Sandia National Laboratories

Senior/Principal Solutions Architect - Advanced Solutions, Hybrid

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

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or related field, plus 5 years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.

Responsibilities

  • Own and communicate solution priorities, milestones, and roadmap direction.
  • Translate customer and mission needs into actionable backlog items.
  • Work with technical staff to shape requirements, clarify scope, and validate estimates.
  • Balance operational/maintenance work with funded development efforts.
  • Support quarterly planning and annual roadmap development.
  • Track dependencies, risks, and plan changes, and communicate them clearly to stakeholders.
  • Partner with the Scrum Master and manager to support team health, collaboration, and accountability.

Benefits

  • Hybrid work schedule combining onsite and remote work.
  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative environment focused on mission-critical programs.
  • Engagement in continuous improvement and team development activities.
Full Job Description
What Your Job Will Be Like

We are looking for a Solutions Architect to support our agile team as the Product Owner, working with customers, technical leads, the Scrum Master, financial analysts, and management to translate mission needs into realistic delivery plans. In this role, you will help ensure the team is focused on the right problems, maintains a healthy backlog, and delivers value across both planned development and operational or maintenance work.

You will be responsible for shaping solution direction, refining requirements, and helping the team uncover scope, dependencies, risks, and tradeoffs. This role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking and day-to-day execution, with regular involvement in planning, backlog management, stakeholder communication, and support for team health and compliance readiness.

On any given day, you may be called on to:
  • Own and communicate solution priorities, milestones, and roadmap direction.
  • Translate customer and mission needs into actionable backlog items.
  • Work with technical staff to shape requirements, clarify scope, and validate estimates.
  • Balance operational/maintenance work with funded development efforts.
  • Support quarterly planning and annual roadmap development.
  • Track dependencies, risks, and plan changes, and communicate them clearly to stakeholders.
  • Partner with the Scrum Master and manager to support team health, collaboration, and accountability.
  • Help prepare for audit and compliance activities through documentation, traceability, and process rigor.
  • Work with financial analysts and leadership to align delivery plans with funding realities.
  • Contribute to performance awareness, staff growth, and stretch opportunities through regular engagement with team members.
  • This is a role for someone who can think critically, communicate clearly, and help the team stay grounded in what is realistic, valuable, and mission-aligned.

*The selected applicant will work a hybrid schedule, combining onsite and remote work. They must reside within a reasonable commute distance to the assigned work location and be available to work onsite at least three days per week.

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

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Management Information Systems, or related field, plus 5 years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience (AS + 9 years or no degree + 13 years).
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance.


Qualifications We Desire

  • Experience in product ownership, business analysis, delivery leadership, or a similar role.
  • Strong stakeholder communication and facilitation skills.
  • Ability to prioritize competing demands and manage scope effectively.
  • Experience working with technical teams to shape requirements and commitments.
  • Comfort with planning, dependency tracking, and status communication.
  • Ability to navigate ambiguity and make sound judgment calls.
  • Strong organizational skills and consistent follow-through.
  • Experience balancing operational support and development work.
  • Experience participating in quarterly planning or annual roadmap development.
  • Experience in scaled agile, enterprise agile, or similar delivery environments.
  • Familiarity with regulated, controlled, or safety-related software environments.
  • Experience supporting audit preparation, compliance documentation, or release controls.
  • Experience working with financial analysts, funding constraints, or program planning.
  • Experience supporting team development, coaching, or performance discussions.
  • Ability to build trust, manage tension, and support healthy team dynamics.
  • Experience evaluating technical tradeoffs, solution options, or end-to-end system impacts.
  • Familiarity with integration, release, or operational readiness concerns.
  • Ability to work across multiple systems or applications.


About Our Team

The Science and Engineering Information Systems (SEIS) organization is a highly integrated team of departments focused on delivering software and system solutions that support Sandia's and the broader Nuclear Security Enterprise's mission-critical programs. Within this organization, our teams work in a collaborative environment where delivery, technical rigor, and mission alignment all matter.

Our work spans both operational support and new development efforts, and we partner closely with customers, technical staff, and program leadership to deliver capabilities that are useful, sustainable, and ready for real-world use. We value clear communication, thoughtful planning, and a team culture built on reliability, learning, and continuous improvement.

As part of this environment, the Solutions Architect plays a key role in helping the team stay focused on the right work, maintaining alignment across stakeholders, and ensuring that delivery plans are realistic and well supported. The role also contributes to team health, compliance readiness, and ongoing improvement of how we work.

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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