What Your Job Will Be LikeSandia National Laboratories is seeking an experienced R&D Systems Engineer to join the Code Management System (CMS) team. CMS is used by the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) to manage Permissive Action Link (PAL) codes and keys and to support critical nuclear weapon operations (e.g., recode/rekey, Limited Life Component Exchange (LLCE), training, deployment readiness, and assembly/disassembly). The system helps ensure authorized use and prevents unauthorized use of air-delivered weapons.
In this role, you'll work across the full systems engineering lifecycle, with an initial emphasis on requirements engineering, CONOPS development, and system design. You'll also help shape the strategic direction of the program, building a vision and a practical roadmap to deliver it.
On any given day, you may:
- Elicit, define, decompose, allocate, trace, and manage system and component requirements
- Apply core systems engineering principles to deliver mission-driven outcomes
- Partner closely with domain experts and fellow systems engineers
- Identify, document, and elevate risks and issues that could impact mission execution
- Balance multiple priorities and adapt quickly as technical and program needs evolve
- Build and communicate a roadmap aligned to a long-term strategic vision
- Integrate Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) approaches and tools into day-to-day engineering
- Operate effectively both independently and in a collaborative team environment across multiple sites
This position will requires occasional travel to support the mission.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time.
Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories.
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.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.
Qualifications We DesireThe ideal R&D S&E Systems Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories 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 (LANL), 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 2+ years of experience in the following areas:
- Requirements development and management (elicitation through verification/traceability).
- System architecture, design, and development.
- MBSE methods and practical tool use (e.g., MagicDraw/Cameo or similar).
- Experience with the 6.x process.
- Strategic planning: defining a vision and building a roadmap to achieve it.
- Ability to learn new tools/processes quickly and execute within defined engineering frameworks.
- Leadership experience guiding junior staff, influencing senior technical staff, and engaging management.
- Track record of leading systems engineering activities within a technical domain.
About Our TeamYou'll contribute to a mission of national importance while working with highly skilled teams tackling complex, high-consequence engineering challenges. This position is well-suited for a systems engineer who enjoys turning ambiguity into clear requirements, building architectures that endure, and shaping a strategic direction that delivers real operational value.
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.
