Company Description
Join us and make YOUR mark on the World!
Are you interested in joining some of the brightest talent in the world to strengthen the United States’ security? Come join Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where our employees apply their expertise to create solutions for BIG ideas that make our world a better place.
We are committed to a diverse and equitable workforce with an inclusive culture that values and celebrates the diversity of our people, talents, ideas, experiences, and perspectives. This is important for continued success of the Laboratory’s mission.
Pay Range
- $125,160 – $155,400 Annual (G04.4)
- $150,240 – $186,528 Annual (G04.5)
Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. Many factors are taken into consideration when setting starting pay including education, experience, the external labor market, and internal equity.
Job Description
We have an opening for a Communications Manager/Senior Communications Manager to support LLNL’s Weapons and Complex Integration (WCI) Principal Associate Directorate where teams of experts from diverse fields work together to solve complex problems of national importance. In our uniquely multidisciplinary environment, the WCI Communications Manager will collaborate with senior management to plan and implement strategic communications projects, establish a framework to enable a strong culture of communication, both with external stakeholders and within the internal community, that is effective and timely, and direct high-level technical communication projects to meet WCI goals and ensure the fulfillment of deliverables. This position is in the Technical Information Department and matrixed to the WCI Directorate.
This position will be filled at either the G04.4 or G04.5 level depending on your qualifications. Additional job responsibilities (outlined below) will be assigned if you are selected at the higher level.
In this role you will…
- Define communications strategies, messages, and key deliverables for a variety of projects targeting internal and external audiences; ensure messaging is in alignment across the program and supports strategic goals; coordinate all aspects of development, and review work of team members. Participate in and oversee all aspects of publishing from concept through writing, review, production, and distribution.
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on key communication projects; identify recommendations for engagement to achieve communication objectives; and plan and implement communications projects, complex communication materials and presentations for senior leaders.
- Develop original technical content, provide writing and editing services, and/or coordinate the full spectrum of editorial and communication services (e.g., editing and writing for external reviews, stakeholder briefings, reports, news, and multimedia assets, including web-based content).
- Manage complex project schedules, tracking production costs, and coordinating the work of others; serve as an expert project management tactician and strategic thinker, regularly making high-consequence decisions in consultation with senior leaders.
- Manage efforts of a multidisciplinary team in executing complex documents/projects with multiple contributors who may be affiliated with other government, international, or commercial entities. Collaborate with senior managers, team members, and peers to meet project and programmatic objectives.
- Take a leadership role in fostering an inclusive work environment for the team, empowering and engaging team members, and creating a collaborative culture.
- Schedule and lead communications project meetings that include communication team staff, management, and technical experts to ensure roles are clearly understood.
- Manage and coordinate WCI’s internal and external publications, newsletters, website, and materials to ensure message consistency, effectiveness, and audience appropriateness.
- Contribute to the evaluation and implementation of new tools, technologies, and processes; help develop metrics and process improvement methods; may represent organization on working groups or committees.
In addition, at the G04.5 level:
- Use creative, independent thinking to solve complex problems. Operate with significant decision-making latitude in developing high-consequence communication products for senior leaders, leveraging expert knowledge of the program and communication techniques to execute complex projects with very little advanced guidance from the customer.
- Oversee budget and monitor expenditures working with resource management staff. Manage deployment of resources, and oversee scheduling, budgeting and cost control activities; resolve complex issues.
- Contribute to the development of the WCI staffing plan, determine functional hiring needs and sources, establish technical/artistic/service competencies and participate in the hiring of candidates against criteria, ensuring appropriate capabilities.
- Serve as an expert-level technical communications resource and subject area expert for senior leaders, recognized institutionally as an expert in your area of communication. Work under consultative direction toward goals and objectives for technical communications projects, which frequently have significant institutional or national impact, high visibility, and high consequence of error.
Qualifications
- Ability to maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
- Bachelor’s Degree in a field relevant to technical communications such as English, communications, journalism, or a scientific area, or the equivalent combination of education and related experience in technical communications.
- Experience in strategic and executive communications, as well as in leading and managing complex, high-visibility projects with a diverse group of exempt and non-exempt technical communications staff.
- Advanced communication and interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with all levels of personnel, including senior management internal and external to the organization.
- Advanced organization, problem solving, analytical, and decision-making skills to enable the organization to achieve its overall objectives and goals, including making difficult project management decisions, rebalancing project scope, timeline, and resources mid-project to adjust to a changing environment or customer needs.
- Knowledge and experience with specialized technical concepts, methods, techniques, and practices related to technical communications; subject matter expert in a core communications discipline (e.g., technical writing, graphic arts, photography).
- Self-starter, comfortable multitasking with ability to work to deadlines and respond to tight, shifting schedules, including effective interpersonal skills and ability to work both independently and within a team environment. Experience leading and overseeing technical communications activities for a large scientific/government organization in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience identifying and implementing technology solutions and process improvements to meet requirements, improve quality, and increase efficiency.
- Advanced knowledge of and experience using style conventions, professional principles, and technical communication practices and standards; experience with digital publishing and web production tools, and with implementing UX/UI and accessibility best practices.
In addition, at the G04.5 level:
- Advanced technical skills in a variety of communications areas and extensive experience working with highly visible and sensitive technical content using specialized concepts, methods, and techniques; recognized institutionally as an expert in communications and relied upon by senior leadership for strategic communication guidance.
- Experience directing the work of others, and leading project management and process improvement initiatives within a large and complex organization.
- Experience developing budgets, monitoring expenditures, and working with resource management staff.
Qualifications We Desire
- Active Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance at the time of hire
- Expert knowledge of the U.S. nuclear weapons programs and the underpinning science and capabilities that support the Nation’s nuclear deterrent.
- Experience as a trusted strategic communication advisor for senior leaders in a large and complex organization.
- Extensive experience making decisions on complex communication issues of institutional or national impact without the benefit of relevant precedent.
Additional Information
All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
Position Information
This is a Career Indefinite position, open to Lab employees and external candidates.
Why Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory?
- Flexible Benefits Package
- 401(k)
- Relocation Assistance
- Education Reimbursement Program
- Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
- Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) – visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity
- Our core beliefs – visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/our-values
- Employee engagement – visit https://www.llnl.gov/diversity/employee-engagement
Security Clearance
This position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level clearance. If you are selected, we will initiate a Federal background investigation to determine if you meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information or matter. Also, all L or Q cleared employees are subject to random drug testing. Q-level clearance requires U.S. citizenship.
Pre-Employment Drug Test
External applicant(s) selected for this position must pass a post-offer, pre-employment drug test. This includes testing for use of marijuana as Federal Law applies to us as a Federal Contractor.
Beware of Fraudulent Job Postings. LLNL’s hiring practices:
- Never requires job applicants to pay an application/training fee or submit personal documents like bank account details, passport number, Social Security number, tax forms or credit card information as part of the application process.
- For interviews and to be granted access to a Federal facility, a LLNL employee will contact you directly to collect visa, passport number, and/or Social Security number. To vet the authenticity of the employee please have them provide you their name and phone number and verify at people.llnl.gov.
- Involves at least one interview (virtual or in-person) and never interviews job applicants through chat platforms such as Google Hangouts, or via correspondence through text and instant messaging systems.
- Only sends email communications to job applicants from domain “@llnl.gov” or via their applicant tracking system, notifications@smartrecruiters.com. Occasionally LLNL uses third-party vendors that will contact you about job opportunities. If a recruiter contacts you to apply, you will always be directed to our career page to apply through our career site.
- Encourages all applicants to visit LLNL’s careers page at www.llnl.gov/join-our-team/careers if they saw the job posting on another site prior to applying to ensure the job posting is accurate and valid.
Equal Employment Opportunity
We are an equal opportunity employer that is committed to providing all with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status, age, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws.
We invite you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.
Reasonable Accommodation
Our goal is to create an accessible and inclusive experience for all candidates applying and interviewing at the Laboratory. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please use our online form to submit a request.
California Privacy Notice
The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants privacy rights to all California residents. The law also entitles job applicants, employees, and non-employee workers to be notified of what personal information LLNL collects and for what purpose. The Employee Privacy Notice can be accessed here.
Videos To Watch
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