Cleared Senior​/Principal R&D Systems Engineer- Component and Tester Surety, Onsite

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. 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*

* These benefits vary by job classification.

We are seeking a R&D Systems Engineer to work within the Component and Tester Surety Engineering Department, which is responsible for the evaluation and qualification of test equipment systems used to assure the suitability of Sandia's high‑fidelity and high‑consequence products.

• Actively lead and/or participate in test system defect prevention activities such as: developing Engineering Evaluation plans, FMEAs, requirements, drawing and specification reviews, software code reviews, design reviews, test data & analysis reviews, tester/product failure root cause analyses, apply critical thinking regarding tester/product potential risks and consequences, etc.
• Lead key test system characterization and qualification activities (calibrations, gauge repeatability & reproducibility studies), etc.
• Evaluate, test, and analyze test system functionality.
• Validate test system safety and security provisions.
• Collaborate with R&D teams to cultivate independent, necessary, feasible, and verifiable tester requirements.
• Author analyses, requirements traceability reports, verification/validation plans, qualification plans, and essential engineering authorizations that ensure the tester fully meets its requirements and design intent.

Due to the nature of work, successful candidate must be able to work onsite.

$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 Clearance.

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.

• Active DOE Q Clearance.
• Designing and qualifying test hardware, software, and test equipment.
• Applying risk-based approaches to evaluate rigor level of tester qualification activities.
• Preventing, identifying, mitigating technical product…