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Cleared Senior/Principal Aeronautical Engineer, NG&C - Onsite

Sandia National Labs

Sandia National Labs

Albuquerque, NM, USA
Posted on Mar 14, 2025

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 an experienced R&D S&E, Aeronautical Engineer. Are you passionate about your work and dream of using innovative facilities to explore solutions? Would you like to join a dynamic team that solves significant issues for our nation's security? If your interests align with research and development of simulation and algorithms for hardware system applications, Sandia highly encourages you to explore this opportunity within Sandia's Navigation, Guidance & Control (NG&C) Department! We are actively seeking a motivated R&D Engineer to support the development of advanced navigation, guidance, control, and autonomous technologies for R&D Defensive military systems within the Integrated Military Systems Program.

On any given day, one may be called upon to:

  • Lead navigation, guidance, and control subsystem design activities for aerospace applications relating to prototype rocket, missile, and hypersonic flight test vehicle demonstrations

  • Apply modeling/simulations, algorithms, and autonomy technologies to aerospace applications relating to prototype rocket, missile, and hypersonic flight test vehicle demonstrations

  • Develop and apply control theory to experimental flight systems using classical control, modern control, and robust control techniques

  • Verify designs through simulation and laboratory testing to ensure they meet requirements

  • Support remote flight test operations

  • Have excellent communication and organizational skills to provide mentorship to others

  • Support project and Lab Directed R&D proposals

    Due to the nature of the role, this candidate must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range:

$114,000 - $227,500

*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 degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering, plus 5 years of relevant experience.

  • Experience with Modeling/Simulation, Navigation Technologies, Guidance Technologies, or Control Technologies for aerospace applications such as rocket, missile, hypersonic, and spacecraft systems.

  • Expertise with MATLAB and Simulink.

  • Experiene in aerodynamics.

  • Active DOE Q-level or other equivalent active security clearance such as DOD Top Secret.

Qualifications We Desire:

  • PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace/Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Science, Mathematics, or STEM FIeld

  • A proven track record leading research

  • Strong writing and oratory skills with supporting Journal articles or Conference Proceedings

  • The ability to work effectively on multi-disciplinary project teams

  • Familiarity with 3 DOF and 6-DOF trajectory simulations.

  • A strong background in dynamical systems theory and related modeling and simulation experience

  • Basic computer programming skills (e.g. c/c++, C#, java, python, etc.)

  • Applications experience with industry standard Government Off the Shelf (GOTS) and commercial software commodities, such as TAOS, GMAT, ModelCenter, SIMDIS, Zuken E3, SolidWorks, and Systems Tool Kit

About Our Team:

The Navigation, Guidance, and Control II Department (05446) envision, prototype, and demonstrate research and development (R&D) of Navigation Guidance & Control (NG&C) technologies to advance military systems capabilities for defensive system applications. The Department conducts basic research to gain more complete knowledge/understanding of the fundamental aspects of phenomena related to NG&C technologies, applied research to gain knowledge/understanding necessary for determining how a NG&C need may be met, and experimental development for systematic use of the knowledge/understanding gained from NG&C research for design and development of prototype systems. The Department technical staff are a diverse and multidisciplinary team of S&E Project Manager(s), Aeronautical Engineer(s), Control Engineer(s), Computer Engineer(s), and Electrical Engineer(s) with advanced engineering degrees. The Team’s core capabilities are algorithm development

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) 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.

Job ID: 695292

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F