Member/Senior Test Operations Engineer, Experimental Operations - 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.

VQSEC (Validation and Qualification Sciences Experimental Complex) is seeking an experienced Test Operations Engineer.

The successful candidate will provide operational support to Group 01530. You will work with a dynamic team of researchers, engineers, technologists, and trades people to help support execution of unique experiments. These experiments will play a key role in solving challenging national security problems relating to a wide range of applications by providing insight into physical phenomena, data for validating computer models, and qualifying performance of complex systems. This position will play a key role in operations at the VQSEC facilities in Sandia's Tech Area III.

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

• Develops project plans and carries out project management.
• Prepares test, maintenance, operations, and administrative procedures to support all operations at hazardous facilities.
• Reviews and helps prepare the safety basis documentation that enables hazardous facilities to operate.
• Coordinates operational, functional, and performance phases of tests.
• Plans the labor and scheduling for testing to include cost estimation.
• Prepares or supports the creation of documentation for test operations to include WP&C and other project execution documents.
• Plans and schedules engineering projects for internal and external customers, coordinating as required with work performed in other internal and external organizations.
• Supports new efforts around DataSEA and capability documentation and tracking.
• Develops and delivers technical progress reports, proposals, requirements documentation, and presentations.
• Manage and execute operational budgets.

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

$102,400 - $199,700

*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.

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in relevant field, or equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.
• Knowledge of project management practices for technical work, such as developing project plans, work breakdown structures, and work packages; managing to scope, schedule, budget, and technical baselines; or documenting baseline reports and change control actions.
• 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).

• Experience in gathering and analyzing data; facilitating decision making and problem solving.
• Understand technical tasks sufficiently to identify time requirements, task dependencies, and risks and opportunities.
• Experience in developing risk mitigation strategies and implementing them in accordance with corporate engineered safety policies/practices.
• Experience operating in ambiguous, interrupt-driven, and dynamic environment with evolving requirements, expectations, and organizational needs.
• Experience with SNL Project Management tools and projects to include budgets.
• Ability to cross train and support other areas in Group 01530 such as Asset Management, Facility Work Plans, Work Planning and Controls, Programmatic equipment management, SDR coverage for support contractors, Moderate Hazard operations and other special duties as assigned.

The Experimental Operations Department 1533 provides an array of capabilities and services for Sandia's Validation and Qualification Sciences Experimental Complex (VQSEC) which enables it to accomplish its mission as the center of excellence for environmental testing within the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration Nuclear Weapons Complex.

These full life cycle capabilities include:

• Engineering design and fabrication of test hardware and fixtures
• Structural and thermal analysis supporting experimental design
• Hazard and system safety analysis
• Execution of tests and experiments in controlled mechanical, energetic, and thermal environments, including set up and dismantlement
• Operation and maintenance of one-of-a-kind facilities including the Aerial Cable Facility, Burn Site, Rocket Sled Track Complex, and Thermal Test Complex

Department personnel collaborate with test directors, test and safety engineers, and instrumentation, photometric, and data acquisition personnel to ensure the infrastructure and facilities necessary to conduct subsystem and system level tests and experiments in normal and abnormal environments are available.

• Additionally, the department provides mission assurance in the form of: 
• Risk assessments and failure mode analysis; 
• Design engineering processes support
• Leadership in the integration of standard business practices across the VQSEC
• Administration of the ES&H program for the Engineering Sciences Center (1500)
• Management of the VQSEC test support contractors and training program; and configuration management of VQSEC moderate hazard facilities.

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.

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.

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.