What You Will Do
The Utilities & Infrastructure (UI) Deputy Facility Operations Director (DFOD) serves as an operational and strategic leader accountable for the safe, compliant, and resilient delivery of critical utility services across the Laboratory. This portfolio includes electric power generation, transmission, and distribution, natural gas, water, wastewater, and steam systems that directly enable mission execution.
Reporting to the UI Facility Operations Director (FOD), the DFOD leads utility operations while advancing infrastructure modernization to ensure systems are adaptable, data-informed, and aligned with evolving mission and regulatory requirements. This role integrates disciplined conduct of operations with long-term strategic planning, driving upgrades that incorporate emerging technologies, automation, advanced monitoring, and system flexibility to strengthen performance and risk management.
The successful candidate anticipates operational challenges, guides operations managers with clear expectations and accountability, manages the portfolio adhering to safety, security and compliance and prioritizes investments that address aging infrastructure, capacity constraints, and future mission growth.
Key Responsibilities:
Provide oversight of utilities activities to help ensure work is being executed safely, securely and compliantly.
Champion and hold the organization accountable for a safety-first culture grounded in disciplined operations, continuous improvement, workforce development, and high-trust leadership behaviors.
Ensure regulatory compliance (safety, environmental, security) for the utility systems' operations in partnership with engineering, maintenance, and ES&H organizations.
Maintain real-time awareness of utility system performance, capacity, and risk posture, and proactively align operations and plans with current and future mission demands.
Contribute to the development of long-range strategic plans including asset lifecycle management, modernization roadmaps, reinvestment strategies, and risk mitigation plans.
Lead emergency response and incident resolution for utility systems.
Manage budgets, performance metrics, and resource planning for the utility operations.
Drive prioritization of preventative and corrective maintenance, planned major maintenance, and modernization projects to include grid modernization, automation, smart controls, predictive maintenance technologies, and resiliency enhancements.
Demonstrated experience in developing and fostering successful cross-organization teams to solve complex problems
Manage and mentor operations managers to be future leaders.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Leadership & Communication: Strong interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills. Ability to influence without authority and build cross-functional partnerships. Experience leading teams through change and process improvement efforts.
Operational Acumen: Experience working in an operational environment following maintenance, engineering, operations and quality assurance programs. Proven ability to lead organizational change and modernization initiatives.
Knowledge & Expertise: Demonstrated experience with interpreting various physical, mechanical, and electrical documents, blueprints, drawings, and schematics. Experience integrating operational data and performance metrics into strategic decision-making. In-depth knowledge and experience conducting critiques, root cause analysis, and lessons learned.
Education/Experience: Position requires a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution and 12 years related experience; or, an equivalent combination of education and experience directly related to the occupation.
Desired Qualifications:
In-depth knowledge of utility system operations including electric, gas, water, wastewater, and steam systems.
Experience with compliance oversight of North American Electric Reliability Corporation/Western Electricity Coordinating Council Distribution Provider Operations & Planning and Critical Infrastructure Protection standard requirements.
Direct experience with technical guidance and directing utilities operations and maintenance personnel.
Experience developing capital investment plans and long-range infrastructure modernization strategies and/or projects.
Demonstrated success improving system reliability, resilience, and operational efficiency.
Essential Job Functions (can perform with or without reasonable accommodation): Climbing stairs.
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 role is primarily a day-shift position, with standard working hours during the daytime. Multiple schedules are available, however; the 4/10 schedule is not an option.
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:
Applicants must attach a detailed cover letter addressing the requirements and desired skills of the position with their resume.
This position is primarily day-shift, however, this position will be required to serve in an on-call capacity as assigned to include after-hours, holidays or LANL shutdowns.
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 (https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/articles/nnsa-sd-2062-implementation-personal-identity-verification-uncleared-contractors) . 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 (https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives-documents/400-series/0472.2-BOrder-chg1-pgchg) 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.
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 P701 (https://int.lanl.gov/policy/documents/P701.pdf) for applicant eligibility requirements.
Incentive Compensation Program: Position is eligible to participate in the Triad Incentive Compensation Program. You must be in an eligible position for a minimum of 3 months, before July 1st and remain in an eligible position as of the end of the fiscal year, September 30th. The annual distribution is prorated based on the number of months in the eligible position.
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.
