Biologist 3

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

5d • Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.
Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.
The Environmental Molecular Sciences Division is comprised of 18 interdisciplinary research teams focused on deciphering molecular-level interactions driving biological and environmental processes across temporal and spatial scales. Through computational analysis and modeling, these findings contribute to predictive understanding of how systems respond to environmental perturbations thus enabling solutions to the nation’s energy, environmental, and human health challenges. The division also manages the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus that accelerates the research of scientists around the world by providing access to world-class expertise, instrumentation, and computational resources.
This is an onsite position in Richland, Washington.
The Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate (EBSD) leads novel and necessary research in three core areas: Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, Biological Sciences, and Environmental Molecular Sciences. The contributions of EBSD staff are many as we continue to elevate the impact of PNNL's science mission: to understand, predict, and control the complex adaptive systems underlying the science behind Earth, energy, and security.
As a Biologist 3, you will conduct research on the fundamental principles of microbial, plant, and animal life—including their origin, anatomy, and function. You will collect and analyze biological data to understand how organisms interact with their environments, with a focus on structure, function, and behavior.
You will also contribute to advancing autonomous experimentation and high-throughput phenotyping in support of DOE BER and EMSL User Program objectives. This includes:
Developing innovative approaches to accelerate biological research.
Partnering with automation engineers to design and implement automated workflows for strain engineering, cultivation, and phenotyping.
Leveraging robotics and integrated data systems to enhance experimental throughput and efficiency.

Requirements

• BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant experience -OR- PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in Microbiology, Synthetic Biology, Bioengineering, Microbial Genetics, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• Expertise in microbial molecular biology and cell physiology with proven ability to design and execute experiments in microbiology with a strong emphasis on microbial physiology, applying advanced molecular biology techniques to investigate genetic and phenotypic traits.
• Demonstrated expertise in microbial physiology, strain development, lab automation and genetic engineering.
• Experience with genome editing and molecular tools (e.g., CRISPR/Cas systems) to engineer microbial strains for improved performance in biotechnology applications is critical.
• Analytical experience with integration of multi-modal data (e.g., transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) to link genetic drivers to physiological outcomes and using bioinformatics approaches to guide strain optimization.
• Demonstrated experience in collaborating across disciplines and institutions, working closely with computational scientists, engineers, and biologists to achieve project goals and contribute to multi-institutional research initiatives.
• Proven ability to mentor and engage in team-based problem solving, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary innovation.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal teams and external partners on multidisciplinary research projects.
• Communicate complex scientific findings through clear written reports, oral presentations, and peer-reviewed publications tailored to diverse audiences.
• Uphold rigorous laboratory safety and compliance standards, ensuring all experimental activities meet PNNL protocols and DOE requirements.
• Developing innovative approaches to accelerate biological research.
• Partnering with automation engineers to design and implement automated workflows for strain engineering, cultivation, and phenotyping.
• Leveraging robotics and integrated data systems to enhance experimental throughput and efficiency.

Benefits

• Employees 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree