International Legal Analyst

About the role

The Strategic Threat Analysis (STA) group within the Emerging Threats and Technologies Division of the National Security Directorate (NSD) leverages global partnerships and cross‑domain expertise to address complex domestic and international security challenges. STA equips decision makers with nuanced insights and mitigation strategies in a rapidly evolving threat landscape shaped by emergent adversaries and technologies. Experts bring deep understanding of technical analysis, nonproliferation, risk and resilience, strategic trade controls, and regional affairs, delivering solutions that address gaps in legal frameworks, outdated approaches, and vulnerabilities within international systems and institutions.

This position will be remote or located in Richland, WA; Seattle, WA; or Washington, D.C. based on business need.

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. The Lab’s campus in eastern Washington State offers stellar outdoor recreation, affordable cost of living, and convenient access via the PSC airport (45‑minute flight or ~3‑hour drive from Seattle/Portland).

Responsibilities

• Conduct public international law, comparative law, and domestic legal and regulatory research primarily related to nuclear law and regulation, and other international security issues arising from the deployment of technology. Topic areas may include outer space law, U.N. sanctions implementation and counterproliferation finance, export control law, and cyber security law.
• Analyze international law and policy and existing national laws, regulations, and policy documents to identify divergences.
• Support the development or delivery of curricula for foreign technical assistance related to chemical, biological, nuclear and radioactive materials security and international nuclear safeguards.
• Research, draft, and contribute to written products that contain related legal analysis.
• Apply knowledge of international law, U.S. law and policy, theory, and general industry standards/practices in the following subject areas:
  • Novel applications and deployments of nuclear technologies (e.g., maritime, outer space)
  • Strategic trade controls
  • Arms control
  • International nuclear safeguards
  • Security of extremely hazardous, weaponizable chemical, biological, radioactive, and nuclear (CBRN) materials and associated facilities and activities
  • Cybersecurity
  • Governance and risk mitigation of artificial intelligence
• Utilize technical expertise in one or more legal and/or policy disciplines or subfields; determine significance and reliability of incoming information; integrate new information with current data.
• Apply and interpret theories, principles, methods, tools, and technologies within an area of specialty.
• Provide technical expertise, analysis, and publishable products to advance knowledge of law and policy and address some of the most challenging problems in national security, energy, and the environment.
• Exercise strong research and analytical skills, including the ability to gather, evaluate, and synthesize information from diverse and complex sources including AI tools.
• Monitor regulatory, policy, licensing or other business developments and translate findings into actionable process or service improvement recommendations.
• Apply knowledge of theory and general industry standards/practices in nonproliferation‑related disciplines or subject areas, such as space and maritime law, international safeguards, nuclear export control, arms control, and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear security, including the application of established policies, procedures, and analytic techniques to generate solutions.
• May work on discrete pieces of larger projects or simultaneously with different customers or on different projects.
• Work independently with appropriate oversight; seek out mentoring and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 5 years of relevant experience OR MS/MA, PhD, or JD/LLM and 3 years of relevant experience