What Your Job Will Be LikeWe are seeking an early-to-mid career research engineer to join our dynamic team as a staff member to help us solve some of the most significant modern day technical challenges in national security.
On any given day you may be called on to:
- Work with a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team on fast-moving, innovative projects that progress from research to real-world applications that serve the national interest
- Develop new methods that enable robotic systems to intelligently perceive, manipulate, and interact with the environment
- Create, design, and implement algorithms to enable advanced automation/autonomy, perception solutions, and action based on geometric and semantic perception of surroundings
- Develop novel algorithms for autonomous perception, planning, and action for the control of various mechatronic systems
- Develop and field novel robots, actuators, and autonomous control systems, including novel R&D drone and counter-drone applications
- Work as part of multidisciplinary science and engineering teams doing cutting edge research and technology development to support the nation's security needs
- Execute technical work with excellence to include participating in the development of competitive funding proposals, and publishing results in peer reviewed journals
The successful candidate will lead and support the development of novel solutions for robotic, electromechanical, uncrewed and/or automated/autonomous systems for projects in a fast-paced team environment. Responsibilities will span the breadth of R&D from applied research to the development and delivery of operational systems.
This position is eligible for occasional telecommuting. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location on a defined schedule.
Salary Range$102,400 - $199,700
*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, 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 a DOE Q clearance
Qualifications We DesireThe ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineering 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:
- A PhD or masters degree in Robotics/Mechanical / Electrical / Aerospace Engineering, Computer Science, or similar, with a focus on automation, autonomy, and/or robotic systems
- Experience developing software algorithms and/or applications and/or development and realization of hardware
- Algorithm development or programming experience with one or more of the following: C, C++, Matlab, Python or similar languages
- Experience developing software algorithms and/or applications and/or development and realization of hardware
- Algorithm development or programming experience with one or more of the following: C, C++, Matlab, Python or similar languages
- Background/experience in developing/applying estimation and control theory/algorithms, especially for UAS/drones
- Experience developing and implementing challenging engineering solutions for end users, including experience with designing and integrating mechatronic hardware/software systems
- Experience in reinforcement learning (RL), especially in applied RL for UAS/drone control or agile robotics
- Experience with machine learning accelerated computing software libraries (e.g., jax, pytorch, tensorflow, etc. for python or ML libraries in other languages)
- Current or past focus on object detection, localization, estimation, autonomous navigation, planning, computer vision, machine learning, tracking, structure from motion, or related areas
- Strong software development fundamentals, including one or more of the following:
- Languages: Python and C++
- Experience with Git workflows
- Experience with Docker environments
- Familiarity with ROS and/or ROS2
- Experience with optical sensing
- Experience with fiducial generation and detection algorithms (e.g. for Apriltags, QR-codes, or similar)
- Understanding of camera calibration, image registration, image manipulation, and image processing
- Experience implementing advanced multi-sensor perception systems
- Experience developing nonlinear, adaptive control systemsExperience with multi-object control and/or tracking algorithms
- Training and/or developing machine learning algorithms for object classification, target recognition, and anomaly detection and characterization
- Experience with communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, TCP/IP, EtherCAT) and physical layers (Wired, RF, Optical)
- Dynamic systems modeling and/or optimization
About Our TeamOrganization 6565 ¿ Uncrewed Systems and Autonomy R&D specializes in robotics, mobile autonomy, advanced manufacturing automation, advanced controls, miniature mechatronic design and fabrication, electronics, human/machine interface and teaming, sensor systems, and computer vision systems. The department conducts both applied research and applications development of robotic systems resulting in numerous patents, papers, and deployed systems. The department conducts research, development, and application projects for a variety of customers, both internal to Sandia and across the national security establishment. The department also collaborates heavily with internal and external partners. The department is one of five in the Critical Asset Security for ND Group within the Weapon and Force Protection Center, and we partner across nearly all program areas at Sandia.
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.
