Sandia National Laboratories

Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer - Lead Systems Functional Electrical Test (FET) Engineer, W87-1, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories • $117K — $235K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline with 5+ years of related experience or equivalent education/experience combination.
  • Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent clearance to obtain a Sigma 15 security clearance.
  • Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or related field with independent research experience (preferred).
  • Experience in system-level testing including benchtop and environmental testing (preferred).
  • Proficiency with automatic test equipment (ATE) hardware and software (preferred).

Responsibilities

  • Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure program success.
  • Oversee a team conducting functional electrical testing and manage test schedules and budgets.
  • Provide regular updates to management on system testing activities.
  • Develop test plans and participate in test readiness reviews.
  • Integrate subsystems into complete systems across various engineering domains.
  • Direct technical operations for electronics technicians during testing.
  • Troubleshoot testing anomalies and implement corrective measures.

Benefits

  • Supportive and collaborative work environment that fosters career advancement.
  • Extensive learning opportunities in a crucial national security program.
  • Strong emphasis on work-life balance through excellent benefits package.
  • The potential for a highly visible role within a high-priority government program.
  • Opportunity to contribute to national nuclear deterrence strategy.
Full Job Description
What Your Job Will Be Like

Envisioning your future as a Sandian

Few careers offer the chance to make a difference on a national scale. Joining the W87-1 program at Sandia National Laboratories means contributing directly to our nation's nuclear deterrence strategy and global security. As part of one of the largest and highest-priority programs at our laboratory, W87-1 team members play a critical role in our nation's strategy for nuclear deterrence and global peace.

Join Our Dedicated Team
As a member of the W87-1 team, you will find a collaborative workplace that offers excellent opportunities to learn, gain visibility, and advance your career. We foster a supportive environment where team members look out for one another and are empowered with decision-making authority and resources to drive success. Our outstanding benefits package supports a healthy work-life balance.

We are seeking a highly motivated Lead Engineer to join our team of test engineers and technologists contributing to multiple weapons programs. Our organization brings extensive mission experience and technical expertise, and we are eager to grow our team with a Lead Engineer who has a broad skill set, a desire to learn about weapon systems, and a commitment to developing new capabilities.

As a Lead Engineer, you will:
  • Collaborate with W87-1 systems partners and internal stakeholders to ensure program success.
  • Oversee a team of test engineers conducting functional electrical testing in the lab and at remote sites. Manage test schedules and budgets effectively.
  • Provide regular status updates to management and system leads on high-priority system testing activities.
  • Develop test plans, benchtop assembly procedures, and participate in planning and attending test readiness reviews.
  • Integrate lower-level designs and subsystems into complete systems, working across diverse engineering domains including hardware, software, mechanical, and aerospace.
  • Provide technical direction to electronics technicians for installation, calibration, troubleshooting, and operation of electrical, controls, data, and instrumentation hardware and systems.
  • Troubleshoot anomalies and failures during testing and development to identify root causes and implement mitigations.
  • Coordinate with the system-level test team to ensure automated test equipment meets testing requirements.

This role may require up to 10% domestic travel, depending on program needs.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time.

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.
  • An active DOE Q clearance or equivalent and ability to obtain a Sigma 15.


Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D Electrical Engineer 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:
  • System-level testing experience, including benchtop, ground integration, and environmental testing.
  • Experience working on nuclear weapon programs and projects.
  • Experience working in a laboratory environment and overseeing activity-level work (ALW), including familiarity with high voltage and other safety hazards.
  • Proficiency with automatic test equipment (ATE), both hardware and software.
  • Board-level and/or component-level circuit design experience.
  • Developing test plans and conducting test or design reviews.
  • Providing technical direction to electronics technicians in installation, calibration, and operation of test equipment.
  • Troubleshooting complex anomalies and failures during testing and development to identify root causes and implement mitigations.


About Our Team

The Systems Electrical Test Department (2332) focuses on functional electrical testing and the development of system-level testers to support major ND modernization efforts. Our department is currently responsible for all functional electrical system-level testing on the W80-4, W80-5, W93, and W87-1 programs. We maintain and operate multiple laboratories across SNL and interact extensively with the design, environmental testing, and qualification teams of major ND modernization programs.

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

Position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q security clearance to start, or equivalent active security clearance with another U.S. government agency (e.g., DOD). Sandia is required by DOE directive 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 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.

About Sandia National Laboratories

The Sandia National Laboratories is one of three National Nuclear Security Administration research and development laboratories in the United States, managed and operated privately by the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia. Their primary mission is to develop, engineer, and test the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons and high technology. Headquartered on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it also has a campus in Livermore, California, next to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a test facility in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii. It is Sandia's mission to maintain the reliability and surety of nuclear weapon systems, conduct research and development in arms control and nonproliferation technologies, and investigate methods for the disposal of the United States' nuclear weapons program's hazardous waste. Other missions include research and development in energy and environmental programs, as well as the surety of critical national infrastructures. In addition, Sandia is home to a wide variety of research including computational biology, mathematics, materials science, alternative energy, psychology, MEMS, and cognitive science initiatives. Sandia formerly hosted ASCI Red, one of the world's fastest supercomputers until its decommission in 2006, and now hosts ASCI Red Storm, originally known as Thor's Hammer. Sandia is also home to the Z Machine. The Z Machine is the largest X-ray generator in the world and is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. It is operated by Sandia National Laboratories to gather data to aid in computer modeling of nuclear weapons. In December 2016, it was announced that National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, under the direction of Honeywell International, would take over the management of Sandia National Laboratories starting on May 1, 2017. Educational opportunities are conducted in collaboration with university students through several programs, including the Securing Top Academic Research & Talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and the Sandia University Partnerships Network.
Learn more about Sandia National Laboratories
Industry
Founded
1948

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Sandia National Laboratories

More Aerospace & Defense Jobs

Find similar Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Electrical Engineer - Lead Systems Functional Electrical Test (FET) Engineer, W87-1, Onsite jobs: