Senior/Principal AI Engineer - Embedded & FPGA Systems, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

9/80 compressed workweeks

4/10 compressed workweeks

part‑time work

telecommuting mix of onsite and home

Generous vacation

Strong medical and other benefits

Competitive 401k

Learning opportunities

Relocation assistance and amenities

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico seeks a Senior/Principal AI Engineer to advance embedded and FPGA systems on onsite missions. You will design, test, and deploy high-TRL AI software on edge devices, working with multidisciplinary teams to accelerate autonomous capabilities in real‑time environments.

The role emphasizes collaboration across electronics, firmware, software, and mission-domain experts to optimize performance and reliability on constrained hardware, guiding integration

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.

Job description

Senior/Principal AI Engineer - Embedded & FPGA Systems, Onsite

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

• 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) compressed workweeks
• 4/10 (work 4 ten‑hour days each week) compressed workweeks
• part‑time work
• 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 are seeking a motivated AI engineer to join Department 5328, Smart Electronics Software, in advancing the way high-TRL software is developed and deployed on mission‑relevant electronics platforms. In this role, you will help pioneer the use of agentic coding workflows to accelerate the implementation, verification, and sustainment of robust software for embedded processors, real‑time systems, and FPGA‑based architectures.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team focused on bringing artificial intelligence and autonomy closer to the edge. This includes deploying AI algorithms onto constrained electronics platforms to enable real‑time autonomy, decision support, signal processing, and intelligent control in operational environments. The work will span concept development, rapid prototyping, hardware/software integration, testing, and transition to high‑reliability applications.

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