What You Will Do
This position will be filled at either the Attorney 3 or Attorney 4 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.
The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has an exciting opportunity for an attorney with contracting experience to join our Business and Intellectual Property practice. As part of a mission-oriented legal organization responsible for all legal affairs at LANL, you will have the opportunity to work cooperatively within a multi-disciplinary environment and routinely team with other in-house attorneys on strategic and substantive issues. OGC's mission is to work in close partnership with leadership and management to understand their objectives, identify and assess legal risks, and to develop and communicate strategies that enable mission success while appropriately balancing risk. We collaborate with internal clients to ensure compliance, strengthen governance, and remove barriers to effective execution of programs and projects. Through this collaborative approach, OGC is not only a legal advisor but a trusted partner and mission enabler - proactively engaging with scientific, operational, and management teams to deliver timely, practical, and innovative legal solutions that advance LANL's national security mission.
LANL engages in over $2 billion dollars each year of procurement activity and is aggressively pursuing facility modernization through construction activity. While the primary focus for this position is on providing advice and counsel in the development of and administration of contracts and agreements and advice in supply chain management, OGC provides all manners of general advice and counsel to support LANL's mission. In this position you will provide constructive and supportive legal advice and counsel to LANL managers and staff, advising them regarding the legal aspects and consequences of proposed courses of action and identifying alternative courses of action that will accelerate mission while avoiding or minimizing legal challenges.
Attorney 3 ($141,500 - $238,300)
Draft and review legal documents, including contracts, leases, terms and conditions and other legal instruments, memoranda of law, legal opinions, proposed regulations, management directives and correspondence and support negotiations with outside entities and their attorneys, including subcontractors, claimants, litigants, and agencies of various federal, state, tribal and local government agencies.
Excellent oral, written, interpersonal communication, and negotiation skills.
Skill in and knowledge of the concepts and processes involved in preparing for negotiations, conducting negotiations, and counseling a client regarding developments and options in a negotiation.
Attorney 4 ($153,600 - $266,500)
In addition to the responsibilities described for the Attorney 3 level position, the Attorney 4 level requires:
Ability to serve as a functional lead within their domain areas of expertise.
Demonstrated advanced subject matter expertise and ability to develop innovative solutions to complex and challenging issues.
Past experience and demonstrated ability in providing practical and operational guidance and mentorship to junior attorneys, paralegals, and staff members.
Ability to work with minimal management oversight and possess strong leadership skills.
What You Need
Minimum Job Requirements:
Practice of Law
You will need knowledge of the rules governing the practice of law and experience in one or more of the areas of practice supporting the business dimensions of our Business and Intellectual Property practice, including:
Complex commercial contracts;
Federal contracting (including subcontracting, MOUs, Institutional Agreements, SPPs, NDAs, and CRADAs);
Prime Contract Management and/or Management and Operating Contractor operations (including allowable costs, appropriated funds, conflicts of interest, banking, and taxation);
Acquisition services (procurement, real estate, and government property);
Construction law; and
International transactions and tariffs.
Communication & Teamwork
Demonstrated ability to interact with all levels of staff and management, establishing productive working relationships, and providing constructive advice. One of our OGC core values is teamwork, which means we work to achieve our best by respecting different opinions and backgrounds, exploring alternatives, and collaborating with colleagues and partners. You will need to be able to work collaboratively in a team environment and be ready to make positive contributions to our excellent OGC team.
Problem Solving
Demonstrated experience in providing advice and counsel on, and demonstrating successful outcomes for, complex matters. You must also be able to think critically and apply analytical skills to provide practical legal solutions to address business and operational problems.
Software
You will need the ability to work with legal research tools (e.g., Westlaw), AI-enabled solutions, legal matter management and document systems (e.g. Litify, NetDocs) , and collaboration platforms (e.g., Teams, WebEx, GoogleDrive).
Additional Job Requirements for Attorney 4 : In addition to the requirements outlined above, qualification at the higher level requires:
Experience providing functional and operational direction and successful mentoring to less experienced attorneys, paralegals, and staff.
Advanced skill, knowledge, and expertise to work as a functional lead.
Advanced oral, written and interpersonal communication and negotiation skills.
Advanced skill in and knowledge of the concepts and processes involved in preparing for negotiations, conducting negotiations, and counseling a client regarding developments and options in a negotiation.
Education/Experience for Attorney 3 : Requires a Juris Doctorate Degree from an American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law school. Additionally, you must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of New Mexico or another state bar. If you are not a member in good standing of the State Bar of New Mexico, you must immediately apply for an in-house counsel limited license or full license upon your hire and must successfully receive such license under the applicable rules issued by the NM Supreme Court and/or State Bar of New Mexico within one year. Minimum of 7 years of legal experience in transactional legal areas (contracts, acquisitions, and procurements) after passing the bar and being admitted to practice.
Education/Experience for Attorney 4 : Requires a Juris Doctorate Degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Additionally, you must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of New Mexico or another state bar. If you are not a member in good standing of the State Bar of New Mexico, you must immediately apply for an in-house counsel limited license or full license upon your hire and must successfully receive such license under the applicable rules issued by the NM Supreme Court and/or State Bar of New Mexico within one year. Minimum of 12 years of legal experience in transactional legal areas (contracts, acquisitions, and procurements) after passing the bar and being admitted to practice.
Desired Qualifications:
Advanced Contracting Experience
Federal Government Contracts experience and familiarity with Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) as well as Federal Management and Operating Prime Contracts.
Advanced experience advising and/or working with federal facilities and/or federal contractors in order to be equipped with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position is preferred but candidates from leading companies with commercial contracting expertise are also desirable. Ideal candidate will have experience advising clients in government and/or commercial contracts.
Work Location: The work location for this position is physically located in Los Alamos with an opportunity for Hybrid, which provides for three in-office days and two days working from a location within two hours of LANL. Hybrid is defined as working partially onsite/partially offsite but within 2 hours ground commute of this location. All work locations are at the discretion of management and can change at any time with appropriate notice.
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:
Some travel may be required. Please include a cover letter with your application materials.
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://int.lanl.gov/org/ddops/oma/prime-contract-management/applicable-directives/_assets/docs/DOE-O-206.2-Chg-2-LtdChg-Identity,-Credential,-and-Access-Management-ICAM-1.pdf) . 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-a-chg1-ltdchg/@@images/file) 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 Policy P701 (https://int.lanl.gov/policy/documents/P701.pdf) for applicant eligibility requirements.
Incentive Compensation Program: Position is eligible to Attorney 4 level 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.
