Sandia National Laboratories: Careers: Special Programs: Wounded Warrior Career Development Program

For military personnel with combat-related disabilities

Sandia National Laboratories’ Wounded Warrior Career Development Program (WWCP) provides unique limited-term employment supporting national security missions, while helping participants acquire career skills through training and mentoring. WWCP participants who perform well have the potential to transition to regular full-time employment.

Goals

The WWCP has established goals to identify, recruit, hire, and train disabled military personnel who meet program criteria. The goals are to:

Provide activities that develop and refine career skills to support Sandia's national security mission.

Support additional education (e.g., offer flexible work schedules).

Provide a comprehensive support system.

Collaborate with other agencies to coordinate program benefits and services.

Coordinate professional, individualized, functional training, guidance, and support to help participants successfully transition from a military to a civilian career.

Expectations

Sandia’s WWCP is modeled after the successful Oracle Wounded Warrior Program, which has produced a number of top performers for Oracle. Military veterans who are accepted into the program are expected to:

Contribute to Sandia’s national security mission.

Actively pursue appropriate college education while in the program (achieving an advanced degree is desired).

Continue to develop and refine job-related skills through training.

Engage in executive-level mentoring.

Share experiences to improve understanding of the combat theater and enhance connections with Sandia work.

The WWCP is a multi-year program, with new Wounded Warriors hired each year. The program provides limited-term (1-3 years) employment and is not an internship. Rather, it involves a support structure to facilitate wounded warriors’ successful transition from military to civilian life. Annual hiring depends on workloads, funding sources, and the limitations of collaborative partners. The program estimates hiring five to ten wounded warriors annually.

Eligibility Requirements

Sandia will work with its collaborative partners to develop and implement a process for identifying and selecting WWCP candidates with a strong chance for success. Sandia personnel will work with Veteran's Administration Health Care personnel to determine selection tools and eligibility differentiators. Selecting individuals who are ready to transition back to civilian life will provide the best opportunity for success.

Answer the following questions to see if you are eligible to participate:

Are you a U.S. military veteran who has been wounded in combat?

Are you interested in a career in national security?

Are you comfortable working with a team-based and collaborative approach toward shared goals?

Are you willing to develop and refine your career skills?

Are you interested in furthering your education while in the WWCP?

If hired into a regular full-time position, are you willing to mentor new WWCP participants?

If you answered yes to all of the questions above, contact us via email at wounded_warriors@sandia.gov. You must provide a short paragraph addressing the questions above and attach a copy of your current resume.

After you contact us, a WWCP Champion will be assigned to you and members of the WWCP screening committee will conduct a phone interview to determine your eligibility to participate in the program. After a successful screening interview, your resume will be shared with managers who have an existing WWCP position matching your skills. If the hiring manager determines that you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position, you will be invited to an on-site interview. If no positions are currently available, your name will be added to our list of approved WWCP candidates looking for future employment.