Design Lead, Senior R&D Mechanical Engineer (FEA)

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; On-site; USD 118,000 - 236,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable housing

Reasonable cost of living

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories seeks a Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of mounts and structural components for high-visibility programs in New Mexico. The role emphasizes independent work, advanced FEA, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to meet rigorous security and performance requirements.

Candidates will oversee prototypes, ensure manufacturability, and produce technical reports for stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Active DOE Q Clearance or equivalent to start.
• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or related field is a plus.
• Experience with mechanical design and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, and ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical design and development of mounts and structural components aligned with program requirements and standards.
• Perform detailed Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and simulations to validate design under operational conditions.
• Collaborate with systems, electrical, materials, and manufacturing teams to integrate designs into larger systems.
• Oversee prototype fabrication, testing, and validation, driving design improvements.

Skills

Mechanical design

FEA

CAD software CREO

SolidWorks

CATIA

NX

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (desirable)

Tools

CREO

SolidWorks

CATIA

NX

FEA tools

Job description

Sandia National Laboratories seeks a Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Mechanical Engineer to lead the design of mounts and structural components for high-visibility programs in New Mexico. The role emphasizes independent work, advanced FEA, and cross-disciplinary collaboration to meet rigorous security and performance requirements.

Candidates will oversee prototypes, ensure manufacturability, and produce technical reports for stakeholders.