Senior​/Principal R&D Systems Engineer, Electrical - CA Stockpile Systems Engineering

About Sandia

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.

• Generous vacation
• Strong medical and other benefits
• Competitive 401k
• Learning opportunities
• Relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

The Stockpile Systems Engineering team in California is seeking experienced R&D Systems Engineers with strong backgrounds in electrical engineering to join a multidisciplinary team. Duties include contributing to new projects and ongoing operations across a portfolio of work critical to maintaining a safe and reliable deterrent for our nation's defense.

• Specify and review activities involving electrical aspects of the system, including flight testing, lab testing, and component testing.
• Investigate/troubleshoot anomalies in cross‑functional teams.
• Team with experts to plan, execute and analyze data from advanced experiments and modeling and simulation.
• Maintain and update interface documentation with partners.
• Analyze system and subsystem architectures.
• Provide technical consultation on critical design elements.
• Plan and execute testing for environmental, functional, and safety qualification.
• Derive, reconcile, and track requirements with upstream and downstream interfaces.
• Present at technical design reviews and other forums.
• Represent Sandia on internal and external multi‑organizational project teams.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time and travel up to 25% of the time.

$139,900 - $280,600. 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 education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q‑level security clearance.

• Graduate degree in Engineering or a highly related field with an independent research project, thesis, or dissertation.
• Experience working with Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) laboratories and plants such as Pantex, KCNSC, LLNL, Los Alamos, and KCNSC/NMO.
• Experience on engineering design, qualification, production, or related modeling/simulation projects.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline plus one year of relevant experience; or Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline plus four years of relevant experience.
• Familiarity with Sandia/Nuclear Weapon Complex drawing and authorization system, product development and qualification, testing and evaluation, modeling, and simulation.
• Familiarity working with electrical design tools.
• Ability to work in ambiguous situations.
• Experience generating and publishing technical documentation (e.g., specifications, general engineering, product definition).
• Ability to integrate into and work effectively across multiple technical teams and levels of management.
• Testing and data analysis of systems, subsystems, or components.

The California Stockpile Systems Engineering departments are responsible for Stockpile Stewardship—sustainment, maintenance and logistics, and general management—for the California Stockpile Systems. The team collaborates closely with NNSA (NA‑122) and US Air Force, and supports critical weapons such as the B83, W80‑1, W84, W87‑0, W87‑0 Sentinel Integration, and Mk21 Fuze.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens and able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q‑level security clearance. The selection process includes a pre‑employment drug test and background review of references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications.

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

Applicants with a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED) may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements. If selected for an onsite interview, additional steps will be taken to ensure compliance prior to the interview date.