Electrical and Electromechanical Systems Engineer III

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Disruptive Technology group, part of the Physical Detection Systems and Deployment Division (PDSD) within the National Security Directorate (NSD) at PNNL, is seeking an Electrical and Electromechanical Systems Engineer III. This role will support national-security missions requiring instrumentation, control systems, data acquisition, measurement science, and technical problem solving. The group focuses on delivering policy-informed technology solutions by understanding end-user environments to transition technology from development to deployment. This specific role will focus on hardware development, integration, troubleshooting, and deployment of complex measurement systems, including those for nuclear event monitoring and next-generation in-field gas analysis for radioactive noble gas detection and characterization. The successful candidate will learn the technical mission area, perform hands-on engineering, and grow into a project-facing technical contributor capable of interacting with sponsors and supporting technical planning.

Requirements

BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant work experience -OR- MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant work experience -OR- PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience
U.S. Citizenship
Ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
Must pass a pre-employment drug test and be subject to random drug testing.
Must demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).

Nice To Haves

Degree in Electrical Engineering, Controls Engineering, Systems Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
Experience designing, documenting, integrating, and troubleshooting control systems or instrumentation hardware.
Hands-on experience with prototype wiring, sensors, signal conditioning, DAQ interfaces, power supplies, relays, interlocks, electrical safety practices, and laboratory troubleshooting.
Working knowledge of electromechanical systems involving gas handling, vacuum systems, compressors, valves, detectors, embedded controllers, PLCs, or automated test systems.
Ability to translate ambiguous system behavior into structured troubleshooting plans, test procedures, data reviews, and corrective actions.
Experience supporting fieldable or deployable systems, including configuration management, maintainability, verification, and operational-readiness activities.
Competence with data analysis or scripting tools such as Python, MATLAB, LabVIEW, or equivalent tools.
Interest in advancing measurement systems through practical use of automation, AI/ML-enabled diagnostics where appropriate, new sensors, and emerging technologies.
Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to explain technical findings to project teams, sponsors, and non-specialist stakeholders.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary science and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

Develop, review, and maintain electrical schematics, wiring diagrams, interface definitions, and configuration-controlled technical documentation for prototype and deployed instrumentation systems.
Design, implement, and troubleshoot control-system hardware for integrated gas-processing systems.
Troubleshoot low-voltage and high-voltage electrical circuits, instrument wiring, sensor interfaces, power distribution, grounding, noise, and system integration issues in laboratory and deployment-like environments.
Support electromechanical system development, assembly, verification, commissioning, field-readiness activities, field deployment support, and post-test troubleshooting.
Connect measurement-system needs with practical engineering outputs, including subsystem requirements, test plans, acceptance criteria, and corrective-action recommendations.
Analyze operational and experimental data to diagnose system performance, identify failure modes, and recommend design or process improvements.
Contribute to automation, maintainability, throughput, consumables reduction, and measurement-efficiency improvements for next-generation deployable detection systems.
Coordinate with scientists, software engineers, mechanical engineers, technicians, project managers, and sponsors to deliver safe, reliable, and mission-relevant technical outcomes.
Prepare figures, test summaries, engineering notes, technical reports, and presentation materials for internal project reviews, sponsor discussions, and technical decision-making.
Operate with high standards for quality, safety, security, conduct of research, and protection of sensitive information.