What Your Job Will Be LikeWe are seeking an experienced and mission-focused Solutions Architect to lead the Z Machine IT Infrastructure Operations team. This role is central to enabling reliable, secure, and resilient IT and operational technology capabilities for the Z Machine, the world's most powerful and efficient laboratory radiation source, and for the Z Beamlet facility.
In this role, you will provide technical leadership for the architecture, operations, modernization, and cyber assurance of complex computing, networking, virtualization, and data infrastructure supporting high-consequence pulsed power experiments. You will work closely with scientists, engineers, cyber professionals, system administrators, and facility leadership to design and sustain solutions that meet operational needs while aligning with cybersecurity and mission assurance requirements.
This position combines hands-on technical expertise with architectural leadership and cybersecurity assurance responsibilities. The selected candidate will lead the team responsible for daily IT infrastructure operations while also guiding the development, implementation, and maintenance of System Security Plans, security controls, risk documentation, and accreditation activities for the Z Machine and Z Beamlet networks.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
- Lead the Z Machine IT Infrastructure Operations team, including managing work intake and ticket queues, coordinating day-to-day operational support, working with management to prioritize tasks, and ensuring reliable delivery of IT services for Z Machine and Z Beamlet operations.
- Serve as the lead architect for Z Machine and Z Beamlet IT infrastructure solutions, designing and guiding implementation of scalable, secure, resilient, and maintainable systems across compute, storage, virtualization, networking, identity, backup, monitoring, endpoint, and infrastructure management environments.
- Lead or support the development, implementation, and maintenance of cybersecurity System Security Plans (SSP) for the Z Machine and Z Beamlet facility networks, including security control implementation, evidence collection, risk documentation, and remediation planning.
- Partner with engineering, operations, cybersecurity and mission stakeholders to translate customer requirements into secure technical architectures, implementation plans, and operational support models.
- Develop and improve processes for configuration management, patching, vulnerability remediation, monitoring, backup, recovery, lifecycle management, and infrastructure automation using tools such as PowerShell, Python, or configuration management platforms.
- Troubleshoot and resolve complex technical issues impacting Z Machine operations, including urgent operational problems requiring rapid response and cross-disciplinary coordination.
- Develop and maintain technical and cybersecurity documentation, including architecture diagrams, system descriptions, configuration baselines, operating procedures, security documentation, operator aids, and accreditation artifacts.
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 a relevant Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Engineering, or other STEM discipline plus five or more years of directly related experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of the job; or equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of the job.
- Demonstrated experience architecting, administering, or supporting complex enterprise IT infrastructure across operating systems and virtualization platforms.
- Demonstrated experience applying cybersecurity requirements, security control implementation, compliance activities, risk management, and system accreditation processes.
- Proven ability to provide technical leadership by shaping solution approaches, resolving complex operational issues, and coordinating with diverse stakeholders to deliver effective outcomes.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q Security Clearance.
Qualifications We Desire- Proficiency in administering, securing, and troubleshooting Windows desktop/server and Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, including both modern and legacy operating systems.
- Proficiency in deploying, provisioning, and sustaining enterprise virtualization or hyperconverged infrastructure platforms such as Nutanix, VMware ESXi/vSphere, Hyper-V, or equivalent technologies.
- Proficiency in configuring and troubleshooting enterprise network infrastructure, including Cisco routers, switches, firewalls, VLANs, routing protocols, and network segmentation.
- Experience serving in a senior technical role such as solutions architect, systems architect, infrastructure architect, cybersecurity architect, cyber assurance lead, ISSO, ISSE, ISSM, or SCA support.
- Relevant industry certifications in IT service management, enterprise architecture, networking, cloud, or virtualization, such as ITIL, TOGAF, CCNP, CCNA, or platform-specific certifications.
- Industry-recognized cybersecurity certifications such as CISSP, CEH, CISM, GIAC, CCSP, Security+, or equivalent.
- Experience with NIST Risk Management Framework concepts, security control families, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and system authorization processes.
- Experience administering Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS, DHCP, PKI, identity services, or related enterprise infrastructure services.
- Experience scoping, configuring, or administering IT infrastructure such as servers, storage arrays, backup systems, server racks, monitoring tools, and data center technologies.
- Experience with vulnerability scanning, patch management, configuration compliance, endpoint protection, logging, monitoring, or security information and event management tools.
- Experience automating infrastructure or security processes using PowerShell, Python, Ansible, configuration management tools, patch management platforms, containerization, or infrastructure-as-code approaches.
- Familiarity with Sandia IT and Cyber Security policies, standards, and procedures.
- Current DOE or DoD security clearance.
About Our TeamThe Z Data Management & Insights department, org. 1678, provides Information Technology and Operational Technology infrastructure, products, and services for the Z Machine enterprise in the Pulsed Power Sciences center, center 1600. Additionally, the department is tasked with developing and implementing data management strategies for Z facility data, including facilitating the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) solutions using Z data. This work is accomplished through collaborations with operations, engineering, science, and program teams. Solutions address quality, efficiency, safety, and security that are well-aligned to achieving, and enabling, the scientific goals of the programs performing experiments at Z. The department's teams consist of an IT infrastructure operations team, an application solutions team, a Control, Monitor and Data Acquisition (CM/DAS) team, and a web content management team. This team is part of the Radiation, Electrical and High Energy Density Science (REHEDS) Research Foundation at Sandia.
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.
