Engineering Manager Jobs in New Mexico
Engineering Manager jobs in New Mexico are in steady demand, concentrated in aerospace and defense, national laboratory systems, and energy, with openings at every level from first-line team lead to senior director. The busiest hiring metros are Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, and Los Alamos, where employers like Sandia National Laboratories, Intel, and Northrop Grumman maintain large engineering operations. The most sought-after specialties in New Mexico listings are systems engineering management, semiconductor manufacturing, and defense program oversight. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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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
Organization 02920, Surety Engineering Group I, is seeking a Manager, R&D Science and Engineering to direct a team of Surety System Engineers in developing and implementing strategies to deliver successful product prototyping, qualification, and realization.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
- Lead, develop, empower, and mentor staff through hiring, professional development, and performance management, fostering critical thinking, sound judgment, and staff growth
- Guide staff as they work across multiple teams, integrate multidisciplinary technology areas and support mission execution to ensure safe, reliable, and robust product outcomes
- Foster a trust-based and defect prevention-oriented culture that emphasizes collaboration and risk mitigation
- Lead department strategy, set priorities and communicate progress, and needs with customers, partners, and leadership
- Apply organizational knowledge and experience to assess work quality, staff performance, and align mission needs and customer expectations
- Participate in and/or lead cross-cutting efforts and contribute to corporate strategic initiatives, including the ND&S Strategy and 2900 initiatives
- Partner with peer managers, technical leads, multidisciplinary teams, and a cohesive group of ten departments to coordinate work across components, subsystems, and systems in support of mission delivery across the Labs and the broader Nuclear Security Enterprise
- Demonstrate a leadership approach grounded in service, prevention, collaboration, and a strong commitment to staff development
- Travel to support coordination, partnerships, and mission delivery. Note, a significant part of the 2927 department is located at the Pantex Tri-lab in Amarillo, TX. Travel to Amarillo is anticipated approx. 25% (every 4-6 weeks).
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required 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 ten (8) years of directly related relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and experience. Equivalent education and experience must be engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
- At least 3 years demonstrated leadership experience with at least 2 years within the ND enterprise
- An active DOE Q-level security clearance; or other equivalent active security clearance such as DOD Top Secret
- Ability to obtain and maintain a Sigma 14 and 15 access
Qualifications We Desire
The ideal R&D 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 knowledge, skills, and experience:
- Outstanding interpersonal skills in developing trusting relationships with peers, staff, management, customers, and stakeholders
- Management experience in an R&D organization and/or Nuclear Deterrence technical leadership experience
- Leading and managing R&D engineering projects through complexity, exercising flexibility and technical discernment
- Experience and success in recruiting, hiring, mentoring and leading technical staff
- Demonstrated ability to deliver results and effectively lead/guide multidisciplinary teams engaged in visionary, groundbreaking work
- Influencing technical decisions and delivery without direct authority
- Set accountability, manage conflict, resolve issues
- The ability to build strong, trust-based teaming relationships with peers, customers, and partners with different needs and agendas
- Identifying and reducing technical risk in a high-consequence environment; experience applying risk-based approaches to evaluate rigor level of product qualification activities
- Social acuity and emotional intelligence; the ability to anticipate and resolve ambiguous and contentious issues with differing technical points of view through crucial conversations
- Experience in systems engineering principles and practices, with a strong understanding of the product realization lifecycle, including requirements definition, design, development, testing, and deployment of complex systems
- Implementing R&D surety engineering principles, tools, methodologies, and best direction
- Understanding of the development and execution of qualification plans, requirements maps, test plans, and measurement assurance plans
- An ability to solve sophisticated technical problems in the absence of clear direction (experience in ambiguous environments)
- An ability to understand and evaluate diverse and incomplete data sets and draw appropriate engineering conclusions
About Our Team
The Surety Engineering Groups (2910 & 2920) are a center of excellence for research and development (R&D) Surety Systems Engineering at Sandia National Laboratories. At the heart of our leadership team is a dedicated, prevention and service ethos and a real passion for staff development. With multidisciplinary engineers at numerous sites, our organization provides R&D hardware and software surety and systems engineering expertise throughout the entire product realization lifecycle, and trains fellow scientists and engineers in defect prevention strategies and graded approaches to product qualification. We deliver strong technical solutions that increase customer confidence against loss, damage, and errors by minimizing a product¿s risk through the prevention, early detection, and mitigation of defects. Our engineers play a critical role in R&D project teams responsible for realizing high-consequence products, providing customized engineering support that ensures the appropriate qualification and testing evidence meets design requirements in a predictable, timely, and sustainable manner. Note, the 2927 position will be hired under the new 2920 Sr Manager (Consuelo Otero).
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
Position requires a Department of Energy (DOE) Q security clearance to start, or equivalent active security clearance with another U.S. government agency (e.g., DOD). Sandia is required by DOE directive 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 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.
See All 17 Engineering Manager Jobs in New Mexico
Find roles in New Mexico that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Engineering Manager JobsEngineering Manager Jobs by City in New Mexico
Where New Mexico roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Engineering Manager Job Market in New Mexico
A snapshot from current New Mexico openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Government & Public Sector
What New Mexico Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in engineering manager jobs across New Mexico.
- Bachelor's degree in engineering or a closely related technical discipline required
- Several years of direct experience leading engineering teams or projects
- Familiarity with aerospace, defense, or semiconductor manufacturing environments preferred
- Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional teams and deliver projects on schedule
- Experience with program management methodologies such as Agile or PMBOK
- Active or ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance for defense and national lab roles
Engineering Manager Jobs in New Mexico: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a engineering manager in New Mexico?
Most engineering manager roles in New Mexico require a bachelor's degree in an engineering discipline, several years of hands-on engineering experience, and a demonstrated record of leading projects or small teams. New Mexico does not require a separate state management license, but engineers who take on technical authority at licensed-PE levels may need a Professional Engineer license issued through the New Mexico Engineering and Surveying Licensure Board. Defense and national laboratory employers commonly require a security clearance as well.
Which companies hire engineering managers in New Mexico?
Employers hiring engineering managers in New Mexico right now include State of New Mexico, Sandia National Laboratories, and ABB, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. New Mexico's concentration of national laboratories, semiconductor fabs, and defense contractors makes it a particularly consistent market for engineering management talent.
Which New Mexico cities have the most engineering manager jobs?
Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Anthony account for the largest share of engineering manager openings in New Mexico. Albuquerque and Rio Rancho are anchored by Intel's large semiconductor campus and a dense cluster of aerospace and defense contractors, while Los Alamos draws heavily from Sandia and Los Alamos National Laboratory hiring, giving that smaller city a disproportionately high share of senior engineering management roles.
Are there remote engineering manager jobs in New Mexico?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely analytical fields because engineering managers in New Mexico typically oversee lab, manufacturing, or defense environments that require on-site presence. About 50% of engineering manager openings tied to New Mexico are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with hybrid arrangements more common at technology and software-adjacent teams than at semiconductor fabs or national laboratories.
How can I get hired as a engineering manager in New Mexico with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is moving into a lead engineer or senior engineer role first, then stepping into management once you have direct reports or project ownership. Sandia National Laboratories, Intel's Rio Rancho facility, and Northrop Grumman's Albuquerque operations all hire new graduates into individual contributor roles with internal pathways to team lead positions. Earning a Professional Engineer license through the New Mexico Engineering and Surveying Licensure Board, or completing a project management credential, signals readiness for management responsibility to New Mexico employers.
Where can I find and apply to engineering manager jobs in New Mexico?
You can find and apply to engineering manager jobs in New Mexico on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the state. Search the listings, find roles that fit your background and location, and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 17 Engineering Manager Jobs in New Mexico
Find roles in New Mexico that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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