Sandia National Laboratories

Senior/Principal Avionics Embedded Systems Electrical Engineer, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories$117K — $235K *
Aerospace & Defense
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in relevant discipline and 5+ years of experience, or equivalent education and engineering experience.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain DOE Q level security clearance.
  • Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or related field is preferred.
  • Experience in embedded systems design for 5+ years.
  • Familiarity with MPSoC hardware architectures and peripheral interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, etc.).

Responsibilities

  • Analyze electrical requirements from component datasheets to create embedded system specifications.
  • Design and implement low-latency embedded firmware and software.
  • Collaborate with hardware engineers to define system requirements.
  • Develop and manage real-time embedded software using C/C++ in RTOS environments.
  • Lead design reviews and mentor junior engineers on embedded design best practices.
  • Troubleshoot hardware/software integration issues using debugging tools.
  • Stay updated with the latest technologies and industry trends.

Benefits

  • Professional growth and development opportunities.
  • Collaborative and supportive work environment.
Full Job Description
What Your Job Will Be Like

Ready to join a dynamic & diversely skilled team that solves significant issues for our nation's security? Are you passionate about advanced embedded computer systems, software, firmware, or testing of systems to ensure integrity of electronic components in support of our National Defense and security? If so, we invite you to explore this opportunity to join our impactful team and make a difference.

Department 5325, Flight Systems and Avionics is seeking a motivated, detail oriented, and creative Embedded Systems Engineer to join our dynamic engineering team. The position is ideal for individuals eager to design, develop, and create advanced electronic systems. You will work under the guidance of experienced engineers, contributing to the creation of innovative solutions while ensuring compliance with industry standards and safety regulations. The ideal candidate will possess a strong foundation in computer or electrical engineering principles, excellent problem-solving skills, and a passion for technology. The position offers an excellent opportunity for professional growth and development in a collaborative and supportive environment.

Key Responsibilities:
  • Analyze and extract functional and electrical requirements from component datasheets (e.g., sensors, FPGA/ MPSoC, communication ICs) to develop comprehensive embedded system specifications.
  • Design and implement embedded firmware and software optimized for low-latency operation to meet timing constraints.
  • Collaborate with electronic hardware engineers to define system hardware requirements.
  • Develop and maintain real-time embedded software using C/C++ and RTOS environments).
  • Lead design reviews and mentor junior engineers on best practices for embedded system design, latency optimization, and hardware interfacing. Document all software design decisions, requirements traceability, and test results in compliance with industry standards.
  • Troubleshoot complex hardware/software integration issues using debugging tools such as JTAG debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers.
  • Staying updated with the latest technologies, tools, and industry trends to enhance skills and knowledge.

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 plus a minimum of 5 years of 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.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q level security clearance.


Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D Electrical Engineering candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
  • Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a highly related field.
  • Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
  • Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
  • A minimum of 5 or more years of experience in embedded systems design.
  • Experience working with MPSoC hardware architectures and peripheral interfaces (SPI, I2C, UART, RS-422, Ethernet, or Highspeed backplane topologies).
  • Proficient with embedded software development tools for FPGA/SoC processor architectures: IDEs, compilers, version control (Git), and debugging hardware, operating system device tree configuration.
  • Demonstrated experience with SoC integration across the Processing System (PS) and Programmable Logic System (PL). Experience with Operating systems, and real-time debugging techniques.
  • Experience in latency-sensitive embedded software design, including interrupt-driven programming, DMA, and real-time scheduling.


About Our Team

The Flight Systems and Avionics (5325) Department developments and delivers innovative advanced avionic flight components and systems in support of critical programs at Sandia National Labs. These avionics systems target multiple applications that include computing solutions for Vehicle Navigation, Pointing, Control, Hardware in the loop testing, Specialized Radars and Hypersonic systems. Our department specializes in reconfigurable modular digital signal processing systems utilizing state-of-the-art electronics, FPGA technology and general-purpose microprocessors.

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.

About Sandia National Laboratories

The Sandia National Laboratories is one of three National Nuclear Security Administration research and development laboratories in the United States, managed and operated privately by the National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia. Their primary mission is to develop, engineer, and test the non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons and high technology. Headquartered on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it also has a campus in Livermore, California, next to Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and a test facility in Waimea, Kauai, Hawaii. It is Sandia's mission to maintain the reliability and surety of nuclear weapon systems, conduct research and development in arms control and nonproliferation technologies, and investigate methods for the disposal of the United States' nuclear weapons program's hazardous waste. Other missions include research and development in energy and environmental programs, as well as the surety of critical national infrastructures. In addition, Sandia is home to a wide variety of research including computational biology, mathematics, materials science, alternative energy, psychology, MEMS, and cognitive science initiatives. Sandia formerly hosted ASCI Red, one of the world's fastest supercomputers until its decommission in 2006, and now hosts ASCI Red Storm, originally known as Thor's Hammer. Sandia is also home to the Z Machine. The Z Machine is the largest X-ray generator in the world and is designed to test materials in conditions of extreme temperature and pressure. It is operated by Sandia National Laboratories to gather data to aid in computer modeling of nuclear weapons. In December 2016, it was announced that National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia, under the direction of Honeywell International, would take over the management of Sandia National Laboratories starting on May 1, 2017. Educational opportunities are conducted in collaboration with university students through several programs, including the Securing Top Academic Research & Talent at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Program and the Sandia University Partnerships Network.
Learn more about Sandia National Laboratories
Industry
Founded
1948

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