Senior​/Principal Electrical Flight Test Engineer - W87-1 Modification Program, Onsite

Role Overview

We are seeking an R&D Electrical Engineer for the W87-1 Joint Test Assembly (JTA) & Trainer Engineering team. In this role you will contribute to a high-impact nuclear weapon modernization program, working in advanced facilities with skilled professionals across the Nuclear Security Enterprise. As an Electrical Flight Test Engineer, you will help shape the design process from concept to delivery, developing system-level design concepts, testing prototypes, and design qualification.

You will also support engineering efforts throughout all project phases, including conceptual design, feasibility studies, and full-scale engineering.

• Design and develop electrical architecture while maintaining product definitions, procedures, and testing requirements.
• Collaborate with systems teams (e.g., design, requirements, qualification) to execute system integration tasks and address issues to mitigate risks.
• Characterize the system based on test data to evaluate if it meets requirements, ensuring readiness for the Baseline Design Review (BDR).
• Work closely with team members to assess project status, document lessons learned and execute deliverables that meet customer requirements.
• Assist the Product Realization Team (PRT) in analyzing and interpreting test data, ensuring accurate data is provided for qualification activities and preform data analysis on JTA system tests.
• Engage with partner organizations within Sandia and across external partners, such as PX, DOD/USAF, NNSA, KCNSC, and LLNL to execute JTA realization.
• Author and maintain documentation, procedures, and requirements for subsystem and system level deliverables.
• Conduct design trade studies as needed to inform decision‑making.
• Prepare and deliver presentations to diverse audiences during technical design reviews and programmatic meetings.

• 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 clearance.

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
• Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.
• Active DOE Q clearance.
• Proven experience in engineering design, qualification, production, or related modeling and simulation projects.
• Experience in system characterization based on test data to evaluate system performance and readiness.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing system engineering processes.
• Familiarity with tools such as Data Sea, TAVS, and MATLAB.
• Experience with Phase 6.X Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) program execution.
• Ability to take initiative and operate effectively as a self‑starter in ambiguous environments.
• Proven capability to integrate, collaborate, and work efficiently across technical teams to resolve issues and conduct trade‑offs for identifying optimal system solutions.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple competing tasks effectively.

$117,500 - $235,700. Salary range is estimated; actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

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. 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 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.

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.