Senior/Principal RF/Microwave Engineer - Advanced RF Applications, 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.

The Advanced RF Applications department (5376) is seeking a highly motivated RF/Microwave Engineer to join its team. This position focuses on providing specialized RF engineering expertise, particularly in applied electromagnetics. You will be involved throughout the research, development, and fielding lifecycle. You will be joining a multi-discipline, success oriented high-performance team. Our sponsors consist of intelligence community (IC), special operations forces (SOF), and Department of War (DOW) organizations, who count on us to deliver high-impact solutions to their evolving and most pressing national security challenges. Projects range from urgent, quick-reaction requests in response to time-sensitive, real-world driven needs to longer term (1-3 year) efforts.

The ideal candidate will possess strong teamwork skills and a background in electronics engineering (RF, analog, digital) within size, weight, and power (SWaP) constrained systems.

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

• Contribute to the conceptualization, requirements development, circuit design, modeling/simulation, testing, and delivery of high-impact RF solutions
• Collaborate on and develop mixed-signal (RF, analog, digital) electrical designs for special communication systems

*Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

$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.

• 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 acquire and maintain a DOE Q clearance and SCI clearance, which may require a polygraph.

The ideal R&D S&E microwave and sensor engineering candidate for Sandia National Laboratories 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).
• Laboratory skills and knowledge of RF and digital test equipment.
• Knowledge of RF, Digital Communications, Electronic Warfare, and Cyber Security systems and principles.
• Ability to work successfully in a dynamic, interdisciplinary, teaming environment.

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

• Proven ability to work successfully within a multidisciplinary team, partner effectively across organizations, as well as understand and work across a diverse set of technologies and capabilities
• Experience in designing and synthesizing RF and microwave circuits
• Experience in mixed signal digital and analog circuit design
• Experience in printed circuit board design/layout including high frequency design
• Experience in a hardware electronics laboratory environment including:
  • Use of general test and measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, DMM, logic analyzers)
  • RF test equipment (network analyzers, spectrum analyzers, signal generators, power meters)
  • Probe testing/troubleshooting of RF/microwave, analog, and digital circuits
• Experience with RF/microwave design tools (HFSS, CST, ADS, Genesys, etc.)
• Experience or familiarity in one or more of the following areas:
  • Digital Communications, Electronic Warfare, Radar and/or systems and principles
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) systems and principles
  • Modeling, design, and tuning of unique form-factor antennas
  • Python, GNU Radio, and MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent
  • Planning, coordination, and documentation of field tests
• Experience or familiarity with Intelligence Community and Department of War organizations and mission spaces
• Proven experience in interacting with internal and external customers and partners
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, manage, and execute multiple projects within appropriate scope, budget, and timeframe
• Demonstrated experience leading projects and small teams effectively
• Demonstrated commitment to developing yourself and your skill set
• Ability and willingness to travel occasionally (up to 3-4 times per year)
• Active DOE Q or DOW Top Secret security clearance and the ability to acquire and maintain an SCI clearance

The Advanced RF Applications department (5376) is at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to researching, developing, evaluating, and deploying specialized RF systems for a wide range of national security applications. Our work encompasses space-based, airborne, and terrestrial RF communications, command and control (C2), remote sensing, nontraditional electronic countermeasures/electronic warfare (ECM/EW), and specialized tagging, tracking, and locating (TTL) systems.

Our team is composed of diverse skills, including RF/microwave circuit and system design, antenna design, digital signal processing, embedded system hardware and software, digital system design, operational field-testing development and support, and program/project management. We tackle important design challenges such as creating highly miniaturized electronic systems, developing advanced communication system architectures, and engineering ultra-low size, weight, and power (SWaP) hardware. Additionally, we focus on ultra-low-noise receivers and innovative signal extraction and classification techniques in low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environments.

Our sponsors consist of intelligence community (IC), special operations forces (SOF), and Department of War (DOW) organizations, who count on us to deliver high-impact solutions to their evolving and most pressing national security challenges. We partner closely with other departments within the Strategic RF and Electronic Systems group (5370), the RF & Systems Electronics Center (5300), across Sandia, and with external entities.

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.

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.

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.