Cleared_Distinguished R&D Mechanical Engineer, W93 Systems Design, Onsite

R&D Mechanical Engineer, W93 Systems Design, 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.

Join our mission‑driven team as an R&D Mechanical Engineer leading the mechanical design of the W93-0/Mk7 weapon system. In this critical and highly visible role, you will apply your technical expertise and strategic leadership to shape advanced weapon system architectures, drive cross‑team collaboration, and serve as a trusted advisor to executive management. You will balance hands‑on mechanical design with decision‑making authority over cost, schedule, and performance, ensuring alignment with program goals and national security objectives.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Lead the mechanical design efforts for the W93 system, including developing mechanical layouts that define the position, size, and location of major components and subassemblies within the reentry body.
• Collaborate closely with external partners such as Lockheed Martin and Los Alamos National Laboratory to negotiate requirements, define interfaces, and ensure manufacturability and interface compliance.
• Coordinate with internal teams and specialized subgroups responsible for ancillary parts (e.g., brackets, pads), working alongside electrical engineering leads to ensure seamless physical integration.
• Use tools like Creo and Solid Works to model concepts and communicate design intent effectively, supporting configuration management workflows with PDMLink to maintain design integrity.
• Manage system‑level risk assessment and lead cross‑team coordination to drive initiatives and meet program objectives.
• Present designs and participate in design reviews with both internal teams and external partners, advocating for sound engineering decisions and system‑level thinking.
• Serve as a recognized technical resource and consultant to executive management, providing expert guidance on mechanical design strategies and system integration approaches that impact long‑term program success and national security objectives.
• Exercise decision‑making authority within organizational parameters related to cost, schedule, and performance for mechanical design activities, ensuring alignment with program goals and resource constraints.
• Provide strategic recommendations to executive leadership on long‑term issues affecting the W93 program and broader Sandia initiatives, including risk mitigation, technology development, and cross‑organizational collaboration.

This role requires strong leadership skills to drive initiatives, manage cross‑team coordination, and balance hands‑on mechanical design with strategic systems engineering. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, the selected candidate must be able to work onsite.

$163,700 - $278,000

* 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, plus twelve (12) 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.

Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent to start.

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

• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in three or more of the following areas:

• Systems engineering of large and complex systems
• System design, integration, and…