Sondra Spence

Engineering Systems Integration & Implementation

As a senior member of Sandia National Laboratories’ International Nuclear Security Engineering (INSE) technical staff, Sondra Spence is a nuclear security subject matter expert (SME) specializing in insider threat mitigation and physical security systems design and evaluation.

Sondra works extensively with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), providing her expertise in consultancy meetings, as a curriculum developer, and as an instructor for the IAEA’s flagship International Training Course (ITC) on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities and Advanced Practitioner-level course on Preventive and Protective Measures Against Insider Threat.

She also serves as the project lead for INSE, supporting Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Office of International Nuclear Security (INS, NA-211) efforts focused on Insider Threat Mitigation Programs (ITMP) for nuclear fuel-cycle facilities. Sondra helped develop an ITMP implementation roadmap for partner countries, a workshop series that evaluates the effectiveness of ITMP measures and regularly collaborates with partner countries and multi-lab teams through technical exchanges, workshops, and other forums.

During her 11-year tenure at Sandia, Sondra has developed, managed, and implemented numerous nuclear security training courses, including Integrated Security Design, Performance Testing, the Design Evaluation Process Outline (DEPO), and Introduction to Insider Threat. Her latest endeavor is working with a team to develop a DEPO pilot course for advanced reactor designs. Beyond her nuclear security work, Sondra has advised on projects focused on vulnerability analysis and risk reduction at domestic chemical facilities.

Sondra holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Political Science with emphases in International Relations and Statistical Methodologies from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.