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:
We are seeking an early career engineer/scientist with a background in nuclear/radiological science or closely related scientific field to join our team. We maintain responsibility for several projects key to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) including the Consequence Management (CM) program and the Joint Technical Operations Team (JTOT). The selected applicant will provide technical support to several of the program areas including working with DOE CM program leadership and the Sandia's CM Program Leader. The position will help evolve how the nation responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies. In particular, we are seeking an individual with experience in radiological laboratory operations. The individual hired into this position will be part of an elite team of scientists and engineers from across the national laboratories that define the nation's tactics, techniques, procedures, and tools for sample handling, laboratory analysis, and data management during any type of radiological or nuclear incident. This individual would be part of an emergency response team that, when called into action, would work to ensure field samples are processed in the most efficient way, laboratories are providing data consistent with the analysis request, and that complex radiological sample data is interpreted and summarized in a way that meets the needs of the data users. This individual would also support the Fly Away Laboratory, a field-deployable radiological analysis laboratory capability that provides rapid, quantitative field analysis of samples for radiological contaminants.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
Support research & development projects related to nuclear incident response and Consequence Management (CM)
Use radiological laboratory experience to develop/improve standard processes and procedures related to sample control, sample management, data review, and analysis
Verify, validate, and interpret radiological sample data to support emergency response decision making
Participate in interagency working groups that develop national policy related to nuclear incident response
Build and provide technical training across the CM community
Interact with outside agencies across the CM community and provide well-organized and professional presentations and training on technical and programmatic issues
Participate as a member of the national CM Response Team and other response teams as skills and interests allow
Help develop/improve the CM Program and processes in support of DOE program offices
Coordinate across multiple DOE labs to build cross-program capabilities
Build and maintain readiness of the Fly Away Laboratory equipment, procedures, and mobile laboratory container shelter
Develop and maintain new Fly Away Laboratory methods and capabilities
Develop and maintain Fly Away Laboratory data systems
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. The selected applicant must have the ability to support periodic travel (approximately 8-10 trips per year, usually 2-3 days each)
Salary Range:
$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.
Qualifications We Require:
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 obtain a DOE Q clearance
Qualifications We Desire:
The ideal R&D S&E Nuclear Engineering candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
Graduate degree in Nuclear Engineering or a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
Operational experience with radiological and/or nuclear facilities.
Experience performing radiation transport modeling.
Knowledge of criticality safety and criticality analyses.
Strong verbal and written communications skills, and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams.
Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
Understanding of radiation interactions with matter and other fundamental radiation detection principles
General experience in using laboratory radiation detection equipment such as High-Purity Germanium spectrometers, alpha/beta counters, liquid scintillation counters, and their data acquisition and computer systems
Ability to obtain and maintain DOE Radiological Worker I qualification
Active DOE Q clearance
Demonstrated success leading teams to solve complex and loosely defined problems
Demonstrated experience in technical composition such as scientific studies, laboratory analytical procedures, or other technical methodology
Minimum of 3 years of experience working in a radiological analytical laboratory
Operational experience with radiological laboratory equipment, including gamma spectrometers, gas proportional counters, and liquid scintillation counters
Experience in laboratory data quality assurance processes
Expertise in laboratory Quality Assurance processes and conduct of operations
Demonstrated experience with radioactive material measurements and data evaluation from field instrumentation and laboratory instrumentation
Experience in laboratory method development and method verification and validation
Experience with gamma and alpha spectroscopy data interpretation and analysis including radionuclide identification and quantification
Experience with performing calibrations on gamma spectrometers (including mathematical efficiency modeling), liquid scintillation counters and gas proportional counters
Experience with data analysis and visualization
Knowledge of basic health physics principles
Experience with computer programming, networking, advanced data analysis techniques
About Our Team:
The Nuclear Incident Response Programs Department is responsible for the oversight and management of several Nuclear Emergency Response teams as well as Sandia-led portions of the National Consequence Management(CM) Program. Department personnel are responsible for and actively developing deployable technologies to mitigate an explosive release of hazardous materials and for predicting the consequences of such releases. Containment technologies use aqueous foams and rapidly deployable containment systems which can be used to mitigate explosively dispersed materials from the atmosphere. Department personnel are also responsible for writing and maintaining field deployable, state-of-the-art computational codes for predicting the dispersal, transport, deposition, and subsequent consequences of these types of hazardous material releases. Additionally department personnel fill leading national roles in Consequence Management and Radiological Dose Assessment including developing new dose assessment analysis techniques as well as software and other tools to assist responders to a radiological event.
Posting Duration:
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.
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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Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; set your own state tax rate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
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The job is in Albuquerque, NM. Below is what the official statistics say about living and working there.
How Albuquerque compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Mexico, Albuquerque is #1 by population, #4 for college degrees (#1 = most), #33 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #8 for remote work (#1 = most). Its county, Bernalillo County, is #4 of 33 counties for average pay ($63,493).
The place in numbers
Albuquerque has 562,218 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 26.5% of the population of New Mexico. It covers 187 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 3,002 people per square mile. The median age is 38.8, about the same as the state median (38.8 against 39.4).
Housing
The median gross rent is $1,145 a month (rent plus utilities), 7% above the state median ($1,145 against $1,067). Over a year that is 20.1% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $291,500, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($68,317). 61.8% of households own their home, 12% below the state average (61.8% against 70.0%).
Work and pay
The Albuquerque, NM metropolitan area has 404,700 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $48,060 a year, 6% below the national median ($48,060 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (54,860 jobs, median $45,850); food preparation and serving related (38,230 jobs, median $30,990); sales and related (31,990 jobs, median $35,960). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (2.0 times) and construction and extraction (1.2 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are architecture and engineering ($131,720) and management ($108,920). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Bernalillo County was 4.6%. 63.5% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Bernalillo County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Getting around
Among workers, 70.7% drive alone, 0.9% use public transit, 2.0% walk, 14.9% work from home. 7.5% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 42% below the state average (7.5% against 12.8%).
People and education
39.2% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 27% above the state share (39.2% against 31.0%). 10.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 13% above the state share (10.6% against 9.4%). The poverty rate is 15.5%, 13% below the state rate (15.5% against 17.8%).
Climate
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 79°F (26.2°C), and the coolest is Jan at 35°F (1.6°C). About 258 mm (10 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Jul is the wettest month (51 mm) and Mar the driest (11 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Nearby cities to compare
Closest cities in this guide: North Valley (5 miles, rent 22% lower); South Valley (7 miles, rent 17% lower); Corrales (9 miles, similar rent); Rio Rancho (13 miles, rent 32% higher). Rent differences are against Albuquerque; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
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Places within 50 miles (straight line) of Albuquerque, NM that have a guide, with what living there costs. No pay estimate is shown because the title did not match one occupation.
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What is the Nuclear Engineer - Nuclear Incident Response Program, Onsite job at Sandia National Laboratories?
A mid level role in engineering, construction and energy (energy and utilities) listed 2 days ago. The full description is on this page and on The Muse.
Where is this job?
Albuquerque, NM.
How do I apply?
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How much does it pay?
The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.
What is the cost of living there?
Median rent in Albuquerque is $1,145 a month and median household income $68,317 (ACS 2020–2024).
How old is this listing?
It was posted on 2026-11-07 (2 days ago). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.
Are there similar jobs?
Yes: browse energy and utilities jobs in New Mexico.
Sources and terms
Job data: The Muse public API (listing dated 2026-11-07). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.
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