M365 Specialist

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

2d•Hybrid

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 directorates related to Mission Support & Operations include Office of General Counsel, Business Services, Communications and External Engagement, Operational Systems, Communications and Information Technology, and Performance Management. At PNNL, our Computing and Information Technology organization is redefining how we work and innovate by reimagining the digital workplace. We empower research and streamline operations—making both faster, smarter, and more efficient—so our professionals can tackle some of the world's toughest challenges in science, energy, and national security. Our experts in AI, cybersecurity, design, and engineering work side by side, using real-time insights and human-centered design to break down barriers. Ready to make your mark on tomorrow? Come work with us. The Cybersecurity & DigitalOps Division governs, secures, manages, and supports the core computing infrastructure and services at PNNL. We protect and defend PNNL’s infrastructure, data, and reputation from cyber adversaries and we influence, advance, and showcase cybersecurity research at PNNL through strong partnerships with our research groups. Our core infrastructure technology and services deliver rigorous, efficient, and operationally excellent services to the Laboratory, maximizing productivity and enabling employees to work anytime, anywhere. For this position, we are searching for M365 subject matter expert to work within the Digital Operations directorate’s Cloud Applications space to provide not only the essential M365 product administration duties but also to be able to design, develop, implement, maintain, operate, and support many IT infrastructure elements relevant to IT technology operations. We are looking for an exceptional candidate who is comfortable with a holistic view of the enterprise level IT architecture designs and can challenge the team in various IT infrastructure domains. In this role, you will provide advanced support, administration, and troubleshooting for Microsoft 365 (M365) services. This role acts as an escalation point for Level 1 support teams, handles complex service issues, supports governance and lifecycle management activities, and contributes to continuous improvement of the M365 tenant through automations. You will be responsible for improving the health and functionality of our M365 product suite and you will be part of a team who is responsible for managing PNNL’s enterprise cloud application services. Ability and desire to learn Azure technologies, along with general knowledge of virtual environments, comfortable with architecting, designing, and implementing enterprise Azure application solutions is a plus. In addition to that, you will take strong personal responsibility for the health of PNNL’s enterprise IT environment and relationship with our customers. Will be able to design, lead and install all the domain elements of an IT environment and provide professional assessment of an existing installation. In this role, you will be applying engineering and technical principles to the design and development of computer networks, cyber security infrastructure, telecommunications, information technology systems and tools, and database systems. Analyzes, installs, integrates, modifies, and supports all associated systems, networks, software, and databases. Plans and conducts projects after analysis of functional and operational requirements. May consult with and lead cross-functional teams.

Requirements

BS/BA in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, or a related technical field and 2 years of relevant experience -OR- MS/MA or PhD in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, Mathematics, or related technical field.
Experience designing multi-platform authentication and authorization solutions.
Experience in designing, deploying, and managing M365 products, solutions, and technologies.
Experience with Windows Server operating systems, VMware virtualization, OS X/iOS/Android device management.
Knowledge of automation or migration tooling (PowerShell, ShareGate, admin center automation workflows[CL1.1][CL2.1]).
Strong understanding of AD/EntraID identity, MFA, conditional access, privileged access management, and group governance.
Proficiency with PowerShell,for automation, configuration, and troubleshooting.
Understanding of service monitoring, alerting, and reporting concepts.
Demonstrated ability to self-direct, prioritize, and manage multiple tasks and priorities.
Strong interpersonal skills with ability to communicate with both technical and non-technical audiences.
Demonstrated ability to solve challenging technical problems with innovative solutions.
Customer-focused mindset with a problem-solving attitude.
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.
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.
PNNL is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require new employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identify Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication. The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.
If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) Federal risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement thereafter, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment. The tier of federal background investigation required to obtain the PIV credential will be determined by job duties at the time you become eligible for the PIV credential.
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

Ability and desire to learn Azure technologies, along with general knowledge of virtual environments, comfortable with architecting, designing, and implementing enterprise Azure application solutions is a plus.
AWS experience is a plus.
Basic familiarity with DevOps principles and willingness to learn low‑code/no‑code development (Power Platform).

Responsibilities

Advanced Support & Troubleshooting
Proven experience administering and supporting Microsoft 365 services with strong familiarity using AI-powered features such as Microsoft 365 Copilot to improve productivity, streamline workflows, and enhance user experience.
Act as an escalation point for complex Microsoft 365 issues across Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, Purview, Power Platform, AV, Voice, and related services.
Investigate issues involving identity and access, conditional access, MFA, account provisioning, guest access, group governance, and app integrations.
Use M365 admin portals, Azure AD/Entra ID, Defender suites, and diagnostic tools to conduct deep-dive troubleshooting.
Provide Tier 2-3 end-user support for tickets/issues related to any M365 products/apps/services.
Experience analyzing M365 usage data to identify issues and usage patterns.
Writing and maintaining custom scripts (PowerShell) to install new settings or deployments and remediate issues with support users. Apply scripting skills to automate tasks.
Experience and willingness to learn Microsoft Power Platform administration, and basic low-code/no-code development environment.
Cloud & Infrastructure
Administer, maintain, migrate, and support M365 environments and hybrid integrations.
Understand core on-premises concepts (Active Directory, Group Policies, DNS, Windows Server, IIS).
Support Azure AD Connect and object synchronization between on‑prem and cloud.
Collaborate with Infrastructure teams to implement backup and recovery strategies for M365 workloads.
Understand IaaS/PaaS foundational concepts and core Azure capabilities (AWS experience is a plus).
Basic familiarity with DevOps principles and willingness to learn low‑code/no‑code development (Power Platform).
Service Operations & Governance
Comfortable leveraging AI technologies to interpret organizational data across Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, including drafting content, summarizing communications, generating insights, and guiding end users in responsible AI use.
Apply and maintain M365 lifecycle, governance, and security best practices (based on Cloud Applications team models).
Monitor service health, alerts, and admin center notifications; identify recurring problems and propose operational improvements.
Assist with change and release management activities, including evaluating roadmap items, coordinating with SMEs, and validating impacts prior to rollout.
Support security and compliance tasks, including retention policies, DLP, and access governance.
Tenant Configuration & Administration
Configure and maintain M365 tenant: Teams policies, SharePoint and OneDrive configuration, Exchange mail flow rules, Power Platform environments, and Purview compliance controls.
Support migrations (SharePoint libraries/pages, mailbox transitions, free/busy changes) and ensure continuity during retirements or platform changes.
Assist with license assignment workflows, app setup, and onboarding processes when new tools (e.g., Copilot) are introduced.
Collaboration With Cross-Functional Teams
Partner with TechDesk, Infrastructure, Identity, Desktop and Network teams, Cyber Security, Software Developers and Product managers and SMEs to improve support processes and system reliability.
Update documentation, knowledge articles, connected outreach content, and governance materials.
Participate in readiness reviews, operational alignment meetings, and community working groups as needed.
User Communication & Training Support
Guide Level 1 support teams on expected troubleshooting steps, escalation criteria, and customer communication.
Support internal outreach by helping refine admin guidance, end-user instructions, and readiness notifications.