Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer - Advanced Space Systems, Onsite

About Sandia:

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co-workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

We are seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to join our Advanced Space Systems team. The selected applicant will fill a key role in the design, development, qualification, and delivery of the next generation satellite payload supporting the United States Nuclear Detonation (NUDET) Detection System (USNDS).

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Build trust-based relationships and partner with internal and external organizations
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of engineers and domain specialists in the successful resolution of system related issues
• Use systems engineering principles to identify and lead resolution to system level problems
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to derive requirements
• Provide critical review of designs, concepts, verification approaches, and verification data
• Occasional travel may be required for this position.

Due to the nature of work, successful candidate must be able 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 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 both a DOE Q clearance and an SCI clearance, which may require a polygraph test

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D S&E Electrical 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 Laboratory (LLNL) 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 the following experience:

• Proficiency with formal Systems Engineering process with a focus on architecture definition and requirement flow down phases
• Self-motivated, positive, individual comfortable working in a diverse, fast-paced, results oriented environment
• Proven experience with realization and delivery of high rigor designs
• Demonstrated ability to use critical thinking and engineering principles when making technical decisions
• Experience within the Aerospace industry and Space systems
• Experience working with RF Systems and principles such as channel modeling, link budgets, filtering, etc.
• Experience working in high security environments
• Active DOE Q clearance or active DOE L security clearance with ability to obtain a DOE Q clearance
• Active SCI clearance

About Our Team:

Our team provides research and development (R&D), systems engineering, project management, and payload development articles for the United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System (Burst Detector Analysis payload) and to a variety of DOE and government sponsors. Once a payload is designed and delivered, it is typical for the organization to maintain cradle-to-grave involvement throughout the life of the payload. The organization uses TRL 1 through 9 technologies to provide the sponsor(s) with a complete integrated systems solution on the deliverables. This includes conducting R&D, transitioning R&D into the application, and fielding complete payloads. The department also works closely with ground systems to ensure that data needs are met

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:

Sandia is required by DOE 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 obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance and SCI access, both of which require US citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access 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 the 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: 696845

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F

Client-provided location(s): Albuquerque, NM

Job ID: Departmend_Of_Energy_-_Sandia_National_Laboratories_FGB-696845

Employment Type: OTHER

Posted: 2026-01-31T18:40:26