Riyaz Natha

Engineering Program/Project Lead

In his capacity as a Project Lead in Sandia National Laboratories’ International Nuclear Security Engineering department, Riyaz Natha serves as project lead supporting U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of International Nuclear Security (INS, NA-211) nuclear security efforts in multiple countries. He leads training courses and high-profile visits at Sandia and abroad, and coordinates ongoing activities and future collaboration efforts in the partner countries.  

Riyaz regularly works alongside subject matter experts (SMEs) to support physical security programs, reviewing reports and providing feedback based on site visits. He also coordinates and leads international nuclear security workshops in a bilateral capacity as an SME. Riyaz led the effort to ensure coordinated and consistent NNSA nuclear security training between multiple national labs by reviewing and analyzing current material to create a standardized approach.

In support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Riyaz leads and supports training workshops and consultancy meetings, serving as a subject matter expert on various nuclear security topics. He has served as a sub-group instructor for the IAEA’s flagship International Training Course for Physical Security of Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities (ITC) multiple times, and co-led ITC as an SME and mentor for new sub-group instructors.

In previous positions at Sandia, Riyaz conducted analysis of soil and water samples for contaminants, and eventually led and managed the environmental chemistry laboratory. He also conducted tests for the U.S. Department of Transportation and International Air Transport Association related to packaging and shipment of hazardous material, where he worked to integrate safety and security into the process.

Riyaz earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Riyaz was hired as a student intern in 1993 and accepted a permanent role in 1999.