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R&D Manager - Real Time Data Processing, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories

Albuquerque, NMFull-time$164–278K/yrSeen 1w agoSeen in employer's feed 5 days ago

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At a glance

Compensation
$164–278K/yr
Location
Albuquerque, NM
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
US work authorization required

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

TS/SCI clearance, required

Job overview

Sandia National Laboratories seeks a Research and Development Manager to lead its Real-Time Data Processing group, developing decision support systems that transform high-volume streaming data into actionable intelligence. The manager will guide computer scientists and technical professionals, advance computer vision research for remote sensing missions, coordinate across departments, and build partnerships and sponsored work supporting national security. The position requires onsite work and occasional travel.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Computer Vision, nice to haveImage Processing, nice to haveData Analytics, nice to haveData Fusion, nice to haveMulti-INT, nice to haveAI/ML, nice to haveScientific Software Development, nice to haveSoftware Testing, nice to haveSoftware Delivery, nice to haveIntegrated Engineering Solutions, nice to haveTechnical Proposal Writing, nice to haveStrategic Direction, nice to haveInterpersonal Skills, nice to haveCommunication, nice to haveLeadership, nice to haveRecruiting, nice to haveMentoring, nice to haveSpace Programs, nice to haveCross-Organizational Collaboration, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Relevant Discipline or Equivalent Experience, required8 Years Relevant Experience, requiredDOE Q and SCI Clearance Eligibility, required2 Years Leadership Experience, nice to haveGraduate Degree in Science or Engineering, nice to haveActive DOE Q and SCI Clearance, nice to haveUS Citizenship, required

Benefits

Paid Time Off
Medical Insurance
401(k) Match
Tuition Assistance
Relocation Assistance

Full job description

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:

We are excited to announce a new opportunity for a Research and Development Manager to lead our Real-Time Data Processing group at Sandia National Laboratories. This position will play a critical role in developing innovative, unique-in-class decision support systems for transforming real-time, high volume, high throughput streaming data into actionable intelligence.

As the leader of a team of computer scientists and other technical professionals, you will be on the forefront of computer vision research and development in remote sensing missions for national security. The chosen candidate will work closely with 15 other departments contributing to ongoing efforts and establish touch points for collaboration across Sandia National Laboratories. Additionally, you will lead the development of new partnerships and sponsored work to grow the reach and impact of Sandia¿s work in modern decision support systems for national security.

If you are looking for an exciting opportunity to lead cutting-edge research and development efforts, we encourage you to apply for this position!

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

  • Lead a multi-department team to drive success around current program needs and develop a future vision and plan for mission-impacting data analytics capabilities in close collaboration with laboratory partners.

  • Work collaboratively with peer research managers and the ASPO program manager to deliver mission-impacting solutions to defense and IC sponsors on time and to Sandia¿s standards for quality.

  • Lead career development of staff, including work assignments and assessment of performance as well as determine retention, rewards, and recognition for department personnel.

  • Engage research and technology communities to identify future opportunities, increase visibility of the department¿s core capabilities, and source, recruit, hire, and develop the next generation of leaders in the discipline.

  • Leading and guiding a large department that builds complex data processing systems and delivers these systems into 24x7 operations

  • Proposing new algorithmic enhancements to adapt to consistently evolving threats

The position requires occasional travel. Due to the nature of this work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range:

$163,700 - $278,000

*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:

  • A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline and eight (8) years of directly relevant experience, 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 and maintain a DOE Q and SCI clearance, which may require a polygraph examination.

Qualifications We Desire:

The ideal R&D, S&E Manager candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:

  • Two or more years of demonstrated leadership experience.

  • A graduate degree in science or engineering (MS or Ph.D.).

  • Outstanding interpersonal skills in developing trusting relationships with peers, staff, management, customers, and stakeholders.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the development and delivery of presentations, proposals, reports, and documentation.

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

  • Ability to handle ambiguity and develop strategic direction in a dynamic environment.

  • Experience with computer vision and image processing, data analytics, data fusion, Multi-INT, AI/ML

  • Experience with modern software development practices/tools, particularly with scientific/engineering software development, testing, and delivery.

  • Experience providing integrated engineering solutions in support of high consequence national security missions, to include the inception, elaboration, construction, and deployment of advanced information systems.

  • Consistent track record of writing technical proposals, presenting these proposals to potential customers, and getting work funded.

  • Experience or knowledge of Space programs and mission areas.

  • Demonstrated ability to work across Sandia's program and organizational structures.

  • Demonstrated interest and success in recruiting, hiring, and developing/mentoring new personnel.

  • Knowledge of Sandia¿s technical base, organization, and policies.

  • Established network and partnerships within Sandia including the research organizations.

  • Previous management experience.

  • Active DOE Q clearance with SCI clearance.

About Our Team:

The Real Time Data Processing Department develops software, algorithms, and distributed computer systems for real-time extraction of events in a remote sensing domain. Skills within the department include software engineering; signal and image processing; statistical inference; neural networks; data fusion; image registration; pattern recognition; radiometric calibration; compressive sensing; human-computer interfaces; data visualization; and design, implementation, deployment, operational user support, and maintenance of collaborative large complex software systems.

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 and SCI access, both of which require US citizenship. SCI access may also require a polygraph examination. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain these levels of access 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 the 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: 699581

Job Family: RD

Regular/Temporary Position: R

Full/Part-Time Status: F

How this job compares

Set against the 5,695 open Engineering Manager jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 10, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$164–278K/yr
  • New Mexico median$152–273K/yr22 salary ranges
  • US median$144–257K/yr4,638 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $221K, is close to the New Mexico median midpoint ($216K) — in the middle half of Engineering Manager salary ranges in New Mexico.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 26 open Engineering Manager jobs in New Mexico and 5,695 across the US. 7% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in New Mexico
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience; Engineering Manager postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years at the median (4,978 postings).
Education
2,452 of the 5,695 open Engineering Manager jobs (43%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 10, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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