A new chief engineer

Earlier this summer, John Hill put his windsurfing gear in storage at his Delaware home, bid adieu to his Washington, D.C.-based colleagues in the U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs Reentry Systems Branch, and headed west for what he calls a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Hill is the Lab’s new chief engineer and new associate Laboratory director for Weapons Engineering. In these roles, Hill is part of the leadership team that oversees the design, certification, and stewardship of the nation’s nuclear weapons systems. He leads an associate directorate of more than 1,500 people whose responsibilities include rigorously assessing the aging stockpile, predicting its long-term performance, and addressing emerging challenges to ensure its effectiveness. Simultaneously, they must develop advanced weapon designs, improved components, and modernized delivery systems.

Hill’s appointment comes after a decorated federal career that includes more than 25 years at the Naval Surface Warfare Center and nine years with the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP). He twice led SSP’s Reentry Systems Branch, most recently in 2023 under a Department of Energy Intergovernmental Personnel Act assignment. In this capacity, he served as principal advisor to SSP leadership, chaired the Project Officers Group overseeing all Navy nuclear reentry systems, and led U.S. involvement in the US/UK Joint Reentry Systems Working Group.

“John’s extraordinary career and technical leadership in national defense systems make him exceptionally qualified to lead our Weapons Engineering mission at a time of significant modernization and innovation,” says Deputy Laboratory Director for Weapons Bob Webster.

“I have a long history of working with Los Alamos, and I am extremely excited for this opportunity,” Hill said of his new role. He notes that stewarding the Laboratory’s deployed systems is “our highest priority,” but he’s particularly enthusiastic about the W93 program, which he helped launch when he was with the SSP.

Hill, an Oklahoma native, served in the U.S. Army (82nd Airborne Division) prior to earning a bachelor's degree in aerospace and ocean engineering from Virginia Tech and a master's degree in aerospace engineering and applied mechanics from the University of Cincinnati. His academic work focused on computational fluid dynamics, with publications addressing complex aerodynamic flow modeling. Throughout his career, Hill has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award and the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Award.

In his free time, Hill enjoys windsurfing and attending NASCAR races. Hill is relocating to New Mexico from the East Coast and says that he’s “looking forward to getting to racetracks west of the Mississippi.” ★