Senior Manager, Retirement Investments & Financial Assurance, Hybrid

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.

The Senior Manager leads strategic oversight of Sandia National Laboratories' retirement investment programs and financial assurance functions. This role is responsible for ensuring the long term financial health, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence of Sandia's pension and 401(k) plans. The position also oversees corporate risk insurance, enterprise financial risk management, property management, quality assurance, and travel/event management activities' key enablers of mission success across the Laboratories.

This leader partners closely with executive leadership, the Board of Directors, the Investment Committee, regulatory bodies, government auditors and external investment managers. The role requires a strong strategic mindset, deep investment and fiduciary expertise, and the ability to lead high performing teams across diverse financial functions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Retirement Investment & Plan Oversight
  • Lead investment strategy, governance, and performance oversight for Sandia's pension and 401(k) plans.
  • Ensure compliance with ERISA, IRS, DOL, DOE, and other applicable federal and state regulations.
  • Oversee actuarial valuations, benefit finance, plan design, and long-term liability analysis.
  • Manage relationships and contracts with third-party investment managers, advisors, custodians, and recordkeepers.
  • Present complex analyses and strategic recommendations to the Board of Directors and Investment Committee.
  • Anticipate regulatory or market changes and proactively guide plan adjustments.
    
• Financial Assurance & Enterprise Risk Management
  • Provide strategic leadership for Sandia's financial assurance framework, ensuring a forward-looking approach to compliance, risk mitigation, and financial stewardship.
  • Lead enterprise financial assurance activities, including internal and external audits, assessments, quality assurance, and continuous compliance improvement.
  • Manage corporate and enterprise risk insurance programs to safeguard organizational assets and minimize exposure.
  • Strengthen internal controls and drive continuous improvement by advancing modern financial technologies; including enhanced data analytics, automation, and AI-enabled tools to improve accuracy, efficiency, and decision making.
  • Provide strategic leadership for government property, travel, and event management functions, ensuring compliant stewardship, mission support, policy alignment, and cost-effective operations.
    
    The selected applicant can work a combination of onsite and offsite work. The selected applicant must live within a reasonable distance for commuting to the assigned work location when necessary.
    

$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.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or related field plus 10 or more relevant experience
• Five or more years of management or leadership experience in investment, financial, or assurance-related functions.
• Demonstrated experience overseeing large or complex retirement plans, institutional investment portfolios, or comparable fiduciary programs.
• Strong working knowledge of ERISA, IRS, and DOL regulations, and experience operating within federal contractor, DOE, or other federally regulated compliance environments.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal regulatory requirements related to retirement plans, government accounting, financial assurance, and risk management.
• Experience leading financial audits, assurance programs, quality management processes, or corporate/enterprise financial risk mitigation efforts.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance
  

• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field.
• Five or more years of progressively senior experience in investment management, retirement plan administration, or institutional financial oversight.
• Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) or comparable professional credential.
• Eight or more years of experience in investment management, retirement plan oversight, financial assurance, or institutional financial operations.
• Eight or more years of management or leadership experience in investment, financial, or assurance-related functions.
• Experience overseeing large, complex retirement plans or institutional investment programs.
  Experience in highly regulated, federal, or government -sponsored environments.
• Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams or overseeing multiple operational domains.
• Ability to clearly communicate complex financial and investment information to executive leadership or Board-level committees.
• Expert-level understanding of retirement plan design, investment principles, capital markets, and fiduciary duties.
• Demonstrated ability to operate within formal governance structures, including Board-level reporting and fiduciary oversight.
• Experience overseeing large or complex institutional investment programs, preferably including multi-billion-dollar pension or defined contribution assets.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, actuarial concepts, benefit finance, and regulatory frameworks.
• Experience managing external vendors, contract negotiations, and high-impact financial partnerships.
• Strong understanding of government accounting principles, Federal Travel Regulations, and quality management systems.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence senior leaders and effectively engage diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to lead teams, drive complex initiatives, and deliver high-quality outcomes in a regulated environment.

The Finance & Accounting Center provides enterprise financial leadership and stewardship for Sandia National Laboratories. Guided by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Deputy CFO (DCFO), our organization oversees Sandia's financial strategy, governance, regulatory compliance, and long-term fiscal health. We are a dedicated group of finance and accounting experts who manage the financial resources that flow in and out of the Laboratories. With a focus on empowering leadership with meaningful insight, we deliver accurate, relevant, and actionable financial information that drives mission success and innovation.

The Retirement Investments & Financial Assurance team plays a critical role in this mission by managing Sandias pension and 401(k) plans, financial assurance programs, corporate and enterprise risk insurance, and key operational compliance functions such as property, travel, and quality assurance. The team is recognized across the Laboratories for its analytical rigor, transparency, and commitment to operational excellence, making it a trusted partner in safeguarding Sandia's financial integrity and long-term sustainability.

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.

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.