What Your Job Will Be Like

The Applied Nuclear Technologies department is seeking an early- to mid-career Nuclear Engineer to support technically challenging work in service of nation's security missions. In this role, you will contribute to the development, execution, and analysis of experiments focused on radiation effects in materials and electronics.

You will work as part of a multidisciplinary team supporting mission-driven programs and will be expected to contribute across a range of activities, including hands-on experimental work, modeling and simulation, numerical data analysis, and technical and Work Planning and Control (WP&C) documentation. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated engineer or scientist who is excited to contribute to demanding experiments and take ownership and grow into a leadership role.

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

• Support the planning, setup, execution, and post-test analysis of radiation effects experiments.
• Apply knowledge of radiation interactions with materials to interpret results and support the design of experiments.
• Work with a team to use MCNP and related computational tools to enhance understanding of experiments.
• Process, analyze, and visualize experimental or simulation data using Python, MATLAB, or similar technical tools.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, and other documentation that clearly communicate methods, results, and recommendations.
• Work closely with scientists, engineers, and technologists in a collaborative team environment.
• Contribute to both hands-on laboratory/test activities and office-based work.

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

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

• A 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.
• The ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-clearance

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D S&E Nuclear Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Nuclear Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g. independent project, thesis, or dissertation)
• Operational experience with radiological and/or nuclear facilities
• Experience performing radiation transport modeling
• Knowledge of criticality safety and criticality analysis
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams

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

• Experience or background in radiation interactions with materials.
• Experience supporting or conducting experimental work, including test execution, data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Experience using Python, MATLAB, or similar tools for numerical data processing, analysis, and visualization.
• Ability and interest to work in a role that combines hands-on experimental activities with office-based modeling, planning, analysis, and reporting.
• Demonstrated self-motivation, strong work ethic, and ability to take initiative in a technically demanding environment.
• Familiarity with MCNP for radiation transport or related nuclear engineering analyses.
• Experience in nuclear engineering, radiation effects, experimental science, or related technical work.
• Experience helping lead or coordinate experimental activities, test campaigns, or technical tasks.
• Experience applying computational modeling to support experimental design or interpret results.
• Familiarity with radiation effects testing, detector systems, dosimetry, or nuclear measurements.
• Experience with uncertainty analysis, statistical methods, or validation of simulation results against data.
• Demonstrated interest in applying technical skills to national security missions.

About Our Team

As a part of the Radiation & Electrical Sciences Center, the Applied Nuclear Technologies Department (org. 1314) explores, develops, and applies physics and engineering principles to many areas of nuclear and electrical engineering. The Department is responsible for the Device Physics, Energetic Neutrons, Transient Neutrons and High-G portion of the Sandia's Weapon Survivability (WS) Program. Our group conducts high fidelity radiation effects experiments on semiconductor devices and materials at facilities such as the Annular Core Research Reactor, the National Ignition Facility, and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics in support of national security missions. We collaborate with the Nuclear Facilities Operations and the Radiation Modeling and Metrology departments at Sandia to 1) tailor and characterize appropriate testing environments in the TA-V nuclear facilities to meet customer needs and 2) design and conduct nuclear criticality experiments in the Sandia Critical Experiments (SCX) Facility for the NNSA DOE Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) and develop and deliver Hands-on training with critical experiments for the NCSP. We operate and maintain a semiconductor devices laboratory which uses a variety of semiconductor defect characterization techniques to analyze native defects and radiation-induced defects in semiconductor devices and to understand the damage mechanisms in devices exposed to radiation. This team is part of the Radiation, Electrical and High Energy Density Science (REHEDS) Research Foundation at Sandia.

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.