Embedded Systems Designer - Telemetry Team, 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.

We are seeking R&D Electronics Engineers to help design, develop, verify, and test embedded systems for Telemetry data acquisition products that directly support national security. Our team builds state-of-the-art flight hardware that captures critical data in demanding environments. This data is used to validate performance, inform decisions, and support confidence in systems central to the nation's deterrence mission.

As part of the Telemetry Team, you will see a complex product move from concept to hardware to test. Our products fly. The data we collect matters.

As a Telemetry Embedded Systems Designer, you will work hands-on across the product lifecycle, from early concepts and simulations to firmware verification on flight hardware. Whether you are early in your career or bring industry experience, this role offers the opportunity to build technical depth in FPGA-based embedded systems while contributing across hardware, firmware, integration, qualification, and delivery.

On any given day, you might:

• Shape high-level digital architectures that power next-generation Telemetry systems.
• Translate top-level Telemetry system needs into clear, actionable firmware requirements.
• Design embedded firmware, preferably in VHDL, that brings digital architectures to life.
• Work with data from a variety of ICs and sensors using serial and parallel communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, USB, and 8b/10b.
• Deliver data through outputs such as USB, UART, NRZL, and biphase.
• Develop verification strategies that demonstrate firmware designs meet system requirements.
• Build firmware simulations and test plans that help turn concepts into reliable products.
• Test, troubleshoot, and debug electronic systems in the lab.
• Develop a system-level understanding of collected data and help identify and resolve anomalies.
• Document designs, decisions, and results clearly for the broader team.
• Share technical work and insights through presentations to peers, technical experts, and managers.

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

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

$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.

• 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 U.S. DOE Q-Level Security Clearance.
  

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

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Demonstrated experience with analog and digital circuit design and analysis.
• Hands-on experience testing and de-bugging circuitry, with clear mastery of tools such as oscilloscopes, logic/network/spectrum analyzers, function/pulse generators, etc.
• Proven experience with design and analysis tools (e.g., Matlab and LabVIEW), analog simulation codes (e.g., LTSpice), and HDL simulation codes (e.g.,ModelSim).
• 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:

• Demonstrated Electronics/Electrical Engineering design skills and understanding.
• Experience with VHDL and embedded systems; familiarity with commercially available FPGA technologies.
• Experience with PWB/PWA design and layout.
• Experience with hands-on electronics testing in a laboratory environment.
• Active DOE Q-Level Security Clearance (or equivalent).
  

Our telemetry systems staff design, develop, and qualify weapon system instrumentation for use in Joint Test Assembly (JTA) surveillance flight tests, system-level ground tests, and research-based experimental flight tests for all U.S. nuclear deterrent systems.

Telemetry systems interface with the weapon system subcomponents to collect and transmit performance data, state-of-health data, and custom sensor data in combined-environments tests. As a cornerstone of the Stockpile Evaluation Program, our JTA efforts allow critical assessment of weapon systems hardware and processes and Department of War (DoW) platforms.

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.