Cleared Composite Design and Test Engineer - Weapon Subsystems, Onsite

Composite Design Engineer (R&D S&E, Mechanical Engineer)

We are seeking a motivated Composite Design Engineer to join our Weapons Subsystems 3 team. In this role, you will apply your knowledge of composite materials and aerospace design principles to develop, analyze, and optimize composite structures for a variety of national security and energy applications. This is an excellent opportunity for recent graduates or early‑career engineers looking to expand their skills in a dynamic, multidisciplinary environment.

• Support development of composite layups, material selection, and manufacturing process integration.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including materials scientists, manufacturing engineers, and test engineers.
• Participate in prototype fabrication, testing, and data analysis to validate design concepts.
• Assist in the design and analysis of composite structures using CAD and FEA tools.
• Contribute to documentation, technical reports, and presentations for internal and external stakeholders.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies in composite materials and aerospace design.
• Maintain lab operations and capabilities including safety documentation and worker qualifications.

Work Location:

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must work onsite full time in California.

Travel:
This position requires occasional travel to Albuquerque, NM, and Kansas City, MO, but less than 25% of the time.

$121,900 - $237,800

* 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.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, 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 with the ability to obtain and maintain Sigma 14/15.

The ideal candidate will also 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, MS thesis, or PhD dissertation).
• Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively on multidisciplinary teams.

In addition, we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Coursework or experience in composite materials, structural analysis, and design principles.
• Hands‑on familiarity with various manufacturing processes for composites (e.g., prepreg layup, resin transfer molding, autoclave programming).
• Experience with composite materials testing and characterization methods.
• Experience assessing integrity and durability of advanced composite materials and structurally bonded interfaces.
• Familiarity with CAD software (e.g., Creo, Fibersim, Solid Works, CATIA) and finite element analysis tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus).
• Understanding of aerospace industry standards and certification processes.
• Experience with controls and robotics, including integration or programming related to automated manufacturing or testing systems.
• Collect, process, and analyze experimental data.
• Manage product qualification and fabrication workflows, from test scoping through prototyping, test execution and documentation.
• Convey technical findings clearly and effectively to diverse stakeholders.

The Weapons Subsystems 3 team designs, prototypes and supports mechanical weapon subsystems for high consequence applications requiring exceptionally high confidence, quality, and reliability. These projects support a broad mission space including assets that are critical to U.S. national security.

Position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q security clearance to start, or equivalent active security clearance with another U.S. government agency (e.g., DOD). Sandia is required by DOE directive to conduct a pre‑employment drug test and background…