Group Leader - Geochemistry

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

10d

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 Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate's (PCSD’s) strengths in experimental, computational, and theoretical chemistry and materials science, together with our advanced computing, applied mathematics and data science capabilities, are central to the discovery mission we embrace at PNNL. But our most important resource is our people—experts across the range of scientific disciplines who team together to take on the biggest scientific challenges of our time. The Physical Sciences Division stewards discovery science research portfolios including catalysis, materials science, separations, analytical chemistry, geosciences, and chemical physics. Our research strives to refine our molecular-level understanding of multiphase systems and phenomena including complex interfaces. We discover and apply new knowledge to address major national priorities and needs in energy sustainability through the development of new energy storage technologies and the creation of high-value fuels and materials from abundant wastes. The Physical Sciences Division seeks a Group Leader (GL) for the Geochemistry group, a diverse, multi-disciplinary basic and applied research group of ~30 staff members and postdoctoral research associates. The group focuses on laboratory experiments and theory/simulation of geochemical reactions at mineral/water interfaces, using synthetic model minerals or well characterized natural materials to isolate molecular-scale mechanisms of adsorption, crystal growth, dissolution, aggregation, and electron transfer. Multidisciplinary expertise spans environmental chemistry, mineralogy, aqueous wet chemistry, thermodynamics of minerals and aqueous solutions, reaction kinetics, lab and synchrotron-based X-ray scattering and spectroscopy, ultrafast spectroscopies, molecular simulation, physical chemistry, and condensed matter physics. Group members regularly collaborate with each other and colleagues in other organizations for widespread impact. We seek outstanding candidates to lead and support this dynamic group, and directly contribute to its research direction. In particular, the primary function of the Group Leader is to provide highly effective mentorship, advocacy, and opportunities that support staff career development. The ideal candidate also leads by example through successful self-supporting research and development aligned with the group direction to which staff can contribute. Your responsibilities will be split nearly evenly between managerial duties (45%) and contributions to peer-reviewed research (55%). In the managerial role, you will provide leadership to the group and Division that will advance geochemistry broadly at PNNL. You will also provide excellent management of a productive and influential research organization and elevate the efficiency and impact of the group. Ensuring ongoing research programs in the group are productive and impactful is crucial. Maintaining effective operations including the management of overhead budgets to achieve operational targets is a key part of the role. We value mentoring and staff development. The ideal candidate will embrace facilitating proposal writing and identifying research opportunities for staff. Scientific expectations include leading and contributing to fundamental peer-reviewed materials research. Active collaborations with research staff across Group and Division organizations in the Physical and Computational Science Directorate and across the Lab are encouraged. We will expect you to quickly establish yourself as an independent principal investigator (PI) through collaborative proposal success.

Requirements

BS/BA and 7+ years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA and 5+ years of relevant experience -OR- PhD with 3+ year of relevant experience
A strong record of scientific accomplishments in an area related to geochemical research, including a significant and strong publication history and a history of attracting funding/grants.
Project/program/line management experience.
Proven track record of strong leadership skills, scientific talent, team-building and motivational skills, and strong written and oral communication skills.
Experience in operating laboratory facilities.
Prior experience with the DOE and other government agencies.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Geochemistry, Geology, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field.

Responsibilities

Provide highly effective mentorship, advocacy, and opportunities that support staff career development.
Provide leadership to the group and Division that will advance geochemistry broadly at PNNL.
Provide excellent management of a productive and influential research organization and elevate the efficiency and impact of the group.
Ensuring ongoing research programs in the group are productive and impactful.
Maintaining effective operations including the management of overhead budgets to achieve operational targets.
Facilitating proposal writing and identifying research opportunities for staff.
Leading and contributing to fundamental peer-reviewed materials research.
Establish yourself as an independent principal investigator (PI) through collaborative proposal success.

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.

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