Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer ¿ W76-1/W88 Requirements and Compatibility, Onsite

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

Benefits offered by this job

Telecommuting available

Relocation assistance

Flexible work arrangements (9/80 or 4/

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, NM seeks a Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer to lead the development and management of system requirements for W76-1 and W88 compatibility with the D5LE2 missile. You will collaborate across Sandia, NSE, and Navy partners to ensure verifiable requirements and successful integration.

The role emphasizes interdisciplinary teamwork, MBSE practices, and ensuring traceability while supporting program reviews and leadership with metrics and plans.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline required.
• Five or more years of directly relevant engineering or scientific experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.
• Graduate degree and NSE experience are desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop system requirements for W76-1 and W88 compatibility with the D5LE2 missile.
• Manage and maintain requirements for the W88 Stockpile System.
• Coordinate and interpret shared requirements with LANL and Lockheed Martin Space.
• Support program leadership with metrics, planning, and burn-down activities.
• Present technical work at design reviews and program meetings.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to clarify customer needs and mature system requirements.

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

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Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer ¿ W76-1/W88 Requirements and Compatibility, 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 SLBM Warhead Systems teams for the W76-1 and W88 are working with the NNSA, U.S. Navy, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Department of the Navy contractors to assess warhead compatibility with the next-generation Trident missile, D5LE2. This is a highly collaborative, mission-critical effort in the early stages of development, spanning flight test vehicles, ground test equipment, and modeling and simulation that support the missile ground and flight test program.

This position is part of the W88 Stockpile Systems Team (2224) and supports two important mission areas: W76-1 and W88 D5LE2 compatibility requirements (approximately 75%) and W88 Stockpile System requirements management (approximately 25%).

In this role, you will contribute to nationally significant work alongside a highly skilled, interdisciplinary team. You will help define and manage system requirements that influence major weapon programs, while collaborating with partners across Sandia, the Nuclear Security Enterprise, and the Department of the Navy. This is an opportunity to apply systems engineering skills to complex technical challenges with visible mission impact.

On any given day, you may:

Develop system requirements supporting W76-1 and W88 compatibility with the D5LE2 missile

Manage and maintain requirements for the W88 Stockpile System

Coordinate and interpret shared requirements with LANL and Lockheed Martin Space

Support program leadership and Sandia management through metrics, planning, and burn-down activities

Present technical work at design reviews and program meetings

Partner with cross-functional teams to clarify customer needs and mature system requirements

Provide guidance to systems and component engineers on writing clear, verifiable requirements

Maintain requirements traceability and resolve issues involving orphaned requirements and inconsistent language

Contribute to integration activities across modeling, simulation, and hardware development efforts

Represent Sandia on joint project teams with partners including NNSA, the U.S. Navy, and LANL

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required to work onsite in Albuquerque, NM. Some travel may be required for this position (up to 25%).

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 Systems Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

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

Experience working with Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) laboratories and plants including Pantex, Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), Lawrence Livermore Laboratory (LLNL) and Kansas City National Security Campus/New Mexico Operations (KCNSC/NMO).

Experience working on engineering design, qualification, production, or related modeling/simulation projects.

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:

Demonstrated proficiency with IBM Rational DOORS or a comparable requirements management tool.

Experience developing, negotiating, and communicating requirements for Joint Test Assemblies or other nuclear weapon system-level designs.

At least five years of experience working on a Product Realization Team (PRT) or within a nuclear weapons product realization or sustainment framework.

Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to coordinate work across teams and stakeholders.

Experience applying Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) principles and tools.

Proven ability to collaborate effectively across organizations, including management, DOE/DoD or DoN partners, and systems leads.

Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive work environment that values diversity of thought, experience, and background.

Ability to build strong, trusted partnerships across technical and programmatic teams.

Demonstrated initiative and ability to work independently in an ambiguous or evolving environment.

About Our Team:

We are responsible for the Stockpile Support and Stockpile Maintenance activities associated with the W88/Mk5 SLBM-based nuclear weapon system. As a Systems Engineering organization, we lead planning, development, integration, and coordination with our Department of the Navy (DoN) customer in support of the Department of Energy¿s mission to safeguard the nation¿s defense.

Our team performs detailed structural design and analysis, electrical subsystem design and analysis, and the experimentation and qualification of systems, subsystems, and components. We also provide direction to supporting organizations across the laboratory and the production complex.

The department is comprised of electrical, mechanical, systems, and nuclear engineers; technologists; and administrative support staff. This multidisciplinary team draws on expertise from both inside and outside the department to accomplish its mission while employing modern quality methodologies. In addition to secure office space, the department also has access to mechanical high-bay and electrical laboratory space in Building 809.

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.