Early Career R&D Mechanical Engineer - Solid Dynamics Experiments, Onsite

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.

We are seeking an R&D Mechanical Engineer to join our team in advancing materials research. In this role, you will participate in the inception, planning, execution, analysis, and dissemination of physical experiments utilizing gas guns and pulsed power drivers.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Model behaviors that reflect Sandia's core values, fostering a positive and productive work environment
• Maintain and nurture relationships with current and potential customers
• Oversee program execution to ensure deliverables meet high-quality standards and customer satisfaction
• Plan, execute, and maintain work planning & control activities and documentation for the programs and the facility
• Help lead a multidisciplinary team of skill technologists to achieve the week's goals
• Help lead daily and weekly and monthly safety and planning meetings
• Periodically debrief management on all programmatic activities, especially those involving conflicts or high visibility
• Represent STAR at conferences and meetings to understand industry trends and showcase STAR's capabilities
• Publish work in peer-reviewed scientific publications or internal technical reports
• Coordinate facility maintenance activities, including propellant and radiological work
• Oversee facility operations to ensure safety and compliance with protocols and procedures
  

Due to the nature of the work, this candidate must be able to work onsite. Relocation provided for those that qualify.

Are You Ready to Tackle Grand Scientific Challenges? Join our team and achieve your ambitions while making a meaningful impact on our nation's security.

$102,400 - $199,700

*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.

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, 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 DOE Q-level security clearance
  

The ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineer will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Experience with mechanical engineering and product realization in the NNSA complex.
• 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:

• Experience working in a scientific laboratory or similar environment
• Demonstrated experience with lab safety practices
• Experience with the inception, planning, execution, analysis, and dissemination of material physics experiments.
• Demonstrated experience in customer / stakeholder interactions
• Demonstrated ability to grow a research program
• Experience with any of the following: shock physics, high pressure physics, or high energy density physics
• Experience with high-speed diagnostic instrumentation such as laser interferometry (VISAR and/or PDV), streak and/or framing cameras, digitizers, x-ray diffraction, pyrometry, flash x-ray generators.
• Experience with data analysis programming tools (Matlab, Python)
• Proven track record of publications and innovation, as evidenced by peer-reviewed journals and presentations at conferences
• Active DOE L or Q clearance
  

Department 1647 is responsible for measuring material properties at low to medium pressures (1-1000 kbar) using a wide array of capabilities. Department 1647 staff perform research on the STAR gas gun facility, the Saturn and Z pulsed power facilities, and the Nevada Test Site. Areas of interest range from fragmentation, properties of porous, energetic, nuclear, and advanced materials, National Missile Defense, and seismic measurements in the emerging threat arena. This department works collaboratively with the Shock and Z-Pinch Physics Department 1646, as well as with many other groups at Sandia and in the Department of Defense.

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.

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, 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.

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.

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.