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Sandia National Laboratories · 18 hours ago

Cleared Senior/Principal Systems Engineer - Nuclear Safety Assessment, Onsite

Albuquerque, NM

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$114K/yr - $228K/yr

5+ years exp

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. They are seeking a dedicated R&D Systems Engineer with nuclear weapons experience to conduct thorough analyses of component responses under various environments, ensuring systems uphold the highest standards of safety and reliability. The role involves preparing technical reports and presentations to communicate findings effectively to a diverse audience.

GovernmentInformation TechnologyNational Security

Growth Opportunities

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

U.S. Citizen Only

Responsibilities

Independently review detailed technical documents and identify salient issues related to nuclear safety

Engage with weapon system, component design, assurance, and other surety organizations

Maintain awareness of issues related to design, development, production, maintenance, and dismantlement of weapon systems

Assess tests, materials, and components for adequacy against requirements

Evaluate procedures, product specifications, and standards for compliance

Lead independent safety assessments of nuclear weapon systems and components, analyzing responses under thermal, shock, vibration, and EMI/EMC environments

Define problem scope and requirements, develop technical approaches, and apply quantitative and qualitative methods (e.g., fault-tree, FMEA, margin quantification)

Design experiments or simulations to evaluate safety-critical subsystems, collaborating with system and test engineers to verify requirements

Develop analytical frameworks and digital models to support risk-informed decisions

Mentor junior engineers in safety-analysis techniques and review their deliverables for technical accuracy

Communicate findings in technical reports and executive-level briefs that directly inform leadership decisions and stockpile assessment reviews

Qualification

Nuclear weapons experienceSafety-analysis methodsSystems engineeringTechnical writingGraduate degree in EngineeringReliability engineeringLeadership experienceVerbal communicationTeam collaboration

Required

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

An active DOE Q clearance, or equivalent is required to start

Preferred

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

High proficiency in foundational science and engineering principles, including safety-analysis methods such as fault-tree analysis, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA), and margin quantification

Experience with systems engineering for nuclear or high-consequence weapons systems, including applying system-of-systems thinking to ensure end-to-end functionality

Proven ability to lead complex technical projects on schedule, mentor team members, and deliver high-quality products, with demonstrated leadership experience as a project manager, technical lead, principal investigator, or similar role

Understanding of nuclear surety and reliability requirements, including familiarity with nuclear weapon safety standards, related DOE orders, and the SNL nuclear weapon product realization process

Background in reliability engineering or advanced margin-quantification frameworks

Excellent technical writing and executive presentation skills

Proven ability to work on challenging engineering problems in a fast-paced, collaborative team environment requiring extensive cross-organizational teamwork