Senior Principal Systems Engineer - Electrical Flight Systems, Onsite

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

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Flexible work arrangements

Excellent benefits

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico is seeking an R&D S&E Systems Engineer to lead concept development for missile and weapon systems within the 5420 Strike Systems group. You will coordinate multidisciplinary teams, translate needs into defined, testable requirements, and guide proposals for government sponsors.

Onsite work is required. The role offers an opportunity to shape national security technology, collaborate with COCOMs and NSE partners, and contribute to strategic R&D programs

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and five years of directly relevant experience.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.
• Graduate degree and NSE experience are desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

• Develop, advise, and manage requirements for hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles in the R&D and Weapon Development space.
• Lead concept studies: shape the scope, develop success criteria, and direct technical approach; coordinate multidisciplinary teams.
• Engage with COCOMS, services, and the IC to understand gaps and identify potential solutions.
• Translate operational needs into requirements: define L0/L1 requirements, interfaces, constraints, and known unknowns.
• Work with peer Systems Engineers and SMEs across many Engineering disciplines and communicate results to sponsors and decision makers.

Skills

Systems engineering

Multidisciplinary teams

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

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:

Sandia Department 5424 Electrical Flight Systems in the 5420 Strike Systems group is seeking an R&D S&E Systems Engineer to complement the Engineering team and help lead concept development efforts for new missile and weapon systems. Opportunities include leading multidisciplinary teams to rapidly identify operational needs for strike and defense applications, translate those needs into mission and technology‑informed requirements, and guide the concept maturation. The work would involve interfacing with potential sponsors, services, COCOMs, and OGAs to understand and manage vehicle designs, vehicle and kill chain technology, and mission CONOPs to help them carry out their missions. The result of your work would be the identification of mission‑relevant R&D, well‑defined requirements for new systems, and support to government investment decisions. The 5420 Strike Systems portfolio includes the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) deployed conventional weapon, the Submarine Launched Cruise Missile - Nuclear (SLCM‑N) Nuclear tipped cruise missile, and an exciting array of R&D proposals and programs.

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

Develop, advise, and manage requirements for hypersonic, ballistic, and cruise missiles both in the R&D and Weapon Development space.

Lead concept studies: shape the scope, develop success criteria, and direct technical approach; coordinate multidisciplinary teams.

Engage with COCOMS, services, and the IC to understand gaps and identify potential solutions.

Translate operational needs into requirements: define L0/L1 requirements, interfaces, constraints, and known unknowns.

Work with peer Systems Engineers and SMEs across many Engineering disciplines

Communicate results to sponsors and decision makers, both technical and non‑technical. This includes concise technical briefs, recommendations, and proposals (quads, one‑pagers, transition plans).

Due to the nature of the work, this 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:

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-level security clearance and potentially SCI access.

Qualifications We Desire:

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

Graduate degree in Engineering or a highly related field.

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 and ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams

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

Solid experience with Systems Engineering

Experience working leading multi‑disciplinary teams with SMEs to develop requirements and concepts

Experience working with COCOMS, services, and OGAs

Experience with taking high‑level needs and deriving requirements, solutions, and a technical approach for those solutions

Ability to communicate technical results to high‑level decision makers

Ability to engage with potential funding sponsors and write proposals

Ability to hold a Q and SCI clearances

Current clearance holder

About Our Team:

The Electrical Flight Systems Department 05424 provides integrated flight systems in the Strike Systems group within the Integrated Military Systems Program at Sandia. Mechanical and Avionics flight technologies are developed, integrated, and tested to provide flight solutions for missiles, launch systems, and hypersonic flight platforms. Typically, these systems support the DOD including Army, Navy, Air Force, and other Agencies. Center 5400 has successfully developed hypersonic systems for the nation and is extending our role on the national stage for both developmental and fieldable systems. Our programs cover a broad spectrum of applications; from advanced aerodynamically controlled vehicles, to maneuvering hypersonic kill vehicles, to ballistic missile systems. All the activities require the extensive use of commonly developed Sandia avionics as well as prototype next generation technology that has never been flown. Levering existing technologies and maturing the Hypersonics portfolio for national needs is a demanding task and is a key component of Exceptional Service in the National Interest. The department strives to provide leadership to the Laboratory and the Nation in the creative development, use, and application of Hypersonic flight platforms. The Flight Systems II Department staff pride themselves in team accomplishments, professional development and the mentorship of others.

Our programs cover a broad spectrum of applications; from advanced aerodynamically controlled vehicles, to maneuvering hypersonic kill vehicles, to ballistic missile systems. All the activities require the extensive use of commonly developed Sandia avionics as well as prototype next generation technology that has never been flown. Levering existing technologies and maturing the Hypersonics portfolio for national needs is a demanding task and is a key component of Exceptional Service in the National Interest. The department strives to provide leadership to the Laboratory and the Nation in the creative development, use, and application of Hypersonic flight platforms. The Flight Systems II Department staff pride themselves in team accomplishments, professional development and the mentorship of others.

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