Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer - Nuclear Verification, Onsite

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

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Affordable housing

Minimal traffic congestion

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer for Nuclear Verification to join a multidisciplinary team onsite in the United States. The role focuses on designing, testing, and validating electronics and firmware for verification technologies supporting nuclear treaties, while addressing sensitive information protection.

Applicants must be able to obtain a DOE Q clearance and are expected to travel.

Job description

Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer - Nuclear Verification, 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:

We are seeking a dedicated R&D Electrical Engineer to join our dynamic team someone passionate about solving critical challenges related to our nation's security. In this role, you will collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of mechanical, nuclear, microelectronics, and computer engineers to develop concepts, write proposals, and design and test hardware and firmware that advance technologies for verifying nuclear weapons treaties while minimizing the risk of exposing sensitive information.

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

Build and test prototypes for monitoring and verification equipment.

Design, modify, facilitate the fabrication of, and test electrical components, including printed circuit boards with digital and analog circuitry.

Design, modify, and test embedded firmware, including the use of microcontrollers and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

Support projects in the design, development, testing, and fielding of verification and monitoring devices, including sensors, tags, and seals.

Contribute to the field of electronics trust.

Research and perform anticipatory analysis of emerging technologies for export control and international trade security considerations

Due to the nature of this work the selected applicant must 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 a DOE Q clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D S&E Electrical Engineering candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

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

Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.

Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling

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

Digital and analog circuit design

Embedded systems and electronic systems design

Microcontroller programming and integration within hardware systems

C programming (proficiency in C, C++, or Java)

Experience with microelectronics design and fabrication, including semiconductor devices and integrated circuits.

Algorithm development and programming, with proficiency in Python and/or MATLAB

Experience working on research and development projects, including redefining concepts into workable prototypes

Experience in radiation detection techniques and sensors, including design or use of gamma or neutron detection systems

Knowledge of radiation transport calculations and Monte Carlo N Particle (MCNP) transport software

Experience using radiation modeling and simulation tools such as GEANT4 or GADRAS

Knowledge of signal processing techniques, particularly related to radiation sensors

Experience with cryptographic systems, including the use or implementation of digital signature and hashing algorithms

Understanding of nuclear nonproliferation, arms control, safeguards, and export control topics

Knowledge or willingness to develop expertise in nonproliferation and arms control

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Experience writing proposals and leading project teams

Demonstrated ability to produce technical documents

Proven ability to work effectively in interdisciplinary teams

Active DOE Q-level or DoD equivalent security clearance

Ability to travel domestically and internationally

About Our Team:

The Nuclear Verification Department (6818) is making the world a safer place by helping the US Government to reduce nuclear threats. We give policymakers technical options for verifying declared nuclear warheads and materials to enable effective arms control treaties and agreements. We research, develop, evaluate, and field new technologies that increase our government's capability to verify treaties and manage nuclear materials. Our diverse work includes technical development of radiation detectors, information barriers, sensors, tags, seals, information management and protection, and other nuclear security technologies, often with ultra-low-power requirements. Our programs are performed collaboratively with scientists and engineers in the Global Security & Cooperation Center (6800), across Sandia, with other national laboratories and sites, and internationally.

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.

• Affordable housing, reasonable cost of living
• Minimal traffic congestion compared to larger cities