Director, Nuclear Deterrence Systems Center 8200

Sandia Corporation; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 281,000 - 477,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, CA, seeks a Director for Center 8200 to lead nuclear deterrence engineering, system integration, and stockpile stewardship. The role demands strategic vision, program leadership across distributed teams, and strong collaboration with sponsors and partner laboratories.

You will shape capabilities, manage cost and risk, and drive safety, security, and quality while advancing mission-focused execution and operational excellence across Sandia's nuclear

Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher in science, engineering, mathematics, or a relevant technical field, plus 12 years or more significant relevant experience; including 8 or more years managerial experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing complex technical organizations, programs, or capabilities.
• Experience leading managers, multidisciplinary technical teams, or geographically distributed organizations.
• Experience developing, executing, or overseeing large engineering, research and development, production-support, or national security programs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cost, schedule, technical scope, risk, and performance for high-consequence work.
• Experience working with classified, safety-significant, security-sensitive, or mission-critical programs.
• Active DOE Q-level security clearance or equivalent (e.g. DOW Top Secret) with the ability to obtain SCI access, which may require a polygraph.

Responsibilities

• Lead Center 8200's nuclear deterrence engineering, system integration, product realization, and stockpile stewardship activities.
• Provide strategic direction for Sandia Design Agency and System Integrator responsibilities across major nuclear deterrence programs.
• Lead execution of weapon system modernization, modification, stockpile sustainment, qualification, testing, and production-support activities.
• Advance mission-focused execution by ensuring Center activities deliver measurable progress against priorities, sponsor commitments, and Nuclear Security Enterprise needs.
• Partner with DOE/NNSA and other partners to deliver mission outcomes.
• Ensure work complies with environment, safety, health, security, classification, and quality requirements.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and 'one team' mission execution.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Program management

Cross-organizational collaboration

Leadership of distributed teams

Cost/schedule/risk management

Security/compliance experience

Stakeholder management

Education

Master's degree or higher in science/engineering/math or relevant field

Job description

Job Details

Job ID: 699654
Location: Livermore, CA
Full-Time
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

Are you passionate about advancing the nation's nuclear deterrence mission through engineering excellence, disciplined product realization, and strong technical leadership? Do you want to lead a high-impact organization responsible for weapon system engineering, system integration, stockpile stewardship, qualification, testing, and production-support capabilities for some of the nation's most critical nuclear deterrence systems?

Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a Director for the Nuclear Deterrence Systems Center 8200, a mission-focused organization that provides systems engineering, integration, qualification, design, production, testing, and stewardship expertise in support of the U.S. nuclear stockpile.

Center 8200 operates within Sandia's broader national security mission and supports the Laboratory's vision to anticipate and deliver unequivocal deterrence. The Center's work directly contributes to mission focused execution, trusted technical expertise, proactive threat preemption, and innovation that advances the mission. Through its nuclear deterrence responsibilities, Center 8200 helps ensure the nation remains prepared, resilient, and able to respond to evolving strategic challenges.

The Center is a "one team" organization spanning Sandia's Livermore, California, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, campuses. It is positioned to leverage engineering talent, advanced facilities, and strong partnerships across Sandia and the Nuclear Security Enterprise to deliver on Sandia's nuclear deterrence mission.

Center 8200 includes four key groups:

• Nuclear Deterrence Engineering Services and Capabilities Group 8220
• W80-5 Systems Engineering Group 8240
• W80-4 Systems Engineering Group 8260
• California Stockpile Systems Group 8280

Together, these organizations provide Design Agency, System Integrator, engineering services, testing, fabrication, assembly, qualification, production-support, and stockpile stewardship capabilities for multiple nuclear weapon systems and modernization programs.

The selected candidate will provide strategic leadership for the Center's complex technical and programmatic portfolio; develop and align organizational capabilities; manage relationships with key sponsors and partners; and foster a culture of mission delivery, innovation, safety, security, quality, operational excellence, and technical rigor.

On Any Given Day, You May Be Called On To:

• Lead and align Center 8200's nuclear deterrence engineering, system integration, product realization, and stockpile stewardship activities with Sandia's mission priorities and strategic vision for unequivocal deterrence.
• Provide strategic direction for Sandia Design Agency and System Integrator responsibilities across major nuclear deterrence programs.
• Lead execution of weapon system modernization, modification, stockpile sustainment, qualification, testing, and production-support activities.
• Advance mission-focused execution by ensuring Center activities deliver measurable progress against national security priorities, sponsor commitments, and Nuclear Security Enterprise needs.
• Partner with DOE/NNSA, Department of War stakeholders, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, production agencies, and other Nuclear Security Enterprise partners to deliver mission outcomes.
• Ensure effective execution of program cost, schedule, technical performance, risk management, and quality objectives.
• Strengthen capabilities that contribute to deterrence, defense, and strategic technical resilience across the nuclear deterrence mission.
• Steward and advance the Center's capabilities, including staff expertise, facilities, infrastructure, engineering processes, and mission-enabled services.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse management team and workforce across geographically distributed locations.
• Drive integration across the Center's groups and with partner organizations throughout Sandia's nuclear deterrence portfolio.
• Promote innovative approaches to accelerate product realization timelines while maintaining rigorous safety, security, reliability, and quality standards.
• Champion operational excellence by reducing friction, strengthening systems and processes, empowering people with tools and autonomy, and improving stewardship of resources.
• Ensure work is performed in compliance with environment, safety, health, security, classification, and quality requirements.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous improvement, and "one team" mission execution.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.

About the Center

The Nuclear Deterrence Systems Center 8200 provides essential engineering services and weapon system stewardship capabilities that support the safety, security, reliability, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. Center 8200's mission aligns strongly with Integrated Security Missions' emphasis on Deter and Defend and Strategic Technical Resilience. Through modernization, stockpile stewardship, product realization, qualification, and system integration, the Center advances capabilities needed to deter adversaries, defend against threats, and ensure the nation's deterrent remains adaptable in the face of evolving technical and geopolitical challenges.

The Center's groups include:

The Nuclear Deterrence Engineering Services and Capabilities Group (8220) delivers essential expertise to prototype, fabricate, assemble, integrate, and test component and system-level qualification hardware and flight test units supporting the Nuclear Deterrence mission and other related efforts.

The W80-5 Systems Engineering Group (8240) leads Sandia Design Agency activities and System Integrator activities for the W80-5 Modification Program, providing a capability for the national stockpile and integrating it with the Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N). The W80-5 Systems Group is responsible for leading execution of the product realization, spearheading novel approaches to significantly reduce the timeline to field a nuclear weapon system.

The W80-4 Systems Engineering Group (8260) leads Sandia Design Agency activities and System Integrator activities for the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP), modernizing the W80 warhead and integrating it with the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) missile. The W80-4 Systems Group is responsible for leading execution of the product realization, including acceleration of activities to meet DoW needs ahead of schedule and transition of the system into our active national stockpile.

The CA Stockpile Systems Group (8280) stewards all deployed Livermore Valley nuclear weapon systems that provide our nation's nuclear deterrence, providing the technical basis and analysis to assure their continued ability to meet safety, security, and reliability requirements. CA Stockpile Systems also undertake design, development, qualification, and production activities to ensure that the weapon systems continue to meet their design requirements and develop new concepts to enhance system safety and security as requirements and the threat environment evolve.

Salary Range

$280,800 - $477,300

*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

• Master's degree or higher in science, engineering, mathematics, or a relevant technical field, plus 12 years or more significant relevant experience; including 8 or more years managerial experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing complex technical organizations, programs, or capabilities.
• Experience leading managers, multidisciplinary technical teams, or geographically distributed organizations.
• Experience developing, executing, or overseeing large engineering, research and development, production-support, or national security programs.
• Demonstrated ability to manage cost, schedule, technical scope, risk, and performance for high-consequence work.
• Experience working with classified, safety-significant, security-sensitive, or mission-critical programs.
• Active DOE Q-level security clearance or equivalent (e.g. DOW Top Secret) with the ability to obtain SCI access, which may require a polygraph.

Qualifications We Desire

• Experience with nuclear deterrence programs, weapon system Design Agency responsibilities, System Integrator responsibilities, stockpile stewardship, modernization programs, or related national security missions.
• Broad understanding of Sandia's nuclear deterrence mission, Integrated Security Missions, and the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
• Experience working with DOE/NNSA, Department of War stakeholders, national laboratories, production agencies, or other federal partners.
• Demonstrated success leading large, complex, multidisciplinary, and geographically distributed organizations.
• Proven ability to develop strategy, communicate vision, and align teams around mission priorities.
• Experience translating strategic objectives into executable plans that advance deterrence, defense, resilience, and mission delivery.
• Experience leading product realization, qualification, testing, production-support, or lifecycle stewardship activities.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective collaborations across technical, programmatic, operational, and sponsor organizations.
• Strong financial, budgetary, and program management acumen.
• Experience applying innovative approaches to accelerate delivery while maintaining safety, security, quality, and technical rigor.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, resolve complex issues, and make timely decisions in a high-consequence environment.
• Commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement, and empowering teams to work faster, smarter, and with strong stewardship of resources.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders, technical experts, sponsors, and external partners.

About Our Team

The Nuclear Deterrence Systems Center 8200 provides essential engineering services and stewardship for the nation's nuclear deterrent. Our work helps ensure the safety, security, reliability, and effectiveness of the U.S. stockpile while supporting modernization and future capability needs. Our teams contribute to Sandia's broader national security mission by advancing trusted technical expertise, disciplined execution, innovation, and resilience. We work across the full technology lifecycle – from ideation, design, and qualification through production support, deployment, and stockpile stewardship – to ensure Sandia can meet today's mission needs while preparing for tomorrow's challenges. Center 8200 is committed to a "one team" approach across Sandia's California and New Mexico sites. We integrate technical depth, project management discipline, operational capabilities, and strong partnerships to meet critical milestones and deliver high-consequence national security outcomes.

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.