture lessons learned after activities.

 

Scientist I: ($67,704.00 to $101,566.40)

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a calculus-based (STEM) field. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized.

Highly Desired

• 2 plus years post-degree experience (internships/research labs counts).
• Coursework or project experience in at least one: accelerator physics, HV/pulsed power, vacuum systems, radiation detection, plasma physics, optical diagnostics.
• Proficiency in Python for data analysis.
• Strong lab skills: ability to follow procedures and write clear test notes.

Desired

• Exposure to LIAs or electron beamlines; familiarity with EPICS/LabVIEW
• Hand-on with optical plasma diagnostics and/or vacuum hardware
• Safety awareness for HV/radiological work.

 

Scientist II: ($83,075.20 to $124,612.80)

Qualifications

• Minimum Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in a calculus-based (STEM) field, plus at least 2 years’ relevant experience. Skill building experience must demonstrate either deeper technical specialization or additional cross-disciplinary knowledge. Graduate research experience may be recognized.
• Demonstrated ability to design and analyze accelerator experiments and simulation with traceability to requirements.
• Solid grasp of BBU/corkscrew, envelope/optics matching, and beam diagnostics calibration/uncertainty.
• Experience integrating models with experimental data; author technical reports.
• Clear test notes.

Highly Desired

• MS/PhD (or BS with 3-5 years) in relevant field.

Desired

• Lead a small test campaign or subsystem from plan through execution to report.
• Experience with one or more codes: LSP, CHICAGO, FLAG, COMSOL, MNCP, Geant4.
• Basic EPICS IOC development or LabVIEW DAQ; vacuum & magnet alignment practices.

 

Technical Knowledge (Scientist I & Scientist II)

• Accelerator physics: high-current electron sources/diodes. LIAs, magnetic focusing/solenoids, emittance, envelope physics, space-charge, BBU & corkscrew, tune/optics matching.
• Pulsed Power and HV: LTD concepts, solid state pulsed power, switching, transmission lines, grounding/isolation, EMI diagnostics and survivability.
• Beam-target/x-ray production: converters, bremsstrahlung yield, spot optimization, dose/fluence, target thermal response.
• Diagnostics and DAQ: fast detectors, timing/jitter, calibration/uncertainty, signal integrity, high-rate data pipelines.
• Vacuum and magnet systems: UHV practices, leak-check, magnet mapping/alignment, field quality and trim strategy.
• Modeling tools (examples): LSP, WARP, COMSOL, Geant4, MCNP, Python, CHICAGO, FLAG.
• Working knowledge of supervised machine learning, basics of model validation in test operations.
• Controls and test infrastructure: EPICS, LabVIEW, timing/fan-out, triggers, oscilloscopes/digitizers, safety interlocks.

Additional Information:

• The primary work location will be the Losee Road facility in North Las Vegas, Nevada with frequent visits to the Nevada National Security Site (forward areas are approximately 90 miles from North Las Vegas). 
• Work schedule for this position will be 4/10’s, Monday – 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:

 

Scientist I: ($67,704.00 to $101,566.40)

Scientist II: ($83,075.20 to $124,612.80)

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