Senior Accelerator Safety System Engineer

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) Engineering Division has an opening for an Senior Accelerator Safety System Engineer to join the team. You will be responsible for ensuring that the safety systems of the Advanced Light Source (ALS), the Berkeley Lab Laser Accelerator (BELLA), the 88-Inch Cyclotron, and other radiation-generating facilities and systems at LBNL meet regulatory and programmatic requirements. The BELLA Center uses one of the world’s most powerful lasers in its campaign toward the next landmark in laser plasma accelerator energy — 10 GeV — and is developing numerous spinoff applications. The ALS has been a global leader in soft x-ray science for more than two decades and is currently undergoing a large-scale upgrade (ALS-U) that will endow the facility with state-of-the-art x-ray capabilities. It's an exciting time to join our team!

The Senior Accelerator Safety System Engineer will direct the efforts of Engineers, Associate Engineers, and Technicians, while collaborating with Engineers and Scientists within LBNL, DOE labs, and the international accelerator community, and reporting directly to the Lead Accelerator Safety Systems Engineer. As part of the Engineering Division, you will join a workforce of dedicated 300+ engineers working closely with our science partners.

The largest accelerator project at LBNL is the Upgrade of the Advanced Light Source (ALS-U). Therefore, this position will initially support completion of the design and implementation of the ALS-U safety system. Your responsibility will require you to support a team of engineers in analyzing, designing, implementing, and testing the Safety Interlock Systems. It will also require analysis of the existing ALS Safety System and an implementation that preserves the functionality of the existing safety systems.

In the function as labwide safety engineer, you are expected to guide a small group of safety engineers and support upgrade implementations through in-house designs or outside contracts. An important component of this function is organizing required design reviews and safety system certification, as well as overseeing required periodic testing and recertification in collaboration with the operations groups of the various accelerators. This will require close collaboration with the institutional Radiation Protection Group (RPG) within the EH&S division, as well as the Radiation Physics (RP) Group within the ALS division.

Additionally, you are expected to participate in R&D activities developing active interlock systems and systems for complex scientific facilities and instruments, as needed in the future. 

A typical background for a well-rounded candidate includes safety interlock systems for accelerators or industrial controls for the automotive, petroleum, or nuclear industry.

This position will be filled at a level commensurate with the successful candidate's skills, experiences, and abilities. 

What You Will Do:

• Develop safety systems for the ALS-U project, including the study of codes of federal, state, and local regulations, DOE orders, LBNL policies, and procedures. Maintain compliance with applicable LBNL policies and standards (Engineering Process, Electrical Equipment Inspection Program, Safety Software Quality Assurance, safety protocols, respectful workplace, etc.)
• Oversee and ensure technical implementation for interlock and safety systems for LBNL accelerator and laser facilities. Contribute to the development of innovative solutions in the safety systems for existing and future particle accelerators.
• Independently plan and complete safety system projects, ranging from small to large. Support projects with cost estimates, budgets, schedules, and procurement of key components.
• Generate system requirements and specifications following the safety lifecycle process, collaborating with the Radiation Protection Group (RPG).
• Participate and support RPG in design reviews of LBNL-designed interlock systems.
• Design, program, and certify safety-rated PLC-based controllers.
• Oversee engineering effort for the fail-safe design of beam loss or radiation sensing electronics.
• In some LBNL facilities, custom analog and digital circuits are used at the system and component level as inputs and will require collaboration with the controls and instrumentation group and analysis.
• In addition, the group will require working with legacy systems, including drawing formal electrical and electronic schematics and wiring diagrams of new systems as well as upgrading existing relay-based systems.
• Define, implement, and execute reliability qualification and validation tests using software and hardware testbeds as appropriate. Integrate systems, perform reliability and failure data analysis, and oversee installations.
• Develop engineering requirements and specifications, create and review procedures and user manuals. Generate test procedures and work with a team to field-certify installed systems.
• Maintain up-to-date documentation of the physical and electrical configuration of LBNL-designed interlock systems, including schematics, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer instructions and manuals pertaining to the RGD interlock system(s).
• Perform a system safety analysis of the manufacturer-provided safety systems integrated into commercially available radiation-generating devices
• Interface with field support and other technical entities to resolve quality and reliability issues and provide training to personnel on testing and certification procedures.
• Collaborate with engineers and scientists. Direct the work of engineers, designers, technicians, and maintenance personnel.

We are looking for:

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field and at least 10 years of relevant safety system design engineering experience.
• Competencies in several of the following  areas
  • Hands-on experience taking software-based safety systems from specification through validation and field commissioning. t
  • Demonstrated expertise in designing and programming safety-rated PLC-based systems (ladder logic, function block, or other IEC 61131-3 languages)..
  • Experience with reliability/safety analysis techniques (HAZOP, LOPA,FMEA);
  • Working knowledge of safety lifecycle and functional safety standards (e.g., IEC 61508, IEC 61511, ISA 84, ISO 13849)
  • Knowledge of systems engineering concepts and good practices.
  • Knowledge of electronic circuits with experience in design, development, or manufacturing of analog and digital circuits.
  • Proficiency in common software CAD tools for schematic entry.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the judgment to know when to decide and when to escalate.
• Ability to work in diverse large and small teams
• Experienced in leading design reviews and certification efforts
• Experience with technical writing and preparation of formal reports and user manuals.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently as part of a collaborative team, lead, plan, and organize projects, and meet scheduled commitments on time.
• Ability to lead the technical efforts of subordinates and peers (technicians, engineering associates, and engineers).

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Advanced degree in engineering related discipline.
• Experience with particle-accelerator facilities and/or working within DOE national laboratories or other experimental facilities.
• Experience in project management and the ability to develop and manage time-phased budgets.
• Experience with contract management, from the development of statements of work to the support of the contracting phase through procurement, as well as the monitoring and tracking of the technical work execution of the resulting contracts.
• Proven track record in taking initiative on projects, using analytical skills, and working with minimal supervision; utmost attention to detail.
• Highly organized, good interpersonal skills, and strong communication skills, both oral and written. Familiarity with international safety standards (e.g., IEC 61508 - ISA/ANSI 84.01).
• Member of any of the following organizations: The International System Safety Society, The American Society of Safety Engineers, or the Board of Certified Safety Engineers.

Additional information:

• Application date: Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply by October 30th, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed. 
• Appointment type: This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay. 
• Salary range: The expected salary for this position is $173,000.00 - $211,000.00, which fits into the full salary of $$154,000.00 - $260,000.00 depending upon the candidate’s skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Background check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work modality: Work will be primarily performed at: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here).

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. For additional information, click here.