Cleared Distinguished/Senior Scientist, R&D Systems Engineer - W87-1 Program Chief Engineer, 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 a Program Chief Engineer (PCE) for the W87-1 to serve as the senior technical leader for a highly visible, mission-critical modernization program. In this role, you will report to the Center 2300 Director and partner with senior managers, managers, and staff as the Sandia technical lead integrating all aspects of the program, providing enterprise-level technical leadership and authoritative guidance across multiple disciplines and organizations

As the W87-1 PCE, you will shape technical direction for the program by leading system integration, design optimization, qualification strategy, anomaly resolution, and complex technical trades across the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE). Supported by a strong team of discipline-specific technical leaders, you will apply broad engineering judgment to resolve ambiguous, high-consequence issues, drive technically sound and risk-informed decisions, and ensure the program maintains a robust, defensible design and qualification basis.

This role requires a recognized technical leader who can align diverse stakeholders, influence technical direction across Sandia and the NSE, and provide clear, authoritative perspectives on the issues most critical to mission success. You will help strengthen program execution and long-term technical resilience through innovation, integration, disciplined technical review, and setting an example of commitment to program execution.

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

• Partner with other PCEs and Domain Chief Engineers (DCEs) to ensure consistency and excellence in technical deliverables, maintain timely and responsive technical decisions, and influence technical direction across Sandia and the NSE.
• Provide authoritative technical leadership for the W87-1 system, supported by the W87-1 Core Team, by defining and evaluating technical approaches that guide system decisions within program constraints.
• Evaluate and disposition technical change requests using sound engineering judgment and consideration of technical risk, cost, schedule, and mission impact.
• Lead system integration, design optimization, and development of design themes, with emphasis on innovative approaches that improve technical performance and long-term mission capability. Systems integration will include engaging production agencies to create product realization solutions that maintain design intent and are supported by solid technical basis.
• Establish and maintain a defensible qualification basis by integrating modeling, simulation, testing, and other technical evidence to resolve complex multidisciplinary questions.
• Communicate key technical concerns, risks, and alternative technical paths to Sandia executive leadership to support enterprise-level decision-making, ensuring that critical issues such as inadequate technical definition, unclear or TBD requirements, and single-point technical failures are fully understood.
• Assure technical rigor and documentation quality for system-level product realization documents, including signature approval on key system-level paperwork such as CD, ME, BB, PQ, RQs, and NS, while contributing to technical standards, practices, and lessons learned that benefit future efforts.
• Act as SNL lead for technical integration and optimization with LLNL, including advisement and technical authority for system interface documentation such as IDs and external ICDs, ensuring consistency across technical domains and partner organizations.
• Represent Sandia technical equities within the POG and provide technical briefings as needed to do so. Provide technical coordination and engagement with POG, POG subteams, and the NNSA Project Team in coordination with program senior managers, while contributing to cross-program technical alignment.
• Serve as the lead interface for major peer and technical reviews across the program, partnering with DCEs to identify appropriate review areas, execute and document the program's peer review plan, and use outcomes to advance technical understanding and inform future strategy.
• Identify and mentor next-generation technical leaders in system integration to strengthen institutional capability.
• Engage in the review and support of other ND system integration activities, as needed, in coordination with the 2300 Director and Chief Engineer Network.
• Champion digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, and advanced manufacturing initiatives, including development and insertion of innovative methods that improve technical decision-making and future program execution within program constraints.
• Lead cybersecurity implementation and assurance, including rigor in technical data packages with DoD, aligned with DoD and NNSA requirements to ensure technical solutions are robust, integrated, and sustainable across the system lifecycle.
• Provide technical briefings to internal and external stakeholders, including NDEAB, the Lab Director, Congressional staff, and DoD, representing Sandia as a recognized technical expert in complex modernization.

The selected candidate will lead teams staffed by the W87-1 management team and oversee execution of the program's system design architecture, stewardship of the Material Requirements Schedule (MRS), and leadership of the Systems Core team.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. This position also requires travel between locations approximately 25% of the time.

Salary Range

$163,700 - $278,000

*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

• Master's or PhD in a relevant STEM discipline and 10 or more years of relevant ND experience.
• Direct technical experience in modernization programs for nuclear weapons systems, subsystems, surveillance, production, and/or components.
• Active DOE Q clearance or equivalent with the ability to obtain additional clearances as required.
• For consideration for this position, applicants must submit a minimum of three and a maximum of five letters of recommendation. These letters must address the applicant's demonstrated knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) as performed at the Senior Engineer level.

Qualifications We Desire

• A broad and established network within Sandia's ND weapons product realization and science and technology communities.
• Broad understanding of the Sandia ND mission and Sandia's interfaces and responsibilities within the NNSA and the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE), particularly LLNL, KCNSC, and PX.
• Direct experience in system-level technical leadership of modernization programs across multiple lifecycle phases.
• Experience conceiving, developing, and leading cross-organizational technical programs, projects, and teams.
• Prior or existing working relationships with NNSA and with DoD elements supporting modernization programs.
• Experience leading system integration efforts, resolving complex multidisciplinary technical issues, and making risk-informed technical trade decisions within programmatic constraints.
• Experience establishing or evaluating qualification strategies and balanced technical bases using modeling, simulation, testing, and other technical evidence.
• Experience with digital engineering, model-based systems engineering, and/or advanced manufacturing approaches.
• Experience leading or contributing to major technical or peer review activities.
• Outstanding organizational and briefing skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences including senior customers, external partners, and SNL executive leadership.

About Our Team

The ND Weapon System Modernization Center performs systems engineering and leadership for the modernization of multiple nuclear weapon systems. Focus of the center is on product realization beginning in Phase 2/6.2, through full scale engineering, pre-production, and transition into full scale production (Phase 6/6.6). In all phases, assuring the safety, security, and reliability of weapons throughout their anticipated life cycle and the development of the supporting technical basis are an essential part of Center activities.

In partnership with Centers 8200 and 2200, the center leads the Laboratories efforts to develop integrated engineering solutions to maintain weapon system required military effectiveness and reliability while seeking improvements in safety and security where possible within programmatic constraints. The current focus of this organization is to deliver on time and within budget the W87-1 and W93.

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

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.