Chief Science and Technology Officer

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Scientist and Technology Officer (CSTO) is a key member of the National Security Directorate (NSD) Leadership Team and a critical contributor to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's (PNNL) science and technology enterprise. Reporting to the NSD Associate Laboratory Director (ALD), the CSTO is responsible for developing and executing a science and technology (S&T) strategy that positions NSD—and PNNL—at the forefront of the capabilities required to meet the current and future mission needs of our diverse federal sponsors. Success in this role requires the ability to operate with agility in a fast-paced and continually evolving national security landscape, self-navigate complex scientific and mission environments, and drive progress even in conditions of high ambiguity or incomplete information. Working in close partnership with directorate leadership, the CSTO builds and nurtures the distinctive S&T capabilities that differentiate NSD, fosters an environment of innovation and rigorous scientific inquiry, and engages directly with technical staff to cultivate a culture of excellence, scholarship, and impact. The CSTO must be passionate about creating an environment within NSD that develops our staff to rise to the top of their fields and deliver on the nation's most important national security challenges, while modeling a nimble, adaptive leadership style that responds quickly to emerging priorities. At the laboratory level, the CSTO partners with CSTO peers from other directorates and collaborates with CSTO peers and Program Development Office (PDO) Directors across the directorates as part of the Science and Technology Council, under the leadership of PNNL's Deputy Director for Science and Technology to drive a lab-wide science agenda. Together, they shape and execute the strategy to develop cutting-edge S&T capabilities that span the basic-to-applied research continuum and address the breadth of federal sponsor mission needs across the Laboratory. NSD's distinctive strengths in artificial intelligence and data sciences, applied mathematics, radiochemistry and nuclear science, and chemical and biological detection and forensics are central to serving our sponsors' missions. While deep expertise is not required in all research areas, the CSTO must be able to learn and converse across diverse technical domains, work effectively with teams of S&T leaders to deliver compelling mission-based outcomes, and anticipate where sponsors' greatest challenges will emerge in the future—using discretionary investments to build a strategy aligned with the mission of tomorrow and anticipating area of significant technical and scientific disruption. The role requires an agile mindset capable of rapidly assimilating new scientific information and adapting strategies in response to shifting mission drivers and priorities.

Requirements

BS/BA and 15 years of relevant experience; OR MS/MA or higher and 13 years of relevant experience.
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.
This 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.
Mandatory Requirements: Please 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.

Nice To Haves

PhD in Data Sciences, Computational or Physical Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent.
Demonstrated experience setting vision, strategy, objectives, and priorities to enhance organizational S&T performance.
Experience working with national security, physical, and/or computational sciences mission science, stakeholders, and federal sponsors.
Experience leading and managing large, complex programs and organizations.
A career that has included leadership of a demonstrably high-impact R&D program, research network, or multi-institutional program.
Evidence of S&T breadth and demonstrated ability to learn, engage, and lead across new and emerging technical domains.
Demonstrated ability to foster cultures of innovation, scholarship, and inclusive excellence among research staff.
Strong record of external engagement, scientific visibility, and partnership development with peer institutions, universities, industry, and sponsors.

Responsibilities

Develop, communicate, and execute the NSD S&T strategy in partnership with the ALD, PDO, line management, and technical staff, ensuring alignment with current and future federal sponsor mission needs.
Build organizational consensus for the NSD S&T strategy and steward its execution across the directorate.
Steward and manage directorate overhead and discretionary investments to deliver on strategic objectives and measurable outcomes.
In partnership with PDO, anticipate future sponsor challenges and shape investments that position NSD to lead in emerging mission-relevant S&T domains.
Collaborate with CSTO peers across PNNL, under the leadership of the Deputy Director for Science and Technology, to drive a lab-wide science agenda and develop cutting-edge capabilities applicable to the full range of federal sponsor missions—from basic to applied research.
Support lab-level S&T planning activities and coordinate investments that address interdisciplinary challenges of shared importance across directorates.
Represent NSD's scientific interests and contributions in lab-wide strategic planning forums.
Foster an environment of innovation, rigorous scientific inquiry, scholarship, and excellence across NSD.
Engage NSD staff at all levels, empowering a creative, productive, and innovative research environment.
Promote a culture of mentoring, coaching, and career advancement, working in partnership with line management to develop staff.
In partnership with line management, create and sustain a pipeline of outstanding scientists and engineers who can advance through the research ranks and assume future leadership roles.
Champion a culture that thrives on applying fundamental science to drive transformational applied outcomes for sponsor missions.
Develop and build strategic partnerships within PNNL, other national laboratories, and federal sponsors to advance the NSD S&T agenda.
In partnership with the DDS&T office, develop and build partnerships with universities and industry to advance the NSD S&T agenda.
Represent PNNL's strategic capabilities and outcomes to external stakeholders, sponsors, and partners.
Participate at the national and international level in professional societies, conferences, symposia, and committees to foster awareness and recognition of PNNL's strengths and capabilities.
Facilitate the directorate’s advisory committee. Leverage this senior executive committee to refine NSD strategy and position NSD for continued high-impact mission-aligned S&T investments.
Communicate NSD's strategy and the scientific and mission successes that result from it.