5400 Director - Integrated Military Systems

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What Your Job Will Be Like:

As the Integrated Military Systems (IMS) Research & Development Director, you will lead Center 5400 and oversee all programmatic aspects of the IMS Program within the National Security Programs (NSP) portfolio. This is one of the most impactful roles at Sandia, offering a dynamic and rewarding experience that allows you to shape the future of national defense through innovative solutions and strategic partnerships.

In this pivotal position, you will play a crucial role in executing multiple flight campaigns that have achieved astonishing success, showcasing Sandia's capabilities as a national leader in defense technology. You will engage with high-level leaders in the Department of Defense, regularly briefing three and four-star generals, and fostering relationships that enhance our strategic impact. Collaborating with fellow NSP Directors and key stakeholders across the Laboratories, you will develop, implement, and monitor strategic visions, plans, and policies that drive success.

Your leadership will be instrumental in fostering partnerships both within and outside the NSP, ensuring that we leverage the best capabilities from across the Laboratories to maximize program value. You will maintain transparency with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) field office and program offices regarding IMS Program activities, while establishing and nurturing effective relationships with IMS Program sponsors and external partners. You will report directly to the NSP Associate Laboratory Director (ALD), playing a crucial role in advancing our mission.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assume line management responsibilities of Center 5400, leading a team of senior managers to foster a culture of trust, collaboration, and accountability
• Drive the IMS Program within the NSP portfolio, navigating a dynamic environment while creatively addressing resource constraints and uncertainties.
• Oversee the Kauai Test Facility, ensuring its operations align with our mission to transform national capabilities.
• Effectively implement the Laboratories Operating System and contribute information as needed to the Sandia National Laboratories Contractor Assurance System.
• Conduct assigned research, development, engineering, fabrication, and testing in a cost-effective manner with timely delivery of high-quality, technically excellent products in full compliance with applicable requirements.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with sponsors, customers, stakeholders, and with local and HQ NNSA officials that effectively address and balance the spheres of influence and authority of these customers and officials.
• Lead capability and portfolio development across multiple business segments, partnering with internal and external customers to define their needs and deliver exceptional results.
• Collaborate with the NSP Program Management Director to ensure that forecasts and performance measurements related to costs, schedules, and scopes are accurately provided and consistently maintained.
• Develop and implement visionary roadmaps and investments to sustain the IMS mission, ensuring Sandia remains at the forefront of national defense innovation.
• Recruit, retain, develop, and supervise the necessary workforce to support the IMS mission.
• Ensure the safe and secure conduct of programs in compliance with laws, regulations, and Environment, Safety, and Health (ES&H) requirements. This involves recruiting a qualified workforce, developing effective policies and tools, and maintaining supportive infrastructure. Employees have the right and responsibility to stop work when unsafe conditions are identified, protecting employees, the public, the environment, and laboratory assets.
• Collaborate with the NSP ALD and fellow Center Directors to steward and develop the division.
• Effectively participate and make contributions to all the Laboratories as required as part of the Laboratory's cadre of Directors.
• Perform other duties as may be specified by the National Security Programs Associate Labs Director.

Salary Range:

$228,700 - $388,800

*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 and master's degree in a relevant STEM discipline.
• Twelve or more years of experience, including eight or more years of managerial experience.
• Active US DOE Q security clearance.
• Either active or the ability to obtain SCI access and additional high security clearances that will require counter-intelligence scope polygraph examinations.

Qualifications We Desire:

Ideally, your background will also include some of the following:

• A doctorate in a relevant STEM discipline.
• Strong technical acumen associated with activities in this program area.
• Senior management-level strategy development.
• The ability to strategically envision and manage a program portfolio to attain Lab-wide objectives.
• Experience and/or extensive knowledge in Nuclear Deterrence product realization.
• Ability to lead the labs in the Nuclear Deterrence (ND) / Strategic Partnership Projects (SPP) Virtuous Cycle.
• Ability to build a shared vision; inspire others to action; set clear direction; establish plans consistent with that direction.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple tasks and changing priorities, mediate conflict, and apply leadership concepts and techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to envision, develop, and deploy innovative solutions to the warfighter.
• Validated ability to develop and sustain customer relationships.
• Demonstrated effective skills in establishing rapport, respect, trust-based relationships, and commitment to excellence in the workforce.
• Demonstrated experience and results in implementing engineered safety principles for high consequence work.
• Experience in working collaboratively with other R&D organizations to build innovative ways toward agile design and production approaches.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with the ability to alter for varying audiences.
• Excellent teamwork capability and the demonstrated ability to be a trusted, encouraging, and effective member of a leadership team.
• Demonstrated leadership experience including management of other managers in executing a diverse work portfolio that spans organizations inside and outside of Sandia, experience at managing capabilities.

About Our Team:

The IMS Program develops SPP with approval by the NNSA Contracting Officer, predominantly with elements of the Department of Defense in a manner that supports Sandia's activities for the NNSA and matches Sandia capabilities to customer and sponsor needs. Currently, the IMS Program's largest customers are the Missile Defense Agency, Navy Strategic Systems Program, Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Directorate, and the Air Force Research Laboratory. As of April 2025, anticipated FY25 IMS Program revenues total to approximately $365M.

As of April 2025, the IMS Center has performed approximately $142M of work, with 75% of that supporting the NSP portfolio, 11% the ND portfolio, and 3% the Global Security (GS) portfolio. The IMS Center exercises and maintains critical Laboratory capabilities in complex systems engineering/integration, aerodynamics, navigation/guidance/control (NG&C), conventional warhead design, rocket system design/integration/launch, missile defense threats/targets, lethality analysis, countermeasure design, directed energy, autonomy, missile engagement analysis, decision analytics, and system-of-systems analysis. The IMS Center performs hazardous operations to conduct its work, including the use of explosives, propellants, high voltage, high-pressure systems, and high-power microwave sources. The IMS Center routinely handles classified information (including SCI and SAP) and government competition-sensitive information. The IMS Center predominately performs its work in Tech Area 4 on Kirtland AFB, but also operates and maintains a remote site (the Kauai Test Facility) located on the Pacific Missile Test Facility in Hawaii and has personnel on temporary and permanent assignments in Kauai, Washington, DC and Huntsville, AL. The IMS Center partners extensively with US Government sponsors and stakeholders, established and emerging defense industrial base partners, and relevant service laboratories, FFRDCs and UARCs.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

Position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q security clearance to start, or equivalent active security clearance with another U.S. government agency (e.g., DOD). Sandia is required by DOE directive to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

Job ID: 695631

Job Family: EX

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F