Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) Director

About the role

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, Integrated Discovery 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 Integrated Discovery Sciences Directorate (IDSD) leads fundamental research across biology, chemistry, earth and environmental sciences, materials science, advanced computing, super intelligence, quantum information science, mathematics, autonomy, and DOE national user facilities. Our vision is to accelerate scientific discovery by observing, understanding, simulating, predicting, and controlling dynamic biotic-abiotic processes and interactions within complex biological, chemical, material, and Earth systems. We intentionally connect disciplines to advance fundamental discovery science, develop transformative scientific capabilities, and address the nation's most important challenges in energy, environmental resilience, biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, health, and national security.

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility advancing molecular-level discoveries that support predictive understanding of biological, environmental, and energy systems. As the EMSL Director, you will lead one of the nation's most collaborative scientific user programs, shaping its scientific vision, stewarding its capabilities, and providing operational and strategic leadership. Reporting to the Associate Laboratory Director (ALD) of the newly formed Integrated Discovery Sciences Directorate, the EMSL Director serves as a key member of the directorate's scientific leadership team and provides direct oversight to a core EMSL science and operations leadership group of 25–50 staff. EMSL's user program mission is to lead molecular-level discoveries for the DOE Office of Science Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program, ensuring EMSL delivers high-impact science and predictive insights that translate to predictive biological and environmental understanding and accelerated solutions for national energy and environmental challenges.

Responsibilities

• Lead the EMSL User Facility and Program, ensuring scientific excellence, program productivity, and safe operations.
• Ensure smooth transition to operations and ongoing high-impact science as the $122M EMSL expansion (including the Microbial Molecular Phenotyping Capability (M2PC) project) begins construction and eventual commissioning near FY2029.
• Work collaboratively across BER User Facilities and Enabling Technologies resources to promote, advance, and lead discovery science research with the BER community across biotechnology and critical biology-Earth-Energy intersections.
• Develop, articulate, and implement an ambitious, bold, forward-looking scientific vision that enables molecular science discoveries and effectively mobilizes the scientific community to provide foundations for BER research priorities and the nation's critical biological, environmental, and energy challenges.
• Enable integrated, cross-collaboration and engagement among the laboratory and broader scientific user community.
• Represent EMSL as the primary spokesperson for the User Program in interactions with DOE, BER, broader research communities, and other government agencies.
• Accountable for User Program budgets, funding, workforce planning, human resource management, capital acquisitions, environmental health and safety, and facilities management.
• Enhance EMSL's research programs and capabilities in alignment with emerging mission priorities.
• Strengthen partnerships with academic institutions, national laboratories, other DOE User Facilities, scientific networks, and sponsors to enhance program impact and visibility.
• Provide strategic direction to EMSL research groups and directly supervise members of the EMSL leadership team.
• Oversee ES&H safety criteria for safe operation of laboratories, in compliance with lab, state, and federal regulations.
• Ensure safe operations with oversight of field deployments.
• Direct line management of EMSL leadership team and critical science and operational roles (~20 staff).
• Partner with Division Directors to collaboratively matrix lead and manage scientific, technical, and operational staff directly supporting the EMSL user program and facility across P