Intern, R&D Graduate Year-Round - Smart Electronics Software - Hybrid

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable housing, reasonable cost of

Minimal traffic congestion

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories is offering a Year Round R&D Graduate Intern position in Smart Electronics Software, with a hybrid onsite/offsite work arrangement. The role focuses on developing high-TRL software for embedded platforms, applying AI-assisted methods, and integrating with hardware teams to deliver real-time autonomy solutions.

The ideal candidate is pursuing a science/engineering graduate program, holds a bachelor’s degree, and can obtain a U.S. security clearance.

Qualifications

• Earned bachelor's degree
• Currently attending and enrolled full time in an accredited science, engineering, or math graduate program
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
• Ability to work up to 30 hours per week during the academic year, and up to 40 hours per week during the summer
• Ability to secure and maintatin a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship

Responsibilities

• Develop, test, and integrate high-TRL software for embedded, electronics, and FPGA platforms.
• Apply agentic coding tools and AI-assisted development methods to improve software productivity, quality, and maintainability.
• Implement AI, machine learning, and autonomy algorithms for real-time execution on resource-constrained hardware.
• Collaborate with electronics, firmware, software, systems, and mission-domain experts to develop integrated solutions.
• Optimize algorithms and software for performance, latency, power, memory, and reliability constraints.

Skills

C/C++

Python

MATLAB

Rust

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate program

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

VHDL

Verilog

SystemVerilog

Job description

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Intern, R&D Graduate Year-Round - Smart Electronics Software - Hybrid

We are seeking a Year Round - R&D Graduate Intern to join our dynamic team!

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

• Develop, test, and integrate high-TRL software for embedded, electronics, and FPGA platforms.
• Apply agentic coding tools and AI-assisted development methods to improve software productivity, quality, and maintainability.
• Implement AI, machine learning, and autonomy algorithms for real-time execution on resource-constrained hardware.
• Collaborate with electronics, firmware, software, systems, and mission-domain experts to develop integrated solutions.
• Optimize algorithms and software for performance, latency, power, memory, and reliability constraints.
• Support hardware-in-the-loop testing, embedded platform bring-up, verification, validation, and fieldable prototype demonstrations.
• Contribute to software architectures, development workflows, and best practices for trusted AI-enabled embedded systems.
• Explore emerging tools and methodologies for applying generative AI and autonomous coding agents to mission software development.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working at the intersection of modern software engineering, embedded systems, FPGA development, artificial intelligence, and national security applications. You will have the opportunity to shape how next-generation intelligent systems are developed and deployed on advanced electronics platforms.

The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary.

Salary Range:

At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/12/Student-Rate-Sheet-2025.docx) .

Qualifications We Require:

You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:

• Earned bachelor's degree
• Currently attending and enrolled full time in an accredited science, engineering, or math graduate program
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
• Ability to work up to 30 hours per week during the academic year, and up to 40 hours per week during the summer
• Ability to secure and maintatin a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Experience developing software in one or more relevant languages, such as C, C++, Python, Rust, MATLAB, or similar languages used for embedded, scientific, or systems programming.
• Familiarity with embedded software development, real-time systems, microcontrollers, system-on-chip platforms, digital signal processors, or other resource-constrained computing environments.
• Exposure to FPGA development, hardware description languages, or high-level synthesis tools, such as VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog, HLS, Vivado, Quartus, or related toolchains.
• Interest in deploying AI, machine learning, signal processing, or autonomy algorithms to edge, embedded, FPGA, or electronics platforms.
• Familiarity with AI/ML frameworks, model optimization techniques, or edge-AI deployment concepts, such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, ONNX, quantization, pruning, latency optimization, or hardware acceleration.
• Experience using modern software engineering practices, including version control, unit testing, code reviews, continuous integration, debugging, documentation, and requirements-based development.
• Interest in using agentic coding, AI-assisted software development, or large language model tools to improve software productivity, quality, and maintainability.
• Ability to work across hardware/software boundaries, including integrating software with electronics, sensors, communication interfaces, data acquisition systems, or laboratory test equipment.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to learn new technologies, development environments, and mission applications quickly.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams that may include software engineers, firmware developers, electrical engineers, systems engineers, researchers, and mission customers.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document designs, explain technical tradeoffs, and present results to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Interest in developing high-reliability, high-TRL software for real-time autonomy, decision support, intelligent control, signal processing, or mission-critical embedded applications.

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.

About Our Team:

Smart Electronics Software specializes in next-level software development, delivering custom-built solutions tailored to address the unique challenges of complex national security problems. Committed to software best practices, our team harnesses our diverse expertise, modern tools, and advanced methodologies to create robust, reliable, and cutting-edge applications that drive innovation and operational excellence.

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.

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 and SCI access, both of how yield may require U.S. citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access 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 the 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.

• Affordable housing, reasonable cost of living
• Minimal traffic congestion compared to larger cities
• At Sandia, recruiters manually review resumes on each job posting instead of using a resume screening software program
• By following the best practices outlined, this ensures that recruiters can accurately determine your qualifications for the position