Lead Full-Stack Product Engineer IV

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 AI and Data Analytics Division, part of NSD, combines domain expertise with advanced hardware and software to deliver computational solutions for complex data and analytic challenges. Working in multidisciplinary teams, we connect foundational research to engineering and operations, providing tools to innovate quickly and field results faster.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of production web applications and reusable interface architectures using React, TypeScript and/or JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Define product direction and technical approaches for adaptive, data-intensive experiences that support collaboration between people and AI agents.
• Translate ambiguous mission needs, competing priorities, and unclear constraints into credible technical plans, including an MVP, sequencing, dependencies, risks, and explicit tradeoffs.
• Work across the stack to ensure interfaces are supported by reliable APIs, data services, authentication, observability, deployment practices, and maintainable technical foundations.
• Design AI-assisted and human-in-the-loop workflows with appropriate transparency, user control, feedback, approval, and recovery when an AI agent is uncertain or wrong.
• Contribute production-quality code while setting a high bar for usability, accessibility, performance, security, observability, maintainability, and visual craft.
• Lead and mentor engineers across experience levels through code and design review, pairing, technical direction, and career guidance; raise engineering standards across the team.
• Lead technical content for proposals, scope and shape new efforts, identify sponsor opportunities, and represent the group’s capabilities to sponsors, collaborators, and the broader community.
• Guide products from early concept through operational use and continuously improve how the team discovers, designs, builds, evaluates, and learns from what it delivers.

This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence.

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship
• Ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance. A 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 be subject to pre-employment drug testing and post-employment random drug testing. Applicants must demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD and 3 years of Software Engineering experience, or
• MS/MA and 5 years of Software Engineering experience, or
• BS/BA and 7 years of Software Engineering experience, or
• AA and 16 years of Software Engineering experience in designing, architecting, programming, deploying, and automating software solutions in support of scientific research or consumer digital product development, or
• HS/GED and 18 years of Software Engineering experience in designing, architecting, programming, deploying, and automating software solutions in support of scientific research or consumer digital product development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated technical influence or thought leadership through open-source maintainership, technical publications or talks, recognized domain expertise, community building, or initiatives that elevate others in the technical community.
• Experience translating ambiguous mission needs into actionable roadmaps, guiding teams through MVP scoping, dependency sequencing, and evolving requirements while managing risks.
• Experience mentoring engineers at various levels through code and design reviews, pairing, career guidance, and preparing them for larger technical scopes.
• Experience building production web applications, reusable component libraries, and complex, data-rich, responsive user interfaces using React, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.
• Experience applying user-centered product development practices such as interaction design, information architecture, usability testing, prototyping, and requirements gathering with modern frontend and backend technologies.
• Experience designing and developing interfaces and backend services for AI-assisted workflows, including user controls, feedback mechanisms, and oversight to improve trust, transparency, and explainability.
• Experience leading technical direction, establishing engineering best practices, securing funding, and demonstrating technical influence through open-source, publications, talks, or community initiatives.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Flexible work schedules

PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only 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.