Early Career R&D Systems Mechanical Engineer - Nuclear Deterrence Systems, NM/CA Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; Livermore (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 238,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM and Livermore, CA seeks an experienced R&D Mechanical Engineer to join multidisciplinary teams delivering critical national security work.

You will contribute across the full lifecycle of complex mechanical systems, from requirements and design maturation to integration, testing, qualification, and sustainment, collaborating with engineers, production partners, and customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline. Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop detailed understanding of customer and system requirements.
• Verify and validate mechanical design requirements.
• Design, analyze, review, and mature mechanical systems and components.
• Provide technical consultation on critical design elements.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, production partners, and SMEs.
• Plan and execute experiments, modeling, and testing.
• Represent design considerations in reviews and programmatic meetings.
• Perform environmental, functional, safety, and qualification testing.
• Support assembly, integration, testing, and issue resolution.
• Document technical and programmatic results for stakeholders.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

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Job ID

699641

Location

Albuquerque, NM;Livermore, CA

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

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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 develop next-generation mechanical systems that help advance national security.

We are seeking R&D Mechanical Engineers to join multidisciplinary teams delivering critical national security work in support of nuclear deterrence, advanced systems engineering, mechanical design, product realization, testing, qualification, assessment, and sustainment.

This is mission-connected engineering. In this role, you will have the opportunity to contribute across the full lifecycle of complex mechanical systems and subsystems, from requirements and design maturation to integration, testing, qualification, production realization, fielded-system support, and system-level assessment. Your work may support actively fielded systems, systems in development, flight test vehicles, qualification programs, component and subsystem integration, and lifecycle sustainment activities.

You will work closely with systems engineers, component engineers, production partners, subject matter experts, customers, and external stakeholders across the Nuclear Security Enterprise to solve complex and ambiguous engineering challenges. This position offers opportunities to contribute technically, lead multidisciplinary activities, represent Sandia on internal and external teams, and help deliver mission-critical outcomes.

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

• Develop a detailed understanding of customer, system, subsystem, and component requirements.
• Support maturation, verification, and validation of system and mechanical design requirements.
• Define, design, analyze, review, and mature mechanical systems, subsystems, assemblies, drawings, models, and related design products.
• Provide technical consultation on critical mechanical design elements.
• Collaborate with systems engineers, component engineers, production partners, and Science & Technology experts.
• Plan, execute, and analyze experiments, modeling and simulation activities, and engineering tests.
• Represent mechanical design considerations in design reviews, programmatic meetings, and multi-organizational forums.
• Plan and execute environmental, functional, safety, qualification, development, characterization, flight, laboratory, and component testing.
• Support hardware assembly, subassembly integration, test execution, and anomaly resolution.
• Conduct technical analyses and trade studies using performance, risk, cost, schedule, manufacturability, and mission needs.
• Partner with production agencies and external organizations to support product realization, production documentation, and lifecycle sustainment.
• Maintain technical, design, production, and systems engineering documentation.
• Support stockpile assessment, maintenance, qualification, modernization, and sustainment projects.
• Build effective relationships with Sandia organizations, NNSA, partner design agencies, production agencies, customers, and other stakeholders.
• Apply analytical thinking, sound engineering judgment, and strong communication skills to solve complex problems with multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute to technical decisions and communicate results to technical and programmatic stakeholders.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time.

This position also requires the ability to travel, typically less than 25%, to support the mission.

Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories.

Salary Range

$121,900 - $237,800

*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

• Bachelors degree in a relevant discipline, 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.
  

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineer candidate will also possess:

• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement, such as an independent project, thesis, or dissertation.
• Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.

We are especially interested in candidates with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Developing, maturing, and realizing complex mechanical products, systems, or subsystems.
• Developing, implementing, or applying systems engineering processes.
• Working with nuclear deterrence systems, subsystems, stockpile systems, flight test systems, or related high-consequence engineering applications.
• Requirements development, requirements verification, design maturation, interface compatibility, and system integration.
• Planning, executing, and analyzing environmental, functional, safety, development, characterization, or qualification tests.
• Mechanical design, computer-aided design, structural dynamics, vibration characterization, structural analysis, heat transfer analysis, laboratory measurement techniques, diagnostics, computational modeling and simulation, prototype fabrication, subsystem integration, or qualification testing.
• Flight test vehicle design, hardware assembly, test, production, or integration.
• Conducting trade studies and making risk-informed technical decisions using performance, cost, and schedule data.
• Working successfully with production agencies, design agencies, customers, and other internal or external stakeholders.
• Teaming, leadership, delegation, collaboration, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
• Working effectively in complex, ambiguous technical environments.
• Demonstrating a strong commitment to quality, safety, mission delivery, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  

About Our Team

The 8200 ND Systems Center provides systems engineering, integration, qualification, and product realization expertise for the W80-4 Life Extension Program, the W80-5 Modification Program, and Stockpile sustainment for B83-0/1, W87-0, W80-1 and Mk21 programs. We are also home to Sandia Livermore capabilities for assembly, fabrication, and testing in support of both modernization and stockpile programs.

Center 8200 spans Sandia's Livermore and Albuquerque campuses and is positioned to leverage engineering talent and advanced facilities at both locations in support of Sandia's mission. We maintain strong partnerships with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the Nuclear Security Enterprise, and our Department of War partners.

Across our systems engineering activities, Center 8200 is focused on delivering and maintaining a safe, secure, and reliable stockpile while innovating how we execute our work with greater acceleration and efficiency.

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

Sandia is required by DOE 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 obtain and 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.