Senior/Principal Systems Engineer (Flight Test Director) - Tonopah Test Range (TTR), 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:

Envisioning your future as a Sandian

As a member of the TTR Operations Team, the successful candidate will work with and lead/supervise a dynamic group of field test support personnel to ensure the successful completion of the assigned Laboratories flight test mission. Members of this team are responsible to the Range Manager for activities that work to coordinate, plan, organize, and execute flight test events. Coordination with external agencies, such as U.S. Air Force agencies, NNSA, and other national lab offices is required and expected. The Test Director is responsible for following established range processes and procedures to ensure that all safety, security, and compliance requirements regarding the operation, facilities and infrastructure are met with quality. Incorporation of all corporate safety and work planning processes are inherent in this activity.

Primary Duties

The TTR project team is seeking a Systems Engineer (Flight Test Director) to plan, execute, supervise, and provide overall operations leadership to a diverse group of communications, electromechanical technologists, radar/optics/telemetry technologists, safety, and technical integration and development professionals. The role requires a detailed understanding of project planning and management, flight safety, flight test management and reporting, and test operations center functions. A successful candidate must have a demonstrated ability to organize, plan, lead, and integrate multiple disciplines into a cohesive team to ensure critical flight tests are executed to successfully meet customer requirements. The position requires working with legacy testing systems as well as experimental programs and processes to develop procedures to ensure proper test execution and documentation is completed before and after test events. In addition, this position requires strong leadership, analytical abilities, and computer skills to include all Microsoft applications including OneNote.

Note: This position is located at the Tonopah Test Range (TTR), near Tonopah, NV, with the normal work week running Tuesday through Thursday, 13-14 hours a day. Deviations to the normal schedule occur to facilitate mission requirements and may require personnel to remain away from home 4 days and 3 nights (or possibly longer) at this remote location. Work schedules may change/shift as required to meet organizational needs.

This is not a virtual/telecommute position.

On any given day, as a Systems Engineer (Flight Test Director), you will:

• Document and track component and system-level performance requirements and develop acceptance criteria for the subsystems and system.

• Document and track project risks and interface with stakeholders to develop mitigation and contingency plans.

• Evaluate competing characteristics between system elements and determines the most effective, integrated system solution.

• Lead, mentor, and supervise a diverse group of personnel comprising the mission operations and mission support teams, responsible to the Operations Lead and the Range Manager.

• Interface with internal and external customer and those responsible for developing, testing, and implementing the system and its elements to ensure that customer expectations are met.

• Develop logistical and deployment plans and prepares required training resources.

• Maintain a fundamental understanding of the range data collection instruments and how they integrate to collect Time Space Position Information and event data while maintaining a range safety footprint.

• Work in a high-stress environment with competing priorities to meet tight deadlines.

• Develop and deliver a variety of presentations, proposals, and reports.

  Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required to work onsite in Tonopah, NV. Some travel is required for this position (up to 25%).

Salary Range:

$108,600 - $184,500

*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 field (e.g., Systems Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, Operations Management, Physics, Military Science, or a related discipline); or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and experience, defined by the following parameters:

• Associates degree in stated field, plus nine (9) years of directly relevant experience; OR

• High School Diploma, plus thirteen (13) years of directly relevant experience.

• Ten (10) years of demonstrated expertise in military air-to-ground operations, preferably fighter/attack, bomber, or tactical airlift and flight operations requiring detailed coordination.

• Five (5) years of relevant experience in multi-agency (e.g., FAA, USAF, NTTR) coordination and flight safety.

• Detailed knowledge of operations center integration, functional organization, and supervision of real-time heavy aircraft and tactical aircraft flight operations and/or flight testing.

• Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, including effective communication, delegation, teamwork, negotiation, conflict resolution, and coaching/mentoring skills.

• Thorough knowledge of and demonstrated expertise with designing, planning, and executing large-scale projects.

• Ability to maintain situational awareness during mission execution to ensure the successful and safe collection of test data.

Qualifications We Desire:

• Highly experienced in UAV/RPA operations and command and control environments.

• Basic understanding of Air Force Range Procedures, notably the Nellis Range Supplement to AFI 13-212.

• Previous Test Conductor/Director and/or Range Control Officer/Forward Air Controller qualification.

• Thorough understanding of the range scheduling process and the timelines required to secure airspace for range testing.

• Ability to translate customer requirements into tasks for range mission support.

• Understanding of the TTR range infrastructure (i.e., radars, telescopes, cinetheodolites, telemetry and communication) and how they tie together to meet testing requirements.

• Project Management Experience.

About Our Team:

Department 02235 is charged with the operation of the Tonopah Test Range. The Range team is responsible for planning and executing the Flight Test portion of the Stockpile Surveillance program. Additionally, a requirement exists to plan and execute tests in support of other Federal Agencies.

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.

Job ID: 695598

Job Family: EN

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F