Cleared R&D Manager - Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis, 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.

Sandias Modern Systems Solutions group is seeking a dynamic and strategic manager to lead our Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis department (6377). This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of space-based remote sensing systems and guide a high-performing team of scientists and engineers at the forefront of innovation. As the Manager of 6377, you will lead a multidisciplinary team specializing in two critical areas: advancing flexible, extensible, and robust end-to-end simulations of remote-sensing satellite systems, and simulation-influenced performance analysis for system-level test and verification.

This leadership role offers a unique opportunity to shape and grow a high-performing technical team. As the department evolves to meet expanding mission demands, the manager will play a central role in developing and executing a strategic workforce planbalancing technical depth with adaptability. Youll be responsible for mentoring and developing a diverse group of engineers and scientists whose expertise spans physics, mathematics, statistics, systems engineering, data science, and computer science. As new opportunities emerge you will guide the department through potential scaling efforts, including the thoughtful distribution of capabilities across organizational boundaries. Your leadership will be instrumental in crafting a load-balancing strategy that ensures sustainable growth, maintains technical excellence, and aligns talent with mission priorities.

Key Responsibilities: The ideal candidate will possess experience in engineering, testing, and delivering complex systems, with core responsibilities that include:

• Collaborating with mission partners across other labs and customer organizations across the USNDS community to ensure models are accurate and well-understood.
• Partnering across laboratory centers (2600, 5300, 5400, 5900, 6300, 6700, and 9300) for the successful development of USNDS modeling, simulation, and analysis products.
• Advancing technical capabilities within the department and across the organization through recruitment and the integration of new technologies and methodologies.
• Partnering with the 6300 leadership team to address the future modeling, simulation, and systems analytics needs of the expanding SMEPO and MEGASPO program offices.
• Providing insights into the current and future needs of laboratory missions to influence the strategic direction of the 6370 capability group.

Due to the nature of this position the selected candidate will be required to work onsite at our main facility in Albuquerque, NM.

$157,100 - $267,000

*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 eight (8) 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.
• Active DOE Q clearance with the ability to acquire an SCI.

The ideal R&D Manager candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

• Two or more years of demonstrated leadership experience.
• A graduate degree in science or engineering (MS or Ph.D.).
• Outstanding interpersonal skills in developing trusting relationships with peers, staff, management, customers, and stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the development and delivery of presentations, proposals, reports and documentation.

Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:

• Experience with the USNDS program: its people, structure, and projects, the phenomenologies detected, and/or the technical approaches used in USNDS remote sensing.
• Experience working within, and providing leadership for, software development teams, systems engineering teams, or mission analysis teams creating government mission support applications.
• Familiarity with physics-based Modeling and Simulation.
• Line management experience, providing career guidance and direction for direct-report staff, recruiting and hiring, and performance management.
• Experience initiating and building new teams to position Sandia to meet new and emerging national technology needs.
• Experience with engineering project management (cost, schedule, performance), ideally to include both DOD acquisition-gate and Agile approaches.
• Enthusiasm for discovering innovative, forward-looking approaches that solve unmet mission needs.
  

The Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis (Org. 6377) department performs research and development to advance flexible, extensible, and robust software applications for remote sensing system-level simulation as well as simulation-based analysis for test and verification, transforming data to knowledge, enabling our customers to take action with confidence.

Capabilities

• Remote sensing system-level simulation capability
• Simulation-influenced analysis for test and verification capability

Our remote sensing system-level simulation capability represents the exploration, architecting, design, development, and verification plus uncertainty quantification of both static and dynamic stochastic models integrated into simulation frameworks with the corresponding analysis tools and visualizations that can be applied to a variety of missions. This capability extends across the spectrum of real-time lower fidelity solutions suitable for system-level trade study and statistical performance assessments to higher fidelity solutions suitable for system-level analysis and simulation-based test injection.

Our simulation-influenced analysis for test and verification capability represents the technical evaluation and characterization of mission-level key performance parameters (KPPs) for operational remote sensing systems, in-the-queue updates to such, and hypothetical systems. Such remote sensing systems tend to be tremendously complex in terms of physical complexity, temporal complexity, and environmental complexity which all together translates into never ending challenges that must be tackled. Thus we develop both deep and broad complex systems knowledge, expertise in test design to reporting, and utilization of numerous tools (yet not limited to simulators), techniques, and applications.

The department develops competencies in computer science using high consequence agile software engineering applied to modeling & simulation (M&S) and in systems engineering & analysis. Furthermore, we are an integral part of the Modern Systems Solutions group, working together as a larger team to satisfy pathfinding national security mission needs while pushing the limits of capabilities that cross-cut and lead us into the future.

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of seven (7) 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.