Senior/Principal - R&D Systems Engineer - ND Futures and Special Projects, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

The ND Futures and Special Projects department (00231) is seeking a self-motivated Systems Engineer Lead with a background in mechanical or electrical engineering to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary team. In this fast-paced role, you will support the maturation and demonstration of technologies and capabilities that shape and inform both current and future nuclear deterrent systems.

As the ideal candidate, you will be driven to deliver flight hardware that advances scientific and technological innovations for future nuclear deterrent programs. You will apply systems thinking to navigate technical and programmatic risks while ensuring that mechanical designs integrate seamlessly with engineering disciplines. Your ability to work under tight deadlines will be crucial in ensuring that project milestones are consistently achieved.

Key Responsibilities:

• Cost modeling and Budget Planning: manage lifecycle cost analysis to support strategic decision-making and tactical execution related to flight system mechanical design and electrical design.
• Mechanical Definitions: develop and define mechanical specifications, ensuring compatibility with electrical and software systems, and coordinate thermal and mechanical analyses.
• Electrical Definitions: develop and define electrical specifications ensuring compatibility with mechanical and software systems, coordinate electrical system architecture, and electrical analyses.
• Requirements Management: Define, document, and verify system requirements to ensure alignment with project objective
• Test Planning and Execution: guide the planning, execution, and verification of requirements for testing.

On any given day, you will be called upon to:

• Collaboration with external agencies, fostering strong partnerships to drive project success.
• Coordinate with project management personnel to develop schedules, budgets, and project plans.
• Partner with stakeholders to define interface requirements, deliverables, and risks.
• Influence design decisions to optimize cost without compromising system integrity or compliance.
• Develop the payload layout and definition, coordinating and supporting payload integration activities, including assembly, testing, and troubleshooting.
• Assist with launch operations for flight tests.

We collaborate with a range of external partners, including DOD stakeholders (USN and USAF), DOE/NNSA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the United Kingdoms Atomic Weapons Establishment, and the Kansas City National Security Campus. Additionally, we work across Sandia with various organizations involved in component design, test and evaluation, foundational research, computational simulation, and intelligence analysis.

Due to the nature of work, successful candidate must be able to work onsite. Some travel required (< 25%, both domestically and internationally).

$114,000 - $227,500

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

• A bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q and SCI clearance, which may include a polygraph examination.

The ideal R&D Systems Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience working with Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) laboratories and plants including Pantex, Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) and Kansas City National Security Campus/New Mexico Operations (KCNSC/NMO).
• Experience working on engineering design, qualification, production, or related modeling/simulation projects.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Demonstrated expertise in system testing, integration, and troubleshooting.
• Proven experience in fielding and delivering flight-ready hardware.
• Familiarity with instrumentation, data collection, processing, and analysis.
• Proficiency in using CAD software (Creo or SolidWorks) or.
• Proficiency in electrical system design and analysis MATLAB, SPICE, Mentor Graphics, or Altium Designer.
• Experience in mass properties management and leading system trade studies.
• Coordination of environmental test activities and computational modeling and simulation activities.
• Familiarity with the nuclear deterrent Advanced & Exploratory mission area.
• Proven ability to prioritize, manage, and execute multiple projects within a defined scope, budget, and timeframe.
• Demonstrated experience as a successful and effective project leader.
  

Our Future NW Systems & Special Projects team is comprised of systems and design engineers offering expertise to deliver innovative rapid development solutions to meet our nations urgent security needs. We provide diverse engineering expertise to support high priority, short-turn projects for Sandia's Nuclear Deterrence mission. We partner with other design, testing, and production groups across the Laboratories to develop, test, and build designs that meet customer needs and deliver on time.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.