Senior Principal Systems Engineer - Electrical Flight Systems, 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. 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*

World‑changing technologies. Life‑changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..gov

* These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

Sandia Department 5424 Electrical Flight Systems in the 5420 Strike Systems group is seeking an R&D S&E Systems Engineer to complement the Engineering team and help lead concept development efforts for new missile and weapon systems. Opportunities include leading multidisciplinary teams to rapidly identify operational needs for strike and defense applications, translate those needs into mission and technology‑informed requirements, and guide the concept maturation.

The work would involve interfacing with potential sponsors, services, COCOMs, and OGAs to understand and manage vehicle designs, vehicle and kill chain technology, and mission CONOPs to help them carry out their missions. The result of your work would be the identification of mission‑relevant R&D, well‑defined requirements for new systems, and support to government investment decisions. The 5420 Strike Systems portfolio includes the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) deployed conventional weapon, the Submarine Launched Cruise Missile - Nuclear (SLCM‑N) Nuclear tipped cruise missile, and an exciting array of R&D proposals and programs.

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

Develop, advise, and manage requirements for hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles both in the R&D and Weapon Development space.

Lead concept studies: shape the scope, develop success criteria, and direct technical approach; coordinate multidisciplinary teams.

Engage with COCOMS, services, and the IC to understand gaps and identify potential solutions.

Translate operational needs into requirements: define L0/L1 requirements, interfaces, constraints, and known unknowns.

Work with peer Systems Engineers and SMEs across many Engineering disciplines

Communicate results to sponsors and decision makers, both technical and non‑technical. This includes concise technical briefs, recommendations, and proposals (quads, one‑pagers, transition plans).

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

Salary Range:

$117,500 - $235,700

* 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.

Qualifications We Require:

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-level security clearance and potentially SCI access.

Qualifications We…