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Early Career R&D Systems Engineer - Mk21 Fuze Systems Engineering, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories
$121,900 - $237,800
401(k), relocation assistance
United States, California, Livermore
Mar 17, 2026
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Job ID
697261
Location
Livermore, CA
Full/Part Time
Full-Time
Regular/Temporary
Regular
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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

The Mk21 Fuze Mod Systems Engineering team is seeking an R&D Systems Engineer with background in Mechanical, Electrical, or Systems Engineering to join our multidisciplinary team. The ideal candidate will contribute to new projects and ongoing operations across a portfolio of work critical to maintain a safe and reliable deterrent for our nation. The job will require the ability to balance a variety of roles and responsibilities as the program enters a critical period in ramping up to full-scale production of the Arming and Fuzing Assemblies (AFA), executing sustainment activities and design qualification activities on the Sentinel program. The Mk21 Fuze Mod Systems Engineering team includes frequent collaboration with external partners, including staff and leadership from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the United States Air Force (USAF), and Kansas National Security Campus (KCNSC).

A successful candidate will have experience that enables them to quickly develop a fundamental understanding of an actively fielded system and leverage that expertise to lead multidisciplinary teams to plan and execute qualification, maintenance, assessment, and sustainment projects that provide high value to the mission. This role offers opportunities to demonstrate leadership that can support ongoing career development and personal advancement at Sandia.

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

  • Lead activities that support the Stockpile Assessment of the system, including flight testing, laboratory testing, and component testing.
  • Collaborate with Science & Technology experts to plan, execute, and analyze data from advanced experiments, modeling, and simulation.
  • Define requirements and develop, build, and test hardware and software for Sentinel/Mk21 Fuze ground and flight test integration activities.
  • Conduct system test planning, execution, and analysis for environmental, functional, and safety evaluations.
  • Develop and present materials for design reviews, sponsor, and customer meetings.
  • Provide technical consultancy on critical design elements.
  • Represent Sandia on internal and external multi-organizational project teams.
  • Employ analytical thinking to navigate ambiguous problems with a multidisciplinary team.
  • Conduct trade studies and make key decisions based on performance data, cost, and schedule constraints.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite 100% of the time.

This position requires occasional travel to support the mission (approximately 3-5 trips per year).

Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories.

Salary Range

$121,900 - $237,800

*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

  • 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 clearance.
Qualifications We Desire

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

  • 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:

  • Proven ability to work well in a team environment and collaborate with internal organizations and external production facilities and suppliers
  • Experience working on engineering design, qualification, production, or related modeling/simulation projects
  • Familiarity with development of specifications for components and systems
  • Knowledge and/or experience of system engineering concepts and principles
  • Active U.S. DOE Q-level security clearance
About Our Team

The Mk21 Fuze Systems Engineering department is responsible for providing a replacement fuze for the Mk21 Reentry Vehicle. The Mk21 Fuze Systems provides overall program management authority for the USAF funded Strategic Partnership Program and serves as the primary interface to the USAF customer. The systems team is comprised of a multidisciplinary set of engineers and program managers who work closely with organizations within Sandia, the National Security Enterprise, and the USAF.

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

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.

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.

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