What Your Job Will Be LikeWe are seeking an experienced and highly motivated R&D Systems Engineer / Project Lead to help shape and deliver advanced RF/microwave special communication systems for critical national security applications.
This role is well suited for a senior engineer who is energized by leading complex technical efforts, influencing system strategy across the full product lifecycle, and working at the intersection of engineering innovation and mission execution. Our systems integrate advanced signaling approaches with ultra-low-power RF receiver/transmitter designs to address high-impact, high-consequence mission needs. The work is technically challenging, highly collaborative, and directly connected to national security outcomes. This is an opportunity to bring deep systems thinking, sound engineering judgment, and trusted leadership to programs of significant importance and visibility.
In this role, you will:
- Lead critical R&D and systems engineering activities across the full product realization lifecycle, including requirements development and traceability, validation and verification (V&V), risk management, and technical documentation
- Help define and implement trust assurance strategies, plans, completion reports, and engineering authorizations to ensure products meet mission needs, requirements, and design intent
- Provide technical leadership across all phases of development, from concept formation and design through qualification, production, fielding, and sustainment
- Identify, assess, and mitigate technical and programmatic risks to enable robust, trustworthy, and timely product delivery
- Lead and influence multidisciplinary teams of engineers and subject matter experts across organizational boundaries
- Build strong working relationships with internal organizations and external partners to align technical execution with program goals
- Communicate programmatic and technical status, issues, and recommendations to customers, sponsors, and senior stakeholders
- Coordinate qualification and production activities to support successful transition from development into deployment
Successful candidates will join a high-performing, mission-driven team delivering systems that address some of the nation's most important security challenges. This position offers the opportunity to combine technical depth, leadership, and mission engagement in a role with meaningful impact.
As a Project Lead, you will be expected to operate with a high degree of independence and ownership. You will guide cross-functional teams through development, qualification, testing, and fielding activities while helping balance technical rigor, schedule, and program priorities. You will also collaborate closely with external customers and stakeholders, including the DoW, NNSA, DOE, and the Intelligence Community, and represent the program in technical discussions and briefings.
This position will require the ability to travel occasionally.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required 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
- A current DOE Q-level security clearance or equivalent (e.g. DoW Top Secret) and the ability to obtain and maintain SCI access, which may require a polygraph
Qualifications We DesireThe ideal R&D S&E Systems Engineer candidate 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
- National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, 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:
- Experience developing systems or components across the full lifecycle, including requirements development, design, qualification, laboratory and field testing, production, and documentation
- Demonstrated technical and/or project leadership experience
- Strong program execution skills and a track record of delivering complex systems or engineering efforts
- Experience leading projects, programs, or major technical efforts involving budget, schedule, risk, and requirements development and management
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to deliver clear, credible, and compelling briefings to technical and non-technical audiences
- Experience working directly with customers, sponsors, and production agencies, both internal and external to Sandia
- Experience and/or coursework in analog and digital electronics design and analysis
- Experience and/or coursework in wireless communication systems
About Our TeamThe Embedded Signal Processors Department (5371) develops and delivers specialized radar and communication systems for some of the nation's most demanding high-consequence national security applications. Our work requires exceptional reliability, technical rigor, and performance in mission environments where failure is not an option. We are a multidisciplinary team with deep expertise in RF communication system design, RF and digital circuit design, and reconfigurable analog and digital signal processing. Our efforts span the full product development lifecycle, including system architecture, subsystem and component design, rigorous test and evaluation, and support for higher-level system integration. Our technical challenges include developing highly miniaturized electronics, designing power-efficient transceivers, extracting signals in extremely low signal-to-noise environments, and analyzing advanced RF and communication system performance. Our team has earned the reputation of delivering for our customers, and we take pride in working together to make the world a safer place.
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.
