Senior/Principal R&D Mechanical Engineer - Interconnect Component Design, Onsite
Job details
- Pay
- $117,500 – $235,700 a year
- Work mode
- Hybrid
- Level
- Staff / principal
- Education
- Bachelor's degree
- Posted
- Nov 2, 2026
- Last confirmed open
- Nov 3, 2026
About this role
About Sandia
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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
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Join a dynamic, high-performing team dedicated to solving some of the most challenging issues in support of the nation¿s security. The Interconnect Technologies Department is seeking a highly motivated R&D Mechanical Engineer to serve as a Component Engineer on a diverse and passionate team committed to excellence and mission impact.
In this role, you will work in a highly integrated environment alongside mechanical, electrical, systems, and quality engineers to design, develop, and qualify complex cables and related interconnect components for high-consequence applications.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
- Develop and implement mechanical solutions to cable assemblies and interconnect challenges in complex systems.
- Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of design engineers, systems engineers, quality engineers, and subject matter experts to successfully execute mission-critical designs.
- Work in an integrated design environment where cross-disciplinary coordination and handoffs between mechanical and electrical engineering are essential to successful product development.
- Serve as a mechanical engineering representative supporting product realization teams (PRTs) through component design, development, and qualification activities.
- Interface with manufacturing partners to guide hardware builds, troubleshoot, and improve manufacturability.
- Design and develop adapter cables and mechanical fixtures for electrical and environmental test applications.
- Design and develop mechanical components for cable assemblies, interconnects, and electrical components to meet system-level requirements and function through program-life environments.
- Team with system engineers and system-level stakeholders to establish component-level requirements.
- Investigate issues and lead technologists in troubleshooting interconnects and their corresponding test equipment.
- Provide evaluation and technical analysis of large amounts of test data.
- Write technical reports, perform cost estimates, resolve technical issues, and present results and findings.
- Deliver quality products with supporting qualification evidence that satisfy customer requirements within cost and schedule constraints.
- Apply sound mechanical engineering principles to high-reliability, high-consequence cable assemblies and interconnects.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected candidate must be able to work onsite. Some travel required.
Salary Range
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$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.
Qualifications
We Require
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- 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 Department of Energy (DOE) Q-level security clearance.
Qualifications
We Desire
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The ideal R&D S&E Mechanical Engineer candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
- Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
- Experience with mechanical engineering design and product realization in the NNSA complex.
- Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.
Also, for this posting, we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
- Active DOE Q-level security clearance.
- Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers
- Mechanical modeling expertise with proficiency in PTC Creo.
- Experience in applying, rationalizing, and negotiating GD&T fundamentals.
- Demonstrated application of design guides/specifications (e.g., design for manufacturability, design for environmental specifications).
- Experience collaborating with electrical design, product realization, manufacturing, and quality partners.
- Knowledge of product realization, design, production, and qualification processes for high-reliability hardware; Nuclear Deterrence experience is highly desired.
- Experience with configuration-controlled engineering drawings, release systems, and technical documentation in a regulated environment.
- Knowledge of ND drawing requirements (CDs, MEs, PSs, SSs, etc.).
- Experience teaming, collaborating, and negotiating with Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to identify design/requirement shortcomings, articulate impacts, and drive resolution with customers.
About Our Team
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The Interconnect Technologies Department designs, develops, tests, and qualifies cable assemblies, including high voltage, RF, flat-flex, multi-wire, and fiber optic cables, as well as junction boxes and adapter assemblies. We also design, fabricate, and deploy equipment and testers for our products when such systems are not available through private industry.
Our in-house designed equipment is used at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), and selected vendor sites to support the development and qualification of War Reserve and other high-reliability components.
We use the Realize Product Subsystem (RPSS) to realize Mark Quality products across the full product realization cycle, including requirements, design, development, specification, qualification, procurement, delivery, and stockpile support, in partnership with organizations throughout the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
We employ defect prevention strategies to better understand design margin during development and to mitigate risk during production.
The department's capabilities enable us to address challenging requirements associated with long-life, high reliability, radiation tolerance, nuclear safety, and size and weight restrictions. Adherence to safety, process controls, and quality principles is essential to the success of our department.
Posting Duration
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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
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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
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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
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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.