Cleared Senior/Principal R&D Systems Engineer - International Nuclear Safeguards, Onsite

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated Systems Engineer with a passion for applying an interdisciplinary mindset to solve complex issues of importance to national and global security. This role offers growth and leadership opportunities as an integral part of delivering Sandia's missions in international nuclear safeguards.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Sandia's technical and programmatic interface with assigned NA-241 portfolio manager(s), including coordinating deliverables, tracking milestones, and communicating Sandia's technical progress, outcomes, and mission impact.
• Lead portfolio planning activities across Sandia: shaping scope, integrating capabilities, aligning staffing, and managing cross-project dependencies to meet sponsor commitments.
• Represent Sandia at NA-241 portfolio reviews, interagency working groups, and relevant domestic/international forums (including engagements with international counterparts as appropriate).
• Identify, shape, and pursue new work aligned with NA-241 portfolio priorities and Sandia safeguards capabilities; contribute to and/or lead proposal development as PI or key contributor.
• Apply systems engineering practices appropriate to the work (e.g., requirements development, interface management, trade studies, risk management, verification/validation planning, and integration) across projects spanning software, hardware, sensing, modeling, analytics, and operational workflows.
• Analyze safety, security, and safeguards (3S) implications of facilities and activities across the nuclear fuel cycle (including advanced reactors, associated fuel cycles, and geological repositories as applicable).
• Analyze and document proliferation pathways/risks and material throughput for nuclear fuel cycle technologies and activities.
• Develop, document, and validate methods and approaches that strengthen international safeguards implementation and effectiveness/efficiency.
• Lead and collaborate on projects across the full range of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), including problem formulation, experimental design, data collection/analysis, peer review, and technology transition.
• Maintain and grow a funded portfolio by identifying opportunities, cultivating sponsor relationships, leading/co-leading proposals, and ensuring high-quality execution that enables follow-on work.
• Plan, develop, and deliver technical training, workshops, and stakeholder-facing products for researchers, industry partners, government officials, and international partners as appropriate.
• Write technical reports for government and international sponsors and contribute to peer-reviewed publications.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations to sponsors, international partners, senior leadership, and technical peers, clearly conveying complex findings, project status, and recommendations.

  Requirements

  The ideal R&D S&E Systems Engineering candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

  • 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 Qualifications.
  • 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:

  • Experience serving as a technical and/or programmatic point of contact (POC) for a government-sponsored portfolio, including sponsor coordination, reporting, and deliverable management.
  • International work experience in nuclear safeguards, nonproliferation, or a related field (e.g., IAEA, EURATOM, or equivalent).
  • Experience analyzing elements of the nuclear fuel cycle for 3S concerns; familiarity with U.S. and international concepts/approaches for nuclear material control and accounting.
  • Experience in characterization of nuclear/radiological material across nuclear fuel cycles and/or radiation detection/measurement concepts.
  • Ability to perform radiation transport modeling and/or related modeling & simulation.
  • Familiarity with containment & surveillance (C&S) and continuity of knowledge (CoK), process monitoring, facility-level safeguards approaches, and/or remote monitoring concepts (as relevant to assigned portfolio(s)).
  • Experience in human capital development, training program design, and/or capacity building for safeguards/nonproliferation communities.
  • Experience applying Python-based workflows, analytics, signal processing, and/or ML/AI methods where appropriate.

  Qualifications

  • 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 Qualifications.
  • 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.