Applied Data Scientist 3

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments called Directorates, each focused on a specific area of scientific research or function. The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to address complex, real-world threats. The Emerging Threats and Technologies Division (ETT), part of NSD, consists of over 400 scientists, engineers, and analysts with backgrounds in cyber, nuclear, intelligence, policy, data science, and other fields. We work in interdisciplinary teams to provide innovative solutions integrating policy, analytics, science, and technology.

About the role

ETT delivers threat-informed approaches to research and development (R&D) and fosters a culture of research-to-operations to harness opportunities from emerging and disruptive technologies while countering associated threats. We are seeking a Data Scientist with expertise in AI and a passion for solving mission-critical challenges to join our interdisciplinary team. This role focuses on delivering data-driven solutions addressing critical national security challenges within nuclear nonproliferation, policy, and emerging technology domains. The successful candidate will collaborate with peers to apply AI and machine learning models, analyze datasets, work with domain experts, and perform research bridging cutting-edge methods and field-ready solutions. This position supports PNNL's mission through impactful R&D projects tackling national challenges while offering professional growth opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement AI/data science solutions to address complex national security problems, with a focus on nuclear nonproliferation, strategic policy analysis, and emerging/disruptive technology assessment.
• Develop AI/data science solutions for technical challenges, including all-source analysis, object detection, data fusion, and end-to-end data science workflows.
• Design, develop, and implement methods, processes, and systems to analyze diverse datasets, integrating multiple modalities.
• Demonstrate ability to transfer skills across application domains with a deployment-focused approach, particularly in support of non-proliferation missions.
• Develop and evaluate predictive models and advanced algorithms to extract actionable value from structured and unstructured data.
• Identify and assess domain-relevant data resources; translate findings into actionable technical approaches and mission-relevant capabilities.
• Apply machine learning, data modeling, and software engineering to integrate and clean data, quantify uncertainty, identify patterns, and generate insights from high-dimensional datasets.
• Navigate the intersection of policy, data science, and software engineering to develop solutions addressing real-world constraints.
• Deliver solutions driven by exploratory data analysis and rapid prototyping, with a focus on transition to operational use.
• Build and maintain external partnerships that strengthen the team’s technical reputation and align outcomes with sponsor priorities.
• Serve as a principal investigator (PI) or co-PI on projects integrating multiple capabilities and/or interdisciplinary approaches.
• Mentor and guide junior staff, fostering technical excellence and professional development.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to rapidly assess ambiguous situations, exercise sound judgment with limited time/inputs, and communicate well-considered recommendations.
• Experience applying traditional statistical methods, ML, and AI to unimodal and multimodal open-source data (e.g., text, image, audio, video, graph), including preprocessing, representation/encoding, and task-specific modeling/decoding.
• Experience with scientific data modalities such as microscopy, radiation spectra, or mass spectrometry.
• Strong proficiency in Python and experience with ML/AI frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Hugging Face).
• Experience navigating research codebases (e.g., notebooks, prototype scripts) and translating them into maintainable, production-ready components.
• Experience designing and deploying scalable ML pipelines or AI-enabled tools in operational or mission-critical environments (on-prem and/or cloud).
• Experience in data management for AI applications, including system design, version control, and experimental dataset curation.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills; ability to bridge research, engineering, and domain stakeholders.
• Proficiency in at least one general-purpose programming language (e.g., Python, R, Julia, Java, C/C++).
• Experience working with sensitive and/or classified data in a national security context.
• Demonstrated experience applying Intelligence Community Directives pertaining to collection and dissemination of all-source intelligence analysis.
• Experience leading small to mid-sized teams (approximately 5+ staff) to deliver applied technical work.
• Experience briefing non-technical audiences.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance. The background investigation includes review of employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct.
• Applicants must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
• This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP), subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, consistent with the Controlled Substances Act and PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program. Applicants must demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).

About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State, known for its outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is a 45-minute flight (or ~3-hour drive) from Seattle or Portland and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.