What Your Job Will Be LikeThe Explosive Component Production department (7452) within Sandia's Explosive Technologies Group (7450) serves as the internal Production Agency (PA) for critical energetic components supporting Life Extension Programs (LEPs), Alterations (ALTs), legacy stockpile sustainment, and new-system development for the Nuclear Deterrence mission. As a Product Realization Team (PRT) Lead, you will lead a multidisciplinary team¿integrating Product, Design, Manufacturing, Surety, Materials, and Process Engineering'to transition developmental designs into full-scale Mark Quality (MQ) production. You will partner closely with Design Agency (DA) teams, internal production floors, and external suppliers to deliver hardware to the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile with uncompromising safety, technical rigor, and quality.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
- Own the PA PRT's end-to-end technical scope, schedule, and deliverables, establishing baseline commitments and driving risk and opportunity management
- Facilitate and lead cross-functional PRT meetings, drive consensus on technical decisions, maintain action items, and manage configuration records
- Partner with Project Controls and production planners to build, status, and execute resource-loaded schedules (e.g., P6) and manage project budgets/WBS
- Coordinate closely with Process Engineering and Technologist teams to prove in and qualify manufacturing processes on the production floor
- Guide hardware through build cycles (e.g., PPI, QE, WR) to achieve Qualification Evaluation Releases (QER) and First Production Unit (FPU) milestones
- Apply data-driven engineering methods¿including root-cause analysis, statistical process control (SPC), design of experiments (DOE), and lean manufacturing'to optimize yield, throughput, and product reliability
- Participate in Design for Manufacturability (DFM) and Manufacturing Feasibility and Design (MFD) reviews with Design Agency counterparts to resolve producibility challenges early
- Author and manage product definition artifacts, including product/process specifications, graphic drawings (with GD&T), and Engineering Authorizations (CER, QER, FCO) within enterprise systems (PRIME/eDPM)
- Lead and support technical reviews (Conceptual/Preliminary/Final Design Reviews, TRL/MRL assessments, and program milestones), capturing lessons learned to advance Sandia's product realization processes
- Mentor and develop team members, fostering a collaborative, safety-focused, and high-rigor production environment
Occasional travel may be required.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant 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- 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 is required to start
Qualifications We DesireThe ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
- Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation)
- Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex
- 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:
- PRT & Product Realization Experience: Demonstrated track record leading or supporting Product Realization Teams through developmental prototyping, qualification testing, and full-scale delivery of high-reliability Nuclear Deterrence (ND) hardware
- Technical Program Execution: Proven ability to lead cross-functional engineering teams, manage resource-loaded schedules (P6), control project budgets, and resolve complex technical trade-offs across multiple stakeholders
- Manufacturing & Process Engineering Rigor: Hands-on experience with physical component fabrication, assembly processes, DFM/MFD principles, and statistical process control (SPC) in a high-consequence manufacturing environment
- Data-Driven Problem Solving: Expertise leading root-cause investigations, failure analyses, corrective/preventive action implementations (CAPA), and defect prevention strategies
- Drawing & Configuration Management: Proficiency in interpreting engineering drawings, applying ASME Y14.5 Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), and managing design records within enterprise PDM systems (e.g., PRIME, eDPM, IMS)
- Energetic/Explosive Component Familiarity: Direct experience with explosive components, energetic devices, micro-mechanisms, or precision electro-mechanical assemblies
- Enterprise Tool Fluency: Experience utilizing Sandia or NNSA business and technical tools, such as SharePoint, MS Teams, Oracle ERP, Primavera P6, CFRC, and SPTS
About Our TeamDepartment 7452, Explosive Component Production, is part of the Explosive Technologies Group (7450) and serves as the Production Agency (PA) for explosive components. Our team is responsible for the production of explosive components that support Life Extension Programs (LEPs), Alterations (ALTs), Legacy systems, and New Systems. We collaborate closely with both external suppliers and internal production floors to ensure the highest quality and efficiency in our operations.
Our team plays a critical role in supporting the Nuclear Deterrence mission by ensuring the safe and efficient production of explosive components. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and innovation, where every team member is valued and empowered to contribute to our mission.
Posting DurationThis 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 ClearanceThis position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.
