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Design Domain Chief (DCE) Senior Scientist Engineer for MESA, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories
$162,200 - $275,900
401(k), relocation assistance
United States, New Mexico, Albuquerque
1515 Eubank Boulevard Southeast (Show on map)
Jan 13, 2026
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Job ID
696689
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Full/Part Time
Full-Time
Regular/Temporary
Regular
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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 vacations, 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

Did you know that microelectronics is one of the Nations and DoD highest investment priorities and provides the greatest opportunity in non-nuclear components for achieving responsive weapon development and flexible deployment? The Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications (MESA) Center (5200) is responsible for the research, development and production of microsystems for the nuclear deterrent (ND) and other national security programs.

The Design Domain Chief/Electronics Senior Scientist/Engineer will lead and mentor the center designers in designing and realizing MESA microelectronics for the stockpile. The DCE is responsible for design leadership across MESAs ND product technologies (ASICs/CMOS, HBTs, ROICs, optoelectronics, etc).

On any given day you may be called on to:

  • Ensure highly reliable product is designed across MESAs product technologies (ASICs/CMOS, HBTs, ROICs, optoelectronics, etc) and that consistent practices and methodologies and are used.
  • Technical voice for design leads and teams to ensure adequacy and completeness of product technical requirements and performance.
  • Develop and mentor the different product technology Design Agency (DA) Product Realization Teams (PRTs) and PRT Leads integrating best practices across the center in realizing high reliability microelectronics which are executed in alignment with RPPs.
  • Build trust-based partnerships within MESA across Sandia and with Federal Program Managers (FPMs) when needed.
  • Partner with the other MESA DCEs (Production, Fab and Post-Fab) to ensure products are matured to be producible with Design for Manufacturability (DFM) principles.
  • Partner with other non-MESA DCEs to ensure sharing of best-known practices and lessons learned across organizations.
  • Technical authority and own the Design Review processes and design guides.
  • Work with product realization teams to drive assure program executability for the Design Agency (DA) responsibilities.
  • Own driving to resolution of complex product design issues.
  • Participate in and signs-off on all ND product design reviews and approve QERs.
  • Provide an expert voice to challenge and validate technical design decisions through deep involvement with design teams while representing and coordinating constraints of broader MESA activities and commitments.
  • Support design teams to ensure technical decisions are sound, risk informed, and balanced with schedule and cost.
  • Advise MESA leadership to drive sound, risk-based decision making.

*This position is eligible for part-time telecommuting and the selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary.

Salary Range

$162,200 - $275,900

*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

  • Bachelors degree in a relevant STEM field plus fifteen (15) years engineering and scientific experience or;
    • Masters degree in a relevant STEM field plus eleven (11) years engineering and scientific experience or;
    • Ph.D. in a relevant STEM field plus seven (7) years engineering and scientific experience
  • Five (5) years experience leading or mentoring teams
  • Experience with the successful development, qualification, and delivery of nuclear weapon electronic components
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance
Qualifications We Desire

  • Demonstrate interpersonal skills in developing positive relationships among peers, staff, management, and customers
  • Experience leading teams through uncertainty and driving change initiatives
  • History of delivering projects on-time, on-budget and meeting quality requirements
  • Design electronics for high consequence applications (e.g. reliability, margin, derating) and using design for manufacturability (DFM) techniques
  • Develop design guides, including considerations of DFM
  • Familiarity with Realize Product Procedures (RPPs) and put RPPs into practice within the NW realization lifecycle
  • Strong internal Sandia customer (System, MC) knowledge
  • Engagement with Federal Program Managers (FPMs)
  • Execute effective design reviews, creating design review processes a plus
  • Structured Problem Solving (to resolve design issues)
  • Bridge multiple teams (to establish commonality across the product technologies)
  • Talent development and retention; mentorship
  • Nuclear Weapon Change Control processes
  • Knowledge of analog, digital, or mixed signal integrated circuit design and an understanding of semiconductor processes
  • Familiarity with radiation environments and effects on semiconductors
About Our Team

Sandia National Laboratories Microsystems, Engineering and Science Applications (MESA) center (5200) provides a unique capability in providing microsystems for a variety of high consequence applications. We provide microelectronics solutions for national security needs that industry can't, won't or shouldn't provide. The MESA complex is the co-located set of research, development, and production capabilities for trusted, and strategic radiation hardened microsystems to address evolving national security needs, especially those of our nuclear deterrent. MESA is the only source for custom trusted strategically radiation hard (TSRH) microelectronics for the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). MESA is the largest government owned microfabrication facility with two fabrication facilities, the Silicon (SiFab) and Compound (MicroFab). MESA is one of few centers that has both design agency (DA) and production agency (PA) responsibilities.

Posting Duration

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.

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, 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

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.

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