OverviewReporting to the Laboratory Director, the Chief of Staff serves as a key member of the Laboratory Director’s Office (LDO) and executive leadership team. The Chief of Staff is a trusted advisor to the Laboratory Director, providing strategic leadership, coordination, and oversight to align PNNL’s mission, operations, and priorities. This position serves as a force multiplier for the Director, facilitating effective communication, guidance, and prioritization across the Laboratory, and ensuring timely execution and actionable results that advance PNNL’s mission. With a high degree of independence, the Chief of Staff represents the Lab Director/LDO as required in interactions with customers, partners, and senior managers across PNNL and DOE.
ResponsibilitiesKey Responsibilities
- Serve as strategic advisor to the LDO in setting and executing key priorities and integrating perspectives across the Laboratory to align stakeholders with the Laboratory’s vision and strategic agenda.
- Provide strategic leadership and management of activities, exercising delegated authority for policy and programmatic decisions.
- Engage with DOE, Battelle, and other key partners to advance priorities and strengthen strategic relationships, in coordination with the LDO and the Executive Director of Communications and External Engagement.
- Translate the Director’s vision and priorities into actionable initiatives and activities, including tracking deliverables, aligning resources, and ensuring timely execution of institutional goals.
- Champion, develop and implement major initiatives with high visibility requiring process redesign and innovation.
- Responsible for the Laboratory’s executive meeting architecture and providing coaching and guidance to leaders to ensure effective use of executive time and alignment with PNNL’s mission and priorities.
- Foster purposeful and influential coordination, information flow, and effective decision-making across Laboratory directorates and offices.
- Provide analysis and recommendations to inform Director decisions, including advice on complex or ambiguous issues or those with disparate perspectives.
- Support the Director in coordination with relevant executive and senior leaders, in driving strategic activities and engagements with internal and external stakeholders, including DOE, sponsors, Laboratory staff, and other key audiences.
- Identify and address systemic issues that impact Laboratory performance, organizational culture, and strategic growth.
- Monitor and track enterprise-level initiatives, ensuring accountability and timely progress.
- Manage sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and integrity.
- Coordinate, develop and ensure high-quality briefing packages and updates for key meetings including those provided to Battelle, the Board of Directors, and their relevant committees.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Adept at analyzing complex, ambiguous challenges and developing and implementing actionable solutions.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including preparing briefings and presentations for executives, senior leadership, and external stakeholders as well as gathering and synthesizing complex, disparate information for presentation to the Director and Laboratory leadership.
- Ability to build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders, including federal sponsors, industry partners, academic collaborators, and community leaders.
- Superior ability to navigate sensitive or confidential information with discretion and sound judgment.
- Ability to guide decisions and outcomes through relationship-building, collaboration, persuasion, and negotiation.
- Ability to balance multiple priorities in a dynamic environment and delivering results.
- Ability to bring together broad, diverse perspectives to foster collaboration and alignment.
- Ability to anticipate and represent the Director and Laboratory executives’ point of view on wide variety of substantive topics, at times with little notice or consultation.
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications:
- BS/BA and 13 years of relevant experience -OR-
- MS/MA or higher and 11 years of relevant experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Technical or scientific background.
- Proven track record in advising and influencing executives or senior organizational leadership in a large, matrixed organization.
- Demonstrated success in designing, implementing, and executing complex, strategic plans across functions and stakeholders within research, government, or DOE/National Laboratory environment.
- Proven success in engaging executives, senior leadership, and cross-functional teams to align strategies and advance priorities, including the ability to influence without line authority.
- Experience assembling effective teams that can work in dynamic and ambiguous environments, including on short timeframes.
Hazardous Working Conditions/EnvironmentNot applicable.
Additional InformationThis position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct.
Requirements:
- U.S. Citizenship
- Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
- Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).
Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.
Testing Designated PositionThis position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.
About PNNLPacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them!
At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.
Commitment to Excellence and Equal Employment OpportunityOur laboratory is committed to fostering a work environment where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect while solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov.
Drug Free WorkplacePNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs.
If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn.
Security, Credentialing, and Eligibility RequirementsAs a national laboratory, PNNL is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require new employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identify Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication. The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.
For foreign national candidates:
If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) Federal risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement thereafter, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment. The tier of federal background investigation required to obtain the PIV credential will be determined by job duties at the time you become eligible for the PIV credential.
Mandatory RequirementsPlease be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from having any affiliation with the foreign government of a country DOE has identified as a “country of risk” without explicit approval by DOE and Battelle. If you are offered a position at PNNL and currently have any affiliation with the government of one of these countries, you will be required to disclose this information and recuse yourself of that affiliation or receive approval from DOE and Battelle prior to your first day of employment.
Rockstar RewardsEmployees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.
* Research Associates excluded.
**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.
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Notice to ApplicantsPNNL lists the full pay range for the position in the job posting. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual’s relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. This approach is applicable to all positions, with the exception of positions governed by collective bargaining agreements and certain limited-term positions which have specific pay rules.
As part of our commitment to fair compensation practices, we do not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire. Instead, our compensation offers are determined by the specific requirements of the position, prevailing market trends, applicable collective bargaining agreements, pay equity for the position type, and individual qualifications and skills relevant to the performance of the position.
Minimum SalaryUSD $194,900.00/Yr.
Maximum SalaryUSD $329,000.00/Yr.
