Software Quality Assurance Engineer

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

$170,430 - $218,868 Annually. 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 Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Engineer . You will be responsible for interpreting, designing, and providing leadership on internal procedures that meet LLNL contract requirements, DOE Orders, and consensus standards for all LLNL software. You will identify improvement opportunities, collaborate with stakeholders, and drive consensus to develop and maintain institutional program descriptions, procedures, guidelines, implementation mechanisms, and training. You will lead and support compliance and continuous improvement within the Institutional Software Quality Assurance Program. This position is in the Office of Laboratory Oversight’s Mission Assurance (MA) Office.

You will

• Interpret contract requirements and consensus standards to determine compliance requirements of all LLNL software (developed in-house or acquired).
• Through collaboration with stakeholders, develop strategies for addressing highly complex institutional software quality issues/requirements.
• Apply highly advanced SQA domain knowledge of all phases of the software development lifecycle to create and oversee implementation mechanisms (e.g., practices, templates, and job aides) for the Institutional Software Quality Assurance Program (ISQAP). Work products include program and practice descriptions, policies, procedures, guidance, implementation mechanisms, and training that satisfy contract requirements.
• Facilitate and guide internal SQA Stakeholder Advisory Groups (SAGs) to review and refine institutional program documents to address Lab-wide SQA concerns and contract changes.
• Provide subject matter expertise, determination, and concurrence review of the designations of software as nuclear/radiological safety-affecting software (aka 830 Software), for institutional consistency and compliance.
• For software determined to be 830-Software, review qualification packages for adequacy and completeness to determine if the software should be authorized for nuclear/radiological safety-affecting use at LLNL.
• Perform, shadow, and oversee SQA audits across all areas of LLNL, identify compliance status of LLNL’s SQA program(s), and communicate to stakeholders through reporting and verbal discussion.
• Oversee software risk grading evaluations, mitigation strategies, and qualification documentation to assure appropriate quality standards and policies are met.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders on the implementation of the ISQA Program.
• Educate others in the applications of SQA best practices to assure proper SQA practice implementation and continuous improvement.
• Provide briefings on SQA techniques, best practices, and SQA regulatory compliance to internal and external stakeholders and senior management.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s degree in a computer or quality related field or the equivalent combination of education and significant related experience.
• Expert-level knowledge in Software QA Engineering, product lifecycle management, and configuration management in the technology industry (beyond software testing).
• Significant experience leading or managing teams implementing/executing SQA policy.
• Significant experience conducting performance and compliance assessments and program implementation evaluations to ensure regulatory compliance with SQA commitments.
• Highly advanced knowledge of software quality techniques and quality standards that govern the control of software quality.
• Expert communication, facilitation, and collaboration skills necessary to effectively present, explain, influence, and advise stakeholders and/or external sponsors.
• Advanced problem resolution, negotiation, and leadership skills with the ability to communicate effectively with others.
• Significant experience building effective relationships and a proven ability to interpret customer requests and develop system requirements.

Qualifications We Desire

• Familiarity and experience working with DOE Order 414.1D, Quality Assurance, 10 CFR 830, Nuclear Safety Management, NAP 401.1A, NNSA Weapon Quality Policy, and ISO 9001:2015, Quality Management Systems.
• Certified as a Software Quality Engineer by the American Society for Quality.
• Experience with the maintenance of an ISQA Program and 830 Software Inventory.

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?

• Included in 2024 Best Places to Work by Glassdoor!
• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (*depending on project needs)
• Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) - visit
• Our core beliefs - visit
• Employee engagement - visit

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.

How To Identify Fake Job Advertisements

Please be aware of recruitment scams where people or entities are misusing the name of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) to post fake job advertisements. LLNL never extends an offer without a personal interview and will never charge a fee for joining our company. All current job openings are displayed on the Career Page under “Find Your Job” of our website. If you have encountered a job posting or have been approached with a job offer that you suspect may be fraudulent, we strongly recommend you do not respond.

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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.