What are the responsibilities and job description for the Intern, Technical Graduate Year-Round - Data Center Services, Onsite position at Sandia National Laboratories?
What Your Job Will Be Like
As a Data Center Infrastructure & Hardware Intern, you will work alongside experienced engineers and technicians supporting real world data center operations. This is a great opportunity if you are curious, detail oriented, and excited to learn how modern data centers function at both technical and operational levels.
Salary Range
At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/12/Student-Rate-Sheet-2025.docx) .
Qualifications We Require
You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:
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.
About Our Team
Our Data Center Infrastructure & Hardware Teams support mission critical computing environments that power engineering, analysis, and research operations. The teams design, deploy, and maintain the physical backbone of our computing capabilities. Their work spans:
Interns joining these teams become part of a collaborative, knowledgeable group that values precision, safety, and innovation. You'll have meaningful opportunities to learn, contribute, and see the direct impact of your work within our data center environments.
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:
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: 698374
Job Family: 91
Regular/Temporary Position: T
Full/Part-Time Status: P
As a Data Center Infrastructure & Hardware Intern, you will work alongside experienced engineers and technicians supporting real world data center operations. This is a great opportunity if you are curious, detail oriented, and excited to learn how modern data centers function at both technical and operational levels.
- On any given day, you will: collaborate closely with the teams who maintain and expand our data center spaces, deploy new hardware, coordinate vendor work, design power/cooling configurations, and ensure high availability services for internal partners.
- Your daily work may include: hands on tasks such as racking and cabling equipment, assisting with power and cooling assessments, documenting infrastructure layouts, and supporting hardware lifecycle activities.
- You'll gain exposure to mechanical and electrical troubleshooting, data center design principles, system reliability concepts, and the operational processes required to maintain secure, mission critical computing environments.
Salary Range
At Sandia, we value the important work done by our interns and its contribution to National Security. Because of this, our interns earn competitive pay rates. Our pay structure is based on earned credit hours, classification, and degree level. Your pay rate will be determined during the hire process and included in your offer package. You can view the Intern Pay Rate chart here (https://www.sandia.gov/app/uploads/sites/51/2024/12/Student-Rate-Sheet-2025.docx) .
Qualifications We Require
You bring the confidence and skills to be eligible for the job by meeting these minimum requirements:
- Earned bachelor's degree
- Currently attending and enrolled full time in a related accredited graduate program
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0/4.0
- Ability to work up to 30 hours per week during the academic year, and up to 40 hours per week during the summer
- Ability to secure and maintain a U.S. security clearance which requires U.S. citizenship
- Currently pursuing a degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Ability to work safely in environments with electrical equipment, raised floors, and active construction or installation activities.
- Basic understanding of computer hardware components (servers, workstations, PDUs, networking gear).
- Comfort using tools such as screwdrivers, cable testers, torque drivers, and other common installation equipment.
- Ability to follow written procedures, technical diagrams, and detailed work instructions.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work within a team.
- Familiarity with data center concepts such as rack elevations, power draw, cooling requirements, cable management, VLANs, and redundancy.
- Experience assembling or troubleshooting PCs, servers, or laboratory equipment.
- Understanding of electrical fundamentals (voltage, current, amperage, phases, breakers, UPS, etc.).
- Exposure to facilities level systems such as HVAC, CRAC units, or industrial cooling solutions.
- Ability to read technical drawings or help update documentation (Visio diagrams, rack maps, wiring schematics).
- Interest in automation or scripting to streamline infrastructure tasks.
- Strong attention to detail, willingness to ask questions, and enthusiasm for learning hands-on technical skills.
- Ability to pursue and obtain a Q clearance.
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.
About Our Team
Our Data Center Infrastructure & Hardware Teams support mission critical computing environments that power engineering, analysis, and research operations. The teams design, deploy, and maintain the physical backbone of our computing capabilities. Their work spans:
- Hardware installation and lifecycle management for servers, workstations, disk arrays, and supporting devices.
- Power and cooling design, including PDU deployment, breaker planning, CRAC unit coordination, airflow management, and energy efficiency considerations.
- Infrastructure builds, such as racking, cabling, and structured wiring for both new deployments and ongoing expansions.
- Electrical and mechanical troubleshooting for issues affecting operational capacity or uptime.
- Vendor coordination and project execution for upgrades, expansions, or new room designs.
Interns joining these teams become part of a collaborative, knowledgeable group that values precision, safety, and innovation. You'll have meaningful opportunities to learn, contribute, and see the direct impact of your work within our data center environments.
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*
- These benefits vary by job classification.
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: 698374
Job Family: 91
Regular/Temporary Position: T
Full/Part-Time Status: P