Hanford Analytical Operations Manager

Planned Systems International, Inc. • Richland, WA

20d • Onsite

About The Position

Advanced Technologies and Laboratories (ATL), a Planned Systems International (PSI) company, is seeking an Analytical Operations Manager to provide technical and operational management of analytical laboratory activities supporting the Hanford Site’s environmental management and waste cleanup mission. The role directs analytical operations across inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, radiochemistry, materials science, sample preparation, and related laboratory services. It ensures results are accurate, timely, technically defensible, and compliant with applicable quality assurance, safety, and regulatory requirements.

The manager leads analytical personnel and technical supervisors while managing laboratory production capacity, scheduling, method performance, equipment utilization, and coordination with facility operations. Responsibilities also include overseeing analytical quality and technical integrity; radiological and chemical safety; production and efficiency; and leadership and customer integration. The successful candidate combines scientific and analytical expertise with management experience operating a complex, regulated laboratory.

The role requires full-time assignment to the Hanford 222-S Laboratory contract, with a permanent duty station at the Hanford Site or in the surrounding local area. Selected candidates must be willing to sign a key personnel letter of commitment for a minimum three-year period beginning at contract transition Notice to Proceed. The position is contingent upon contract award and applicable employment and site-access requirements. Candidates must provide information for a compliant proposal resume and be prepared to participate in DOE oral evaluation activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, radiochemistry, chemical engineering, nuclear chemistry, materials science, or a related scientific discipline.
• Recommended 12 or more years of experience in analytical laboratory operations, including regulated analytical services.
• Recommended 5 or more years of managerial responsibility for laboratory operations, analytical production, or multidisciplinary scientific teams.
• Demonstrated experience supervising complex analytical workflows, laboratory quality programs, and scientific or technical personnel.
• Experience managing laboratory throughput, technical quality, instrumentation, and customer delivery requirements.
• Working knowledge of analytical methods, data validation, quality control, and laboratory information systems.
• Availability for full-time assignment to the Hanford 222-S Laboratory contract, with a permanent duty station at the Hanford Site or in the local surrounding area.
• Willingness to execute a key personnel letter of commitment for a minimum three-year commitment beginning at contract transition Notice to Proceed.
• Ability to provide information necessary for a compliant proposal resume and participate in DOE oral evaluation activities.
• Satisfy applicable employment and site-access requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or doctorate in a related technical discipline.
• Senior management experience within the DOE complex, including DOE Environmental Management or National Nuclear Security Administration facilities.
• Direct experience with nuclear analytical laboratories, hot-cell operations, radioactive waste characterization, or high-hazard industrial facilities.
• Familiarity with 10 CFR 830, DOE O 422.1, DOE O 414.1, DOE nuclear safety requirements, and integrated safety management.
• Experience with DOE performance-based contracts and government oversight.
• Experience transitioning or stabilizing complex government-operated or contractor-operated facilities.
• Proven ability to lead organizational improvements in represented workforce environments.
• Executive judgment and decision-making under operational uncertainty.
• Demonstrated commitment to nuclear and worker safety.
• Clear, credible communication with DOE and technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing mission, safety, budget, and schedule priorities.
• Organizational accountability, employee engagement, and succession planning.
• Ability to lead through significant operational challenges and regulatory scrutiny.

Responsibilities

• Direct daily and long-range analytical operations supporting radioactive tank waste characterization, environmental sampling, and related laboratory missions.
• Oversee inorganic, organic, radiochemical, and materials science analytical activities.
• Manage sample receipt, preparation, analysis, technical review, and reporting processes.
• Set analytical production priorities and ensure timely completion of customer deliverables.
• Coordinate sample throughput, technical resources, equipment availability, and analytical schedules.
• Manage laboratory capacity, workload balancing, personnel assignments, and emerging analytical requirements.
• Ensure analytical methods and results meet applicable laboratory quality assurance and customer requirements.
• Oversee method qualification, validation, calibration, quality control, and technical data review.
• Establish controls for analytical precision, accuracy, traceability, and defensibility.
• Support laboratory assessments, technical audits, performance evaluations, and corrective actions.
• Maintain laboratory data management and sample traceability processes; identify trends, recurring deficiencies, and opportunities to improve method reliability.
• Ensure compliance with chemical hygiene, radiological protection, contamination control, and hazardous materials requirements.
• Coordinate safe work involving radioactive and hazardous materials, including work in hot cells, gloveboxes, and laboratory hoods.
• Promote conservative decision-making, procedural compliance, and employee reporting of abnormal conditions.
• Ensure employees have appropriate qualifications, training, and authorization for assigned analytical activities.
• Coordinate with nuclear safety, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, and facility operations personnel.
• Develop and monitor performance indicators for analytical throughput, turnaround time, sample backlog, quality, equipment availability, and resource utilization.
• Implement production improvements that increase sample throughput without compromising analytical accuracy or safety.
• Lead technical process improvement, automation, instrumentation upgrades, and analytical method development initiatives.
• Evaluate staffing requirements, instrument performance, and laboratory production bottlenecks.
• Support cost-effective procurement and lifecycle planning for analytical instrumentation, consumables, and technical services.
• Supervise analytical section managers, technical personnel, chemists, scientists, and laboratory support functions.
• Coordinate analytical schedules and requirements with the Laboratory Manager, Facility Operations Manager, and customer representatives.
• Resolve conflicts involving sample priorities, technical requirements, and laboratory capacity.
• Develop technical staff capabilities, succession plans, and specialized laboratory competencies.
• Communicate laboratory production performance, operational risks, and corrective actions to senior management.

Benefits

• Paid leave.
• Options for employer-sponsored group medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Life insurance and AD&D coverage.
• Legal services, identity theft, and accident insurance.
• Flexible spending account and health savings account options for pre-tax savings on qualified medical, dental, and vision expenses.
• Company-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan with an employer contribution match that is immediately vested.
• Professional courses and certifications.
• Tuition reimbursement programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior