Senior/Principal Microwave & Sensor Engineer - Advanced RF Systems, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; On-site; USD 118,000 - 236,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable housing

Minimal traffic congestion

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a Senior/Principal Microwave & Sensor Engineer for the Advanced RF Systems group. This role focuses on RF/microwave design, analysis, and testing within SWaP-constrained systems and national security projects.

You'll collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to deliver hardware and firmware for communication and electronic warfare applications, while pursuing program reviews and customer requirements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and 5 years of directly relevant experience, or an equivalent combination.

Responsibilities

• Develop and analyze RF/microwave circuits and systems for EW and comms applications.

Skills

RF Design

Microwave

SWaP

Electronics

Test Equipment

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related discipline

Tools

HFSS

CST

ADS

Genesys

PCB design

Oscilloscopes

Network analyzers

Job description

Senior/Principal Microwave & Sensor Engineer - Advanced RF 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

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:

The Advanced RF Systems department (5365) is seeking a highly motivated RF/Microwave Engineer to join its team. This position focuses on providing specialized RF engineering expertise to aid in the development and fielding of communication and Electronic Warfare systems. You will be joining a multi‑disciplinary team focused on delivering solutions to national security challenges. The ideal candidate will possess strong teamwork skills and a background in electronics engineering (RF, analog, digital) within size, weight, and power (SWaP) of constrained systems.

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

Develop and incorporate innovative technologies including efforts to:

Negotiate technical and programmatic requirements with customers

Analyze, design, and develop communication and electronic warfare (EW) systems, subsystems, and modules

Develop and execute test and qualification plans

Deliver hardware within schedule and budgetary constraints

Troubleshoot problems and support anomaly resolution activities

Develop or mature RF technologies to enable new mission capabilities

Lead or support formal program reviews

Support customer funded advanced development needs

Provide engineering and programmatic documentation

Apply knowledge and experience to evaluate and improve work quality, performance, and alignment of results with customer expectations.

Build and maintain relationships with customers, partners and influencers including efforts to:

Interact with customers and stakeholders

Represent Sandia within the technical community

Engage with commercial or industry partners

Occasionally travel to engage partners

Work with technical teams to ensure expectations and requirements are met

Due to the nature of work, successful candidate must be able to work onsite. The position will require occasional travel. Relocation provided for those that qualify.

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 acquire and maintain a DOE Q clearance and SCI clearance, which may require a polygraph.

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D S&E, Microwave & Sensor Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a directly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation)

Laboratory skills and knowledge of RF and digital test equipment

Knowledge of RF, Digital Communications, Electronic Warfare, and Cyber Security systems and principles

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:

RF and Microwave Design and Analysis: Proficiency in designing, analyzing, and optimizing RF circuits and systems

Experience in designing and synthesizing RF and microwave circuits

Experience with RF/microwave design tools (HFSS, CST, ADS, Genesys, etc.)

Experience in printed circuit board design/layout including high frequency design

Experience in a hardware electronics laboratory environment and measurement techniques including:

Use of general test and measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, DMM, logic analyzers)

RF test equipment (network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters)

Probe testing/troubleshooting of RF/microwave, analog, and digital circuits

Experience in mixed-signal digital and analog circuit design

Project leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to deliver results

Excellent communication (written and verbal) and teamwork skills

Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with external and internal partners

Experience or familiarity with the Intelligence Community and Department of War organizations and mission spaces

Active DOE Q or DOW Top Secret security clearance and the ability to acquire and maintain an SCI clearance

About Our Team:

As part of the Intelligent RF Communications group, we play a pivotal role in advancing the Nation's technological superiority. Our team is dedicated to delivering capabilities that ensure RF and spectral dominance, highly reliable communications, and groundbreaking advancements that fortify our future strength. We thrive in a dynamic environment where cross‑department collaboration is key, enabling us to provide integrated engineering solutions that span from core research to prototype development and high‑end, fielded products.

In the Advanced RF Systems department (5365), we tackle pressing national security challenges by developing innovative solutions in wireless communication and electronic warfare. Our customers include a variety of government organizations including the U.S Armed Forces, the Intelligence Community, and those conducting special operations missions. Our staff members have a diverse skills set including microwave circuit design, antenna design, signal analysis, digital signal processing, and embedded software.

We partner across the laboratory and the group to bring on other critical skill sets to our multi‑disciplinary team to include computer scientists, systems engineers, and cyber engineers. Our design challenges include system development (designing scalable systems, systems integration into host platforms, etc), understanding complex adversary systems and associated vulnerabilities, and signal analysis and generation of RF low probably of detect waveforms.

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 and SCI access, both of which require US 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