Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Mechanical Engineer - Explosive Components Product Realization Team Lead, 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.

As an Explosive Component Production Agency (PA) PRT Lead in Department 7452, you will partner with the Design Agency (DA) in Department 7453 to drive the W87-1 Detonator into Full Scale Production. Youll have the opportunity to work alongside the current DA PRT as the product completes its PPI and QE builds, then fully assume responsibilities and achieve the First Production Unit (FPU) milestone and enter Full Scale Mark Quality (MQ) production. You will lead a cross-functional Production PRTintegrating Product, design, Manufacturing, Surety, and Materials engineers, along with Business support and EMSATs Process Engineering and Technologist experts to deliver Mark Quality hardware to the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile and directly impact the mission. This role provides an excellent opportunity to gain experience as a PRT lead alongside an existing strong DA PRT, successfully transition a new product into Production, and pave the way for future Detonator Production, including the W93.

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

• Integrate with and learn from the DA PRTcapturing design intent, process flows, and lessons learnedthen transition into PRT leadership as the W87-1 moves into production.
• Support PPI and QE builds as well as Qualification to achieve QER (Qualification Evaluation Release) and FPU
• Own the PA PRTs end-to-end scope and deliverablesnegotiate requirements and commitments, establish cost and schedule baselines, and lead risk and opportunity management.
• Lead PRT meetings: create agendas, facilitate meetings, drive consensus on roles and ground rules, record decisions and action items, and maintain the project records
• Manage cost, schedule, and resources to deliver subsequent War Reserve (WR) Builds: maintain and status a resource-loaded schedule, track expenditures, partner with production team and PPVS, and negotiate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Prove in production processes in tight coordination with Department 7457s Process Engineering and Technologist teams.
• Apply data-driven problem solving: design experiments, analyze production metrics, perform root-cause and failure analyses, and implement corrective and preventive actions to optimize yield, throughput, and cost.
• Drive lean manufacturing and statistical process control initiatives, leveraging synergies across detonator product lines to elevate quality and efficiency.
• Interface with customers and stakeholders, using Sandia systems (Oracle, SharePoint, Teams, P6, etc.)to align on technical performance, schedule, and deliverables.
• Lead and participate in Program Reviews, Design Reviews, and TRL/MRL evaluations; capture lessons learned and conduct post-mortems to continually refine Sandias explosive Product Realization Process.
• Participate actively in efficient Manufacturing Feasibility and Design (MFD) and Design for Manufacturability (DFM) processes to identify potential production challenges early, support design optimization, and facilitate seamless transition from prototype to scalable manufacturing.
• Manage product definition artifactsgraphic drawings, specifications (PS, SS), and Engineering Authorizations (CER, QER, FCO)and maintain configuration in PRIME/eDPM
• Mentor and develop PRT members and foster high-performance teamwork

Occasional travel may be required.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

$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.

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

The ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories 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:

• PRT Experience: proven track record being a part of or supporting PRTs to deliver ND product
• Leadership & Program Execution: ability to coordinate multidisciplinary teams, facilitate meetings, negotiate scope and deliverables, and drive schedules, budgets/SOWs, and risk/change management from planning through delivery.
• Communication & Collaboration: clear, concise technical writing and presentations; active listening; consensusbuilding; and skill in partnering with diverse stakeholders
• Analytical & ProblemSolving Skills: use of data analysis, rootcause/failuremode techniques, lean methods, and statistical process control to optimize manufacturing performance and quality.
• Technical Product Realization Experience: hands-on involvement with physical components through their lifecycleprototyping and pilot builds, qualification testing and inspection, and delivery of production-quality hardware to specification.
• Documentation & Configuration Control: proficiency interpreting engineering drawings (including GD&T), authoring specifications, and managing configuration records in a system of record (e.g., IMS, eDPM).
• Tool Proficiency: experience with Sandia project systems such as SharePoint, Teams, Oracle, CFRC, P6, SPTS.
• Growth Mindset: eagerness to learn from experienced PRT Leads, adapt to new challenges, and help shape bestinclass product realization processes.
• Bonus: prior work with explosive or energetic componentsor other highreliability product linesto accelerate rampup and technical understanding.

Department 7452, Explosive Component Production, is part of the Explosive Technologies Group (7450) and serves as the Production Agency (PA) for explosive components. Our team is responsible for the production of explosive components that support Life Extension Programs (LEPs), Alterations (ALTs), Legacy systems, and New Systems. We collaborate closely with both external suppliers and internal production floors to ensure the highest quality and efficiency in our operations.

Our team plays a critical role in supporting the Nuclear Deterrence mission by ensuring the safe and efficient production of explosive components. We are dedicated to fostering a culture of safety, collaboration, and innovation, where every team member is valued and empowered to contribute to our mission.

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.

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.

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.