Senior/Principal Mechanical Engineer - Experimental Solid Mechanics, Onsite

Sandia Corporation; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; USD 118,000 - 236,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Relocation assistance

Medical and retirement benefits

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico seeks a highly skilled R&D Mechanical Engineer to join the Experimental Solid Mechanics Department. You will perform independent research, drive new capabilities, and grow project portfolios in support of national security goals.

You will work with engineers and technologists to design, execute, and communicate results, publish findings, and contribute to national security initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with five (5) years of directly relevant experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.
• Experience in experimental mechanics research is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Perform original research, development, and application in experimental mechanics.
• Develop new programmatic directions for the Structural Mechanics Laboratory.
• Grow RDA project portfolio and pursue funding opportunities.
• Coordinate maintenance, operations, and safety in laboratory facilities.
• Publish and present work at conferences and journals.
• Collaborate with engineers to design, analyze, and communicate results.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Experimental mechanics

Independent research

Project management

Communication skills

Lab testing

LabView

SolidWorks

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Tools

LabView

SolidWorks

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:

Join a diverse team that helps tackle some of the most challenging issues facing our nation's security! We are seeking a highly motivated R&D Mechanical Engineer to join our dynamic team in the Experimental Solid Mechanics Department!

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

• Perform original and independent research, development, and application (RDA) work in the field of experimental mechanics.
• Develop new programmatic directions and capabilities for the Structural Mechanics Laboratory.
• Grow RDA project portfolio and respond to funding opportunities from internal and external sources.
• Coordinate maintenance, operations, work planning, and safety in laboratory facilities.
• Publish and present work at conferences and in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Support research activities in the following areas: mechanical characterization of materials in normal and abnormal environments, mechanics of structural materials and components (including metals and foams), thermomechanical coupling, experimental data generation to support material model development, failure and fracture, and advanced experimental methods/diagnostic technique development
• Work closely with engineers and other technologists in the lab to design, execute, analyze and communicate results to our customers

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

Salary Range:

$117,500 - $235,700

*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 Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five (5) years of directly relevant experience, 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 clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will, in addition, possess the following:

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

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in mechanical engineering or related discipline
• Hands-on experience conducting mechanical tests of materials, components, or assemblies
• Experience using advanced engineering software, such as LabView and Solidworks
• Hands-on experience in the development/maintaining/servicing/repair of complex systems (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pressure, and/or vacuum)
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Demonstrated ability to develop contacts and collaborate in the national security enterprise, including (but not limited to) 1528's weapon programs customers
• Demonstrated project and lab management skills and ability to coordinate deliverables, equipment, and people as a leader of an engineering team
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to internal engineering documentation and external publications as an author
• Hands-on experience in fixture modification and setup
• Experience with advanced optical methods including digital image correlation (DIC), infrared thermography (IR), or other optical metrology
• Experience with hot or cold mechanical testing, or high-strain-rate mechanical testing
• Experience with ES&H documentation processes and familiarity with Work Planning & Controls processes
• Ability to learn to program and operate mechanical load frames
• Active DOE Q clearance

About Our Team:

The Experimental Solid Mechanics Department 1528 is part of the Engineering Sciences Center at Sandia National Laboratories. Our center is the steward of engineering mechanics for Sandia and we are dedicated to solving our customer's most pressing and important national security problems. Our department specializes in experimental technologies related to structural and impact mechanics and mechanics of materials. With our state of the art experimental technologies, technical expertise, and analytical capabilities in building 860, we provide integrated customer solutions in the following areas: mechanical characterization of materials, components, and structures in normal or abnormal environments; development and application of state-of-the-art experimental and diagnostic techniques for scientific and mission impacts; and integration of analytical, computational, and experimental efforts for engineering solutions to national security problems. Our mission is to use the research-development-application (R-D-A) spectrum for physical discovery, model development and validation, and qualification and acceptance for nuclear weapons, defense, energy, and other 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.

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.

Job ID: 699629

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F