Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Engineer
Job ID: 9507
Date Posted: September 16, 2026
Location: Hill Air Force Base, Utah
Department/Division: C4ISR Systems
Clearance: Current Secret or DOE L required; ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret or DOE Q clearance
Travel: Occasional travel, expected to be less than 25%
Join the Space Dynamics Laboratory (SDL) team, where you'll contribute to groundbreaking innovations supporting national security. We are seeking an experienced Electrical Engineer specializing in Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3), electromagnetic interference and compatibility (EMI/EMC), and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) to provide resident technical support to the U.S. Air Force Sentinel System Program Office (SPO) at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
Position Overview:
The selected candidate will serve as a senior E3 subject-matter expert supporting Sentinel mission assurance and nuclear hardness and survivability. The role applies deep expertise in EMI/EMC, electromagnetic pulse (EMP/HEMP), shielding effectiveness, EMSEC/TEMPEST, grounding and bonding, lightning, HERO, ESD, and related electromagnetic survivability disciplines at the system, subsystem, equipment, and facility levels. The engineer will evaluate requirements, designs, analyses, and test results; identify technical risks; and provide independent recommendations to Government and program leadership.
Key Responsibilities:
- Serve as a senior resident E3 technical expert within the Sentinel SPO Mission Assurance Integrated Product Team (IPT).
- Evaluate system, subsystem, equipment, NC2/NC3 facility, and interface requirements for EMI/EMC, shielding effectiveness, electromagnetic survivability, grounding, bonding, filtering, and related design considerations.
- Review prime-contractor designs, analyses, qualification plans, test procedures/results, and technical documentation for compliance with applicable E3 requirements and standards, including MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, and MIL-STD-188-125-1A.
- Assess technical risks and vulnerabilities involving electromagnetic interference/susceptibility, EMP/HEMP, lightning, HERO, ESD, EMSEC/TEMPEST, and nuclear electromagnetic survivability; recommend practical mitigation approaches.
- Support development, allocation, interpretation, verification, and traceability of Sentinel E3 requirements and participate in design reviews, test readiness reviews, developmental test and evaluation (DT&E), qualification, and certification activities.
- Provide independent technical assessments supporting DAF-DOE system integration, nuclear weapon mission assurance, and interfaces among Sentinel subsystems and facilities.
- Coordinate with Government, contractor, FFRDC, UARC, LDTO, national laboratory, and specialty-engineering organizations to resolve E3 technical issues and clearly communicate risks, alternatives, and recommendations.
- Prepare and review technical reports, analyses, briefings, and requirements; mentor mid-level engineers and contribute to technical workforce development.
- Travel occasionally, less than 25%, to Sentinel development/test sites, operational locations, contractor facilities, national laboratories, and other Government locations.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, electronics engineering, physics, or a closely related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited institution.
- U.S. citizenship; current Secret or DOE L clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain Top Secret or DOE Q clearance.
- 15+ years of relevant nuclear or space EMR experience with a bachelor's degree; 13+ years with a master's degree; or 9+ years with a PhD.
- Demonstrated Nuclear Weapons Enterprise expertise in E3, EMI/EMC, EMR engineering, nuclear hardness/survivability, space survivability, or a closely related electromagnetic-effects discipline.
- Practical experience applying MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-188-125, and associated conducted/radiated emissions and susceptibility requirements to complex systems, equipment, or facilities.
- Experience evaluating shielding, grounding, bonding, cable/interface design, filtering, EMSEC, and related electromagnetic mitigation techniques.
- Broad experience with military systems-engineering requirements, technical analyses, qualification/test plans and results, and technical documentation.
- Demonstrated ability to evaluate complex technical risk, develop sound mitigation recommendations, and communicate conclusions to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
- Ability to lead and collaborate across multidisciplinary teams, customers, contractors, and partner organizations; mentor engineers; and maintain productive relationships under challenging circumstances.
Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in one or more of the following areas is strongly preferred:
- Nuclear weapon systems, strategic missiles/ICBMs, warheads, reentry systems or vehicles, nuclear command and control, or strategic deterrence environments.
- Nuclear-caused EMP, including HEMP, source-region EMP (SREMP), and system-generated EMP (SGEMP), or related nuclear hardness and survivability engineering.
- Lightning protection, HERO, shielding effectiveness (including MIL-STD-285), EMSEC/TEMPEST, compromising emanations, or ionizing-radiation effects such as neutron single-event effects (nSEE).
- Military equipment, system, or facility EMR qualification/certification; DAF weapon-system acquisition, integration, test, and System Program Office experience.
- E3 requirements application at system and system-of-systems levels for Nuclear Weapons Enterprise systems, facilities, launch sites, or locations.
- Requirements/modeling tools such as DOORS, Cameo, SPICE, CST, or similar engineering-analysis tools.
- Experience coordinating technical work across Government, industry, UARCs, FFRDCs, SETA organizations, or national laboratories.
- Current Top Secret or DOE Q clearance and SCI access.
Salary Range and Benefits:
- $143,000 - $226,500; salary commensurate based on education and experience.
- SDL provides a 14.2% contribution to retirement and offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. Please view a list of benefits at https://www.sdl.usu.edu/careers/benefits/ .
The salary range is a general guideline and may vary based on role, level, location, market conditions, and individual qualifications. Specific salary details can be provided by the recruiter or HR manager during the hiring process.
Why Join SDL?
This is an opportunity to provide high-impact technical leadership in support of the Sentinel program and the Nation's strategic deterrence mission. SDL delivers advanced multi-domain solutions supporting national security and scientific discovery across satellites, sensors and instruments, ground systems and data processing, and autonomous systems for NASA and the Department of Defense.
At SDL, we value respect, collaboration, empowerment, and accountability. We seek diverse perspectives, share knowledge, support one another, take ownership, act with integrity, and deliver on our commitments to teammates and mission partners.
Application Information:
Please submit a current resume describing relevant nuclear, space, EMR, E3, EMI/EMC, and survivability experience; current clearance level/status; educational background; and relevant certifications, standards, modeling tools, and qualification activities.
Do not include classified or sensitive program information in application materials. Describe responsibilities, technical methods, standards, tools, and outcomes without disclosing classified details.
For questions, assistance, or accommodation with the application process or the DoD SkillBridge program, please contact employment@sdl.usu.edu.