699178 Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer - W93 Systems Design, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 118,000 - 236,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM is seeking a dedicated R&D Electrical Engineer to join the W93 Systems Design team, developing and testing advanced systems for the U.S. Navy.

You will contribute to design development, system testing, and collaboration with external partners, requiring onsite work and a DOE Q clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five years of directly relevant experience.
• Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent required to start.
• Strong electrical system design and testing experience.

Responsibilities

• Design development support for the W93/Mk7 WR system, defining electrical specifications and documentation.
• Perform system and subsystem trade studies balancing performance, cost, risk, and technology maturation.
• Define and support production tester requirements for safe, effective delivery of the warhead.
• Document design through final test reports and verify system performance.
• Troubleshoot issues and guide resolution to maintain project momentum.
• Collaborate with laboratories, production sites, and component organizations for robust design and manufacturing processes.

Skills

Electrical design

Systems analysis

Troubleshooting

Team collaboration

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant field

Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

MATLAB

SPICE

Job description

Position Details (Job ID: 699178)

• Location: Albuquerque, NM
• Contract type: Full-Time
• Employment type: Regular

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*

World‑changing technologies. Life‑changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking a dedicated R&D Electrical Engineer to join our dynamic W93 Systems Design team, where you will play a crucial role in the development and testing of advanced systems for the U.S. Navy.

We provide design and technical maturation leadership for the W93/Mk7 Reentry Body and Joint Test Assembly Systems, leveraging the expertise of our team members and collaborating with external partners to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our national defense. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to projects that support the future viability of our nations nuclear deterrent.

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

• Design Development: Support the design development of the W93/Mk7 WR system including:
  • Defining electrical specifications for components within the system architecture.
  • Documenting component requirements in component CDs in collaboration with the component POC.
  • Defining and documenting the grounding and bonding strategy.
  • Defining and documenting the ESD strategy.
• Research and Development: Engage in research on historical and current nuclear weapon systems to inform WR design activities, focusing on surveillance requirements and long‑term data collection.
• Conduct Trade Studies and Evaluations: Perform system and subsystem trade studies and technical evaluations, balancing performance, costs, risks, and technology maturation.
• Characterize the System: Define and support system‑level testing in an effort to verify the accuracy of requirements and ensure the system is functioning as intended.
• Define Production Tester/s: Define and support the production tester requirements and limits to ensure the NNSA delivers a safe, effective, and reliable warhead.
• Document the Design: Contribute to the success of our projects by authoring sections of final test reports that evaluate system functional performance.
• Troubleshooting Oversight: Oversee troubleshooting activities and assist when issues arise, effectively guiding these efforts to ensure timely resolution and maintain project momentum.
• Collaborate: Work closely with other laboratories, production sites, and component organizations to facilitate the design, integration, and manufacturability of the W93/Mk7 system. Collaborate with the electrical lead and system teams to ensure robust design and manufacturing processes are established.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant 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

• 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.
• Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent required to start.

Qualifications We Desire

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

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
• Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Understanding of Nuclear Deterrence system level design, test, and qualification.
• Proficiency in data analytical tools such as MATLAB or similar software to analyze and interpret complex datasets.
• Hands‑on experience with functional integration testing and diagnostics to ensure system reliability and performance.
• Familiarity with data measurement processes and their implementation to support accurate data collection and analysis.
• Experience with:
  • SPICE or similar electrical modeling tools.
  • Grounding and bonding strategies.
  • Defining and documenting electrical interfaces and tester requirements.

About Our Team

The W93 Systems Design Department provides the design and technical maturation leadership for the W93/Mk7 Reentry Body and Joint Test Assembly Systems, leveraging the engineering knowledge of our team members to realize compliant and qualified products. We engage with our external design agency partners (LANL, LM Space, AWE, NSC), W93 System Integration Department (2449), and the many internal SNL partners to accomplish this monumental program objective which supports the future viability and effectiveness of our nation's nuclear deterrent.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance

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 review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to maintain a DOE Q‑level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO

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

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug‑releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on‑site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.