Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer - Special Programs, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories

Livermore, USA

Job posting number: #7335483 (Ref:Sa697718)

Posted: May 13, 2026

Job Description

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:

Are you passionate about solving complex national security challenges? Consider joining our high-performing, multidisciplinary team by leveraging state-of-the-art facilities to develop and deliver advanced mission capabilities. We seek mission-focused individuals who can identify the key technical characteristics that drive system performance and mission impact, and who are committed to rigorous design, testing, integration, and implementation. The ideal candidate values precision, technical excellence, and meaningful behind-the-scenes contributions to critical sponsor missions.

The Special Programs department is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Systems Engineer (R&D S&E, Systems Engineering) to develop high-impact and high-consequence national security capabilities improving the nation¿s security. Your work will have direct impact on our warfighters, increase national security, and have tangible results that will continually reinforce your commitment to the team and cultivate your creativity. The work environment is team focused with success contingent on the team working collaboratively on common goals.

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

  • Develop mission supporting tactics, techniques and procedures.
  • Utilize your creativity and technical expertise to drive an idea from concept to operational capability including creation of requirements, cost estimates, schedules, project plans, development, implementation and testing.
  • Lead and collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams including information technology, software development and other technical disciplines to influence the development and meet project requirements
  • Drive requirements and methodology for software testing and improve automated testing capabilities
  • Partner with other project groups to improve and develop collaborations and capabilities which create efficiencies and guide future projects
  • Analyze complex data sets, creating elegant representations of the data to evaluate system performance

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time at the Livermore, CA facility.

The position requires an ability to travel occasionally to support the mission.

Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories.

Salary Range:

$139,900 - $280,600

*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 a Q-level security clearance with SCI

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D S&E Systems 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 National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory, 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:

  • Active DOE Q or SCI level security clearance
  • Background in IT systems, across multiple classifications, used by the USG
  • Experience working with the DoW
  • Strong leadership, delegation, teamwork, negotiation, conflict resolution, and coaching/mentoring skills Experience with architecting IT systems and experience with data processing/analysis
  • Expertise in one or more of the following areas: project management, developing requirements and concepts of operation, performing trade studies, generating technical documentation, leading system design activities, developing and testing prototype systems, overseeing operational activities creating Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), qualifying systems, assessing system reliability and performance, operationally fielding and supporting capabilities, software quality assurance or system testing
  • Experience realizing products and leading teams

About Our Team:

The Special Programs Organization is responsible for developing high-impact and high-consequence national security projects supporting a broad range of US government sponsors. Projects revolve around CONOPS creation, traditional Systems Engineering and development of custom software and IT architectures.

While IT architecture and software development are core capabilities, projects span multiple engineering disciplines and have durations ranging from days to years.

Special Programs¿ success comes from the team¿s ability to create innovative, end-to-end capabilities supporting the most demanding missions. The team works closely with our sponsors to understand their mission and develop solutions based on the sponsors¿ specific needs. Special Programs¿ unique infrastructure, operational mindset along with deep domain and technical experience creates distinct and exceptional capabilities for our sponsors and an exciting and challenging work environment.

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.

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: 697718

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F



All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.


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Job posting number:#7335483 (Ref:Sa697718)
Application Deadline:Open Until Filled
Employer Location:Sandia National Laboratories
Albuquerque,New Mexico
United States
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