R&D Systems/Mechanical Engineer - CREST Reactor, 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.

This is an extraordinary opportunity to join our team as a Senior or Principal level Systems Engineer or Mechanical Engineer and provide expertise and oversight for the design and development of the future reactor systems for the CREST (Combined Radiation Environments for Survivability Testing) Project. The goal of the CREST Project is to modernize the Annular Core Research Reactor and its systems through the design and construction of a new purpose-built facility. Together with a short pulse electron beam accelerator, which will also be included in the facility, this new capability will fill a mission gap for research, development, and qualification activities. The CREST Complex will be sited at Tech Area V (TA-V) at Sandia National Laboratories' Albuquerque, NM location.

Sandia has a long history of designing, building, and fielding experimental research reactors, including the Sandia Engineering Reactor (SER), the Annular Core Pulsed Reactor (ACPR), the Sandia Pulsed Reactor (SPR) versions -I, -II, and -III, and the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR). Over the next several years the CREST team will be engaged in the design of the ACRR-II and related capabilities which will allow Sandia to both modernize the current ACRR and expand our support for the U.S. Department of Energy's national security mission.

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

• Collaborate with other CREST reactor design team members and subcontractors in the design and development of new reactor components and systems for CREST, leveraging a variety of computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) tools.
• Employ the systems engineering approach to realize designs from identification of stakeholder needs, through requirements development, final design, fabrication/construction/installation, and system acceptance via verification and validation.
• Collaborate with other CREST Project system engineers to ensure that proper interface definition and requirements are established and maintained.
• Interface with the current ACRR staff to incorporate improvements and enhancements into designs where possible.
• Use engineering principles to research, design, or develop structures, machines, experiments, processes, or prototype systems; to construct or operate the same with full cognizance of their design; or to forecast their behavior under specific operating conditions.
• Independently create or investigate new capabilities by using the scientific method's hypothesis, test, and evaluation techniques; critical review; or similar engineering research and development methods.
• Participate in broader collaborative efforts with other NNSA labs as needed.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required to work onsite. Relocation provided for those that qualify.

$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 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.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoE Q clearance.

The ideal R&D S&E Systems Engineer 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:

• A bachelor's and a master's degree in Mechanical, Nuclear or Electrical Engineering or a closely related STEM field.
• Experience with computer-aided design tools (e.g., SolidWorks, PTC Creo, etc.).
• An understanding of systems engineering principles, to include requirements development, interpretation, and interface control/management in execution of the traditional engineering design process.
• Experience preparing engineering drawings for fabrication, with knowledge in fabrication methods and acquisition processes.
• Experience with computer-aided engineering tools (e.g., ANSYS, Abaqus, COMSOL, etc.)
• Experience with thermodynamic or thermal hydraulic modeling, especially in areas pertaining to reactors.
• Experience with industry mechanical codes and standards for nuclear facilities, especially ASME's Nuclear Quality Assurance (NQA-1).
• Desire to learn new skills as required and develop expertise in areas that may be unfamiliar.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying and resolving complex and challenging problems efficiently, with a proactive approach to issue resolution.
• Proven ability to work autonomously as well as collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams, fostering consensus and effectively addressing conflicts.
• Exceptional interpersonal and organizational skills, including strong written and verbal communication abilities, with a track record of producing clear, well-structured technical reports and presentations.
• Experience working with the NNSA Defense Programs.
• Active DoE Q clearance.

The CREST Project is progressing on schedule to complete the modernization of the ACRR facility by the mid-2030s. This new, state-of-the-art building, situated within Sandia National Laboratory's Technical Area V, will provide a secure, purpose-built environment for gamma and neutron radiation testing. The facility will support stockpile qualification as well as a broad spectrum of research and development activities. The CREST Project will incorporate the ACRR-II, a modernized iteration of the existing ACRR reactor, featuring entirely new hardware and control systems, while maintaining performance equivalent to that of the original reactor. In addition, the facility will include a short-pulse electron beam accelerator and enhanced test and diagnostic capabilities, positioning CREST at the forefront of combined radiation environment testing and simulation in support of the U.S. Department of Energy's national security mission.

The CREST Reactor Facility Development Department is charged with the design and development of next-generation research reactor systems that will extend and enhance the capabilities of the current ACRR. This effort encompasses the pulsed-power-driven electron/gamma-ray accelerator, a neutron radiography system, hot cells for post-irradiation examination and nuclear fuel stewardship, and the systems engineering required to integrate these advanced capabilities into a unified, cutting-edge facility. The group operates within Sandia's Radiation, Electrical, and High Energy Density (REHEDS) Research Foundation.

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.