Masters Intern - Research Computing Internship (PEARC)

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. 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.

About the role

This is a cohort-based internship program. Interns work in small teams, each paired with mentors and project stewards from across the Lab. Assignments run 10 to 12 weeks with the possibility of extension. Participants will be starting in cohort sessions and must be available to start in May or June 2027.

As a Masters-level intern, you may take on additional responsibility in areas like technical leadership, architecture decisions, or guiding project direction alongside your mentor. You will work on the same teams as undergraduate interns and are expected to contribute to a collaborative, supportive team environment.

Program Includes

• Strategically important projects with real deliverables in a team environment
• Weekly engagement with senior leadership, including briefings and a final presentation to our Directorate
• A dedicated full-time mentor, coaching sessions, workshops, and lab tours
• Exposure to diverse career paths in research computing through collaboration with research scientists, engineers, and leadership
• Social and networking events throughout the program

Project Areas

Intern teams are assigned to projects based on skills and interests. Examples from previous cohorts:

• Implementing open-source ML workflow tools to enable research teams to automate and leverage ML platforms
• Prototyping private Generative AI environments to explore how these technologies can transform research processes
• Optimizing and parallelizing scientific codes for supercomputers, including participation in a high-performance coding bootcamp
• Building cloud "blueprint" templates on AWS, Azure, and GCP to help scientists and engineers provision cloud services
• Developing CI/CD pipelines and supporting application migration with software engineering teams

Responsibilities

Research Computing at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) empowers researchers by removing technical barriers to discovery. We provide access to high-performance computing (HPC), GPU-accelerated compute, scientific software, research data management (featuring the PNNL Research Library), and cloud computing. We sit within the Computing and Information Technology directorate, which supports PNNL's mission across science, energy, and national security.

Requirements

We are recruiting across three tracks. You do not need to fit all three; identify the one that best matches your background.

Software Development Track

• Experience with one or more of: Python, C, C#, JavaScript, React, or R
• Interest in building tools, APIs, or applications that support scientific research

Data Engineering Track

• Experience with one or more of: Python, R, SQL, or data pipeline frameworks
• Interest in research data management, ML workflows, or analytics infrastructure

IT / Cloud Engineering Track

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) or computing infrastructure management
• Foundational knowledge of configuration management, CI/CD, or infrastructure-as-code tools

Across all tracks, we value curiosity, willingness to learn, comfort working in teams, and the ability to communicate technical work to non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates must be matriculated/enrolled in a Master's program at an accredited college or university.
• Minimum GPA of 3.0 is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Human-Centered Design, Electrical/Electronic Engineering, or a related field
• GPA of 3.25 or higher

Additional Information

• This position involves access to sensitive systems and information. U.S. Citizenship is required.
• This is not a Testing Designated Position (TDP).

Benefits

Regular Hourly Employees are offered an employee assistance program and business travel insurance. Employees are eligible for the company funded pension plan and 401k savings plan, once eligibility requirements are met. Temporary Hourly Employees are offered an employee assistance program and business travel insurance.

Pay

Minimum Salary USD $20.87/Hr. Maximum Salary USD $31.30/Hr.