Senior/Principal RF Communications Electrical Engineer, Onsite

About Sandia

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

We are seeking a motivated mid-career electrical engineer with experience in mixed-mode, power, and digital electronic design. The ideal candidate will participate in the development of advanced RF systems and concepts in support of a broad range of defense, interagency, special communications, and other programs and R&D initiatives.

On any given day, the successful candidate may be called upon to:

• Analyze, design, and develop electronic circuits, subsystems, and modules
• Create electronic designs and verify designs through simulation and testing
• Capture schematics and printed circuit board design and layout
• Perform system-level design and integration
• Lead and participate in conceptual design and reviews
• Conduct laboratory and field system testing and data analysis
• Team effectively with the organization's expertise in RF electronics, mechanical, software, and algorithm development
• Deliver hardware within schedule and budgetary constraints

Candidates are expected to have experience and understanding in the application of principles, theories, concepts, and practices relating to electronic system design, to perform modeling and simulation in support of design and analysis activities, and to participate in experimental testing of completed designs. Candidates must have the ability to work successfully in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, teaming environment.

This position requires on-site work in a collaborative electronics laboratory environment using iterative/agile methods to develop capabilities and requires occasional travel of approximately 4 trips per year.

Salary Range

$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

• 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 and SCI clearance which may require a polygraph test.

Qualifications We Desire

The ideal R&D S&E Electrical Engineer candidate will in addition possess the following:

• Graduate degree in Electrical Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
• 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:

• Schematic capture tools such as Siemens Xpedition, Altium Designer, etc.
• Experience with RF circuit and RF system design
• Familiarity with and experience in the use of RF test equipment (network analysis, spectrum analysis, noise measurements, etc.)
• Electronic design for mixed signal circuits and simulation
• Design of amplifiers, analog-to-digital converters, digital-to-analog converters, digital design, FPGA, power regulation circuits, or micro processors
• Experience with design, fabrication, and testing of one or more of the following: printed antennas, conformal antennas, RF communications architectures, RF front ends, low noise amplifiers, power amplifiers and circuits, phase locked loops and synthesizers, mixers, filters, other RF components
• Serial interface communication standards
• Electronic circuit verification via simulation
• Laboratory test equipment to help test and verify electronic hardware
• Experience with RF circuit layout and RF PCB manufacturing techniques
• Willingness to make independent contributions to diverse, multi-disciplinary team efforts
• Excellent communication and documentation skills
• Ability to effectively prioritize and make decisions in a dynamic and fast-paced environment
• Willingness to make independent contributions to diverse, multi-disciplinary team efforts
• An active Energy Department Q or War Department TS security clearance
• Active SCI access

About Our Team

The Advanced RF Communications department provides system analysis and design for a wide variety of radio frequency (RF) and microwave communications, geolocation, and radar missions with an emphasis on electromagnetic protection. The department missions include terrestrial, airborne, and space systems. Expertise within the department includes digital communications, waveform development, waveform detection, signal processing, and transceiver development. We actively work with our sponsors to understand their complete mission space, including development of new assets or exploitation of existing assets for novel capability or enhanced performance. We intimately partner with other departments within the Intelligent RF Communications business area and throughout Sandia to provide complete solutions to our sponsors.

Posting Duration

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

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 and SCI access, both of which require US citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access 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 the DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO

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

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.