Cleared_Distinguished R&D Mechanical Engineer, W93 Systems Design, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; On-site; USD 163,700 - 278,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories is seeking an experienced R&D Mechanical Engineer for the W93 Systems Design, onsite in New Mexico. You will lead mechanical design efforts, balance hands‑on work with strategic decisions, and coordinate with partners like LANL and Lockheed Martin to ensure safe, effective system integration.

The role requires a DOE Q clearance, senior technical leadership, and the ability to operate across multidisciplinary teams to advance national security objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline with 12 years of directly relevant experience or equivalent.
• Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent to start.
• Ability to perform independent research and development within program goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design for the W93 system and develop layouts for major components.
• Collaborate with external partners to define interfaces and ensure manufacturability.
• Coordinate with internal teams for cross‑discipline integration and risk management.
• Model concepts with Creo/SolidWorks and maintain design integrity in PDMLink.
• Present designs and participate in design reviews with internal and external partners.
• Advise executive management on mechanical design strategies and system integration.

Skills

Systems engineering

Cross-team collaboration

Communication skills

Trade studies

Nuclear weapon design concepts

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline

Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

Creo

SolidWorks

PDMLink

Job description

Cleared_Distinguished R&D Mechanical Engineer, W93 Systems Design, 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.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

Join our mission‑driven team as an R&D Mechanical Engineer leading the mechanical design of the W93-0/Mk7 weapon system. In this critical and highly visible role, you will apply your technical expertise and strategic leadership to shape advanced weapon system architectures, drive cross‑team collaboration, and serve as a trusted advisor to executive management. You will balance hands‑on mechanical design with decision‑making authority over cost, schedule, and performance, ensuring alignment with program goals and national security objectives.

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

• Lead the mechanical design efforts for the W93 system, including developing mechanical layouts that define the position, size, and location of major components and subassemblies within the reentry body.
• Collaborate closely with external partners such as Lockheed Martin and Los Alamos National Laboratory to negotiate requirements, define interfaces, and ensure manufacturability and interface compliance.
• Coordinate with internal teams and specialized subgroups responsible for ancillary parts (e.g., brackets, pads), working alongside electrical engineering leads to ensure seamless physical integration.
• Use tools like Creo and SolidWorks to model concepts and communicate design intent effectively, supporting configuration management workflows with PDMLink to maintain design integrity.
• Manage system‑level risk assessment and lead cross‑team coordination to drive initiatives and meet program objectives.
• Present designs and participate in design reviews with both internal teams and external partners, advocating for sound engineering decisions and system‑level thinking.
• Serve as a recognized technical resource and consultant to executive management, providing expert guidance on mechanical design strategies and system integration approaches that impact long‑term program success and national security objectives.
• Exercise decision‑making authority within organizational parameters related to cost, schedule, and performance for mechanical design activities, ensuring alignment with program goals and resource constraints.
• Provide strategic recommendations to executive leadership on long‑term issues affecting the W93 program and broader Sandia initiatives, including risk mitigation, technology development, and cross‑organizational collaboration.

This role requires strong leadership skills to drive initiatives, manage cross‑team coordination, and balance hands‑on mechanical design with strategic systems engineering. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, the selected candidate must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range:

$163,700 - $278,000

*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, plus twelve (12) 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 to start.

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D Mechanical Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition 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, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience in three or more of the following areas:

• Systems engineering of large and complex systems
• System design, integration, and qualification
• Nuclear weapon design and development, including considerations for nuclear safety and manufacturability
• Proficiency with CAD tools such as Creo or SolidWorks
• Proficiency in PDMLink configuration management
• Mass properties management
• Experience with nuclear weapon designs
• The ability to understand and collaborate across diverse technologies and disciplines
• Proven success in integrating and working effectively across technical teams; interfacing with customers and subcomponent teams; and conducting tradeoffs to identify optimal system solutions
• Demonstrated capability to coordinate multiple teams responsible for complex systems

Experience coordinating computational modeling and simulation activities is a plus.

About Our Team:

The W93 Systems Design Department is composed of both mechanical and electrical engineering staff. We work closely with our external design agency partners, including Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Lockheed Martin Space (LM Space), as well as our sister organization 2380 (A21/W93 System Engineering and Integration). Together, we are responsible for the integration of the W93-0/Mk7 system. Our team collaborates with numerous internal and external customers to achieve this monumental design objective, striving to ensure the future viability and effectiveness of our nation’s nuclear deterrent.

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.

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.