Embedded Firmware / Hardware Design Engineer (FPGA) (Early/Mid-Career)

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.

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.

Salary Range:

$100,900 - $195,400

*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.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

We are seeking an R&D Embedded FW/HW Design Engineer (R&D Electronics Engineer) to join a multidisciplinary team that is designing and developing advanced components, subsystems, and systems for national defense programs. General responsibilities for electrical engineers range from conceptual design, detailed design (a combination of analog, digital, embedded firmware, schematic capture, board layout), analysis, overseeing fabrication of hardware, defining and executing qualification/testing plans, field support, as well as project management. Successful candidates will work in a team environment with opportunities to acquire increasing levels of responsibility.

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

• Design analog front end signal conditioning circuits to prepare an analog input for digitization

• Programming of FPGAs or microcontrollers to collect/organize data from various ICs/sensors via any manner of serial/parallel communication protocols (e.g., SPI, I2C, USB, 8b10b) and disseminate that data in a multitude of ways (e.g., serial outputs such as USB, UART, NRZL, biphase)

• Perform hands-on test and debug of circuitry

• Develop documentation of a given design and give technical presentations to peers/managers

• Design and develop specific manufacturing design requirements (i.e., PC board material, trace impedances, routing requirements, PC board stack-up, etc) and oversight of the manufacturing of PC boards

• Build software allowing customers to configure or download data from our embedded instrumentation systems, and view and analyze that data in novel ways

• Develop a system-level understanding of the collected data and support for anomaly resolution

This position involves being a member of 3-10 person interdisciplinary design teams and supporting multiple programs/teams simultaneously. Travel to test facilities can be common feature of the job, depending on the program being supported, the job may require up to 25% travel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Technical knowledge and competencies appropriate to the position

• Thorough knowledge of and applied experience with scientific and engineering methods and with the field’s standards for the ethical conduct of research

• Thorough knowledge of and experience with designing, planning, and performing research, design, and development projects

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with implementing Sandia policies affecting research, design, and development activities, projects, or initiatives

• Demonstrated ability to team across disciplines

Applicants on this requisition may be interviewed by multiple organizations at Sandia National Laboratories.

Qualifications We Require:

• Bachelor’s degree in relevant field, or equivalent: higher degree (MS, PhD) in relevant field; or engineering or scientific experience and/or achievements that demonstrate the knowledge, skills and ability to perform independent research and development

• Ability to acquire and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance

• Travel up to 25%

Qualifications We Desire:

• Active DOE Q-level security clearance

• Demonstrated experience with circuit design and analysis

• Demonstrated experience with embedded firmware design (preferably VHDL) and testbed development

• Proven experience with design and analysis tools (e.g., Matlab and LabVIEW), analog simulation codes (e.g., LTSpice), and HDL simulation codes (e.g.,ModelSim)

• Hands-on experience testing and de-bugging circuitry, with clear mastery of tools such as oscilloscopes, logic/network/spectrum analyzers, function/pulse generators, etc.

• Knowledge of and experience with PC-board layout tools (e.g., EAGLE PCB or Mentor Graphics), and PC-board fabrication and assembly design principals

• An obvious passion for engineering and building new things

• Strong communication skills (especially technical writing skills), interpersonal skills, and the ability to influence others

• Ability to juggle competing priorities and deadlines

About Our Team:

Sandia California's Telemetry and Stockpile Support Department develops and maintains telemetry systems in support of the nuclear deterrence surveillance mission. Telemetry systems has responsibility for all aspects of telemetry development, including conceptual design, prototype development and testing, and transitioning production work to DOE production agencies. Telemetry systems integrate precision sensor electronics and signal conditioning with RF communication systems to support flight testing of Joint Test Assemblies. Work is performed by teams of electrical engineers and mechanical engineers, in partnership with quality engineering, reliability engineering, and project management. Current development mission assignments include the W88 ALT370 JTA8 project, the W78 JTA6R project, and the W76 JTA3 project. Stockpile support oversees the quality, reliability, and availability of all qualified telemetry systems that are being used in the on-going surveillance mission.

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.

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.

Job ID: 689455