Navigation Systems Electrical Engineer, Onsite

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Organization 05449, Autonomy for Hypersonics, is actively seeking a Navigation Engineer who has significant interest in estimation, software engineering, and applied R&D for national security missions to join our team!

The successful candidate will have R&D experience in software engineering and/or stochastic estimation for dynamic systems, and interest in developing, testing, and analyzing prototype hardware systems for future alternative PNT systems, navigation algorithms, and navigation warfare threats.

Autonomy for Hypersonics supports a large range of Technical Readiness Levels (TRLs) to apply innovative conceptual ideas to both near-term and future warfighter needs.

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

• Develop, integrate, test, and analyze results from hardware prototype navigation systems, including GNSS, Inertial sensor, and alternative PNT solutions (such as RF signal of opportunity systems)
• Develop novel alternative positioning sensors, navigation solutions, and anomaly detection algorithms for contested navigation application for complex national security mission spaces
• Collaborate with a team of researchers, engineers, and technologists to develop innovative, integrated navigation technologies and to mature them from concept to simulation to flight tests
• Transition alternative PNT technologies, sensors, and software from Modeling and Simulation to hardware prototype for flight test experimentation
• Perform testing in complex contested navigation warfare environments in the field, and analyze results to draw meaningful conclusions in support of national security missions

This position will include simulation, laboratory, and field-testing operations.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite at Sandia's laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, including the Flight Dynamics Laboratory. Some travel is required for this position.

$102,400 - $199,700

*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.

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, 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-level security clearance

The ideal R&D S&E Electrical 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).
• Ability to work independently and collaborate well in a multidisciplinary team of designers and test engineers.
• Outstanding verbal and written skills, including the ability to develop and present briefings that are clear and compelling.

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

• Coursework and/or 1 years of experience with modern navigation systems (e.g., GNSS architectures/receivers, sensor fusion, inertial measurement systems, Kalman filtering, alternative PNT solutions such as RF Signals of Opportunity or terrain-aided navigation, or sensor integrity algorithms such as anomaly detection)
• Experience programming in object-oriented and scripting tools/languages (e.g. Python, C , Matlab)
• Experience with industry GNSS simulation hardware (e.g., Spirent, PNT-X, Broadsim), RF recording equipment, or hardware testing of navigation systems
• Experience in technical communication as demonstrated by technical presentations and/or technical publications
• Experience working collaboratively as a member of a multi-disciplinary team
• The demonstrated ability to conduct guided research and development in a self-directed fashion
• Coursework and/or experience with aerospace flight system or subsystem modeling and simulation
• An active DOE Q-level security clearance; or other equivalent active security clearance such as DOD Top Secret
• An active SCI-level Clearance; or a willingness to apply for an SCI-level clearance

Department 05449, Autonomy for Hypersonics, manages an innovative research portfolio in autonomous systems development and flight demonstrations of technology advancements. The department supports the research and development of software, autonomy algorithms, prototype hardware, target recognition, and navigation/guidance/control. We actively partner with domain experts both at the Labs and throughout the nation to implement high-impact research to meet national defense needs.

A4H is pursuing research and development in autonomous systems to enhance the capabilities of the nation's hypersonic vehicles as well as other high-consequence systems. A4H enables increasingly agile hypersonic weapons that adapt to unexpected scenarios, empowering the U.S. to respond to threats anywhere in the world without putting our warfighters at unnecessary risk. The challenging flight environment and limited available flight data make hypersonics one of the most complex applications for autonomy. Sandia and its partners are developing algorithms, sensors, and compact computing hardware that compress complex data processing and analysis methods into real-time decisioning tools. The goal of A4H is unprecedented flexibility in response to newly designated targets, evolving target conditions, difficult operating environments, and unexpected flight conditions.

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.

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.

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.

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