Hypersonics Test Engineer - Experimental Aerosciences, Onsite

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 102,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM seeks a Test Engineer to lead design, roadmapping, development, and operation of its hypersonic shock tunnel for cutting‑edge research in national security. You will guide experiments, data processing, and safety programs while collaborating with cross‑functional staff.

The role requires a Master’s degree in aerospace/mechanical engineering or related field, a DOE Q clearance capability, and the ability to work onsite at Sandia.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Ability to plan and execute large facility improvement projects.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q security clearance; US citizenship required; clearance not required to start.

Responsibilities

• Develop novel techniques for operation of hypersonic facilities.
• Develop and execute experiments to support research plans with a diverse team.
• Generate and process data.
• Manage facility improvement project plans and execution.
• Take responsibility for facility safety and security.
• Contribute to manuscripts for peer‑reviewed publications and internal reports.
• Present work to team members, Sandia mission partners, and the scientific community.

Skills

Project planning

Facility maintenance

Security clearance

Education

Master's degree in Aerospace/Mechanical Engineering or related field

Job description

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

Sandia's Experimental Aerosciences department is seeking a Test Engineer to support research in hypersonics environments impacting national security missions. Sandia's aerodynamic test facilities include the trisonic wind tunnel, hypersonic wind and shock tunnels, and multiphase shock tube. This positional primarily supports the hypersonic shock tunnel. A successful engineer will lead the design, future roadmapping, development, and operation of the hypersonic shock tunnel to conduct novel research experiments.

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

• Develop novel techniques for the operation of hypersonic facilities.
• Develop and execute experiments to support research plans with a diverse team of staff, test engineers, and technologists.
• Generate and process data
• Manage facility improvement project plans and execution.
• Take responsibility for facility safety and security.
• Contribute to manuscripts for peer-reviewed scientific publications and in internal technical reports.
• Present work to team members, Sandia mission partners, and the larger scientific community.

Are you ready for your next challenge? Join our team and achieve your goals while ensuring national security.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected candidate must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range

$102,400 - $199,700

*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 Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or other related engineering field, or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute large facility improvement projects.
• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q security clearance. US Citizenship is required. Clearance is not required to start.

Qualifications We Desire

• Experience working in supersonic/hypersonic aerodynamics facilities.
• Experience in the development of experimental controls techniques using PLCs and/or LabVIEW.
• Experience with infrastructure systems including compressors and vacuum systems.
• Experience conducting data analysis using MATLAB or Python.
• Demonstrated excellence in process documentation.

About Our Team

The Experimental Aerosciences Department of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico offers challenging and important work relating to national security in R&D and technology applications in aerodynamics, aerothermodynamics, compressible fluid mechanics, and flight dynamics. Our primary mission supports U.S. Department of Energy Defense Programs, and aerosciences projects funded through the U.S. Department of Defense, DARPA, NASA, and industry. Our projects span the Mach number range from subsonic through hypersonic and involve systems ranging from aircraft released ordinance to reentry systems and rocket systems. Technical activities include experimental analytical efforts plus support of flight test activities, both pre‑flight/post‑flight analyses and field test operations. The Aerosciences Department maintains a strong balance of research and development activities and works synergistically with other organizations at Sandia to meet current and future customer needs.

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.