What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking a highly skilled R&D S&E, Mechanical Engineer (or Chemical, Physics, Comp Sci) to join our team. As a Mechanical Calibration Engineer at our Primary Standards Laboratory, you will play a crucial role in supporting Sandia in its global security missions. The PSL is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory providing metrology support to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This position requires technical aptitude/knowledge spanning a broad range of measurement areas, systems, methods, and procedures to have an immediate impact on the work at the PSL. The ability to work in a team environment and provide engineering oversight to solve measurement issues is critical.

Daily, the Calibration Engineer will serve as a subject matter expert regarding exacting dimensional metrology, including dimensional calibration equipment, mass calibrations, force calibrations, gaging, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing (GD&T), uncertainty analysis, and calibration methods. The Calibration Engineer must apply sound understanding of the principles of thermal expansion, traceability to the SI, compliance with quality standards such as ISO 17025, material properties, stress, strain, deformation, and theory of operation of dimensional metrology equipment. The Calibration Engineer must be able to prepare and defend reports, analyses, and presentations that are correct and clearly communicated. You will work with your team to develop new/improve existing measurement techniques, data analysis techniques, measurement systems and collaborate to support customers across Sandia's broad national security missions. A key role will be working in a team environment to support other mechanical measurements at PSL and interacting with colleagues across SNL/NNSA in mechanical measurements/calibrations and with colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). All work will be performed in accordance with laboratory procedures, policies, and practices.

On any given day you may be called on to:

• Apply knowledge, experience, and technical aptitude in measurement science related to the physical disciplines of pressure and the related systems, equipment, methods, and procedures.
• Conduct/support research and development of new measurement technologies and techniques related to the lab's capabilities.
• Perform Waiting Quality Approval (WQA) reviews in Maximo, review calibration data and draft certificates to assure they are correct. Approve Calibration Certificates and Reports.
• Participate in Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) quality activities, such as National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) surveys, Proficiency Test (PTs) and Inter-Laboratory Comparisons (ILCs).
• Mentor/coordinate activities of technologists, including technical training and workload management.
• Develop/maintain new measurement systems:
• Improve performance and quality metrics for measurement system capabilities and identify ways to optimize calibration workflows.
• Create new understandings and capabilities by using the scientific method's hypothesis, test, and evaluation techniques.
• Assist customers with their development of Measurement Assurance Plans (MAPs), Tester Qualification, and Approved Calibration Provider (ACPs) processes.
• Work with Quality Assurance on the review and approval of all Designated Calibration Sources (DCSs), Commercial Testing Laboratories (CTLs) and Commercial Calibration Laboratories (CCLs).
• Complete the technical review and Software Quality Approval (SQA) process for COTS packages as well as the development software packages (e.g., spreadsheets, algorithm development, LabView, etc.).

Due to the nature of the work the candidate will be required to work on-site

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.
¿ Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

Qualifications We Desire

The 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:

• Experience applying engineering and/or statistical concepts to solve functional problems with equipment and/or mathematical models.
• Using statistical methods of analysis and/or performing measurement uncertainty analyses.
• Design, manufacturing, inspection, and calibration experience with fixtures and gauges.
• Experience making precision dimensional measurements as well as precision mass and force measurements.
• Automation, control and/or analysis software such as Python, LabVIEW, Beckhoff, Visual Basic, MATLAB, Microsoft Excel and/or Minitab.
• Working in a standards and calibration laboratory and with quality standards such as ISO/IEC 17025, Z540-1, QC-1 or other quality assurance programs.
• Developing processes, technical work documents, and procedures.

About Our Team

Department 2945, Mechanical Calibration, Temperature, and Measurement Assurance is part of the Primary Standards Laboratory that performs a wide variety of niche calibrations (e.g. production gauges and fixtures) in addition to calibrations of various types of dimensional measuring and test equipment (M&TE) along with torque, and mass. Department 2945, maintains a wide variety of measurement expertise and consults on technical problems, calibrates reference standards, and assists in technical guidance of the DOE/NNSA Nuclear Weapons Complex contractor standards laboratories. The overall calibration program is accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 by the NIST National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP).

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.