ResponsibilitiesPNNL's Communications organization is committed to elevating PNNL's reputation, inspiring action, and engaging audiences by transforming the Lab's science, mission, and impact into influential communications and compelling stories.
We are seeking a communications professional who strengthens how Communications organizes, delivers, and evaluates its work. This role combines operating model stewardship, work management systems, performance analysis, and hands-on communications to improve execution, inform decisions, and support staff engagement.
Working within the strategic direction established by the Strategy & Insights Lead, this individual contributor independently manages assigned processes and projects, analyzes performance, develops recommendations, and implements approved improvements. The role collaborates across teams to resolve operational issues and elevates decisions requiring broader changes to priorities, resources, or governance.
Operating Model and Work Management Stewardship
- Steward day-to-day use of the Communications operating model, maintaining intake, routing, handoff, and closeout processes that support consistent delivery.
- Administer and maintain ClickUp, including workflows, templates, fields, dashboards, and supporting guidance.
- Conduct recurring reviews of system adoption and data quality, working with staff and leads to address incomplete, inconsistent, or outdated information.
- Support consistent application of established tiering, priority, and workflow expectations, elevating questions that require leadership decisions.
- Provide user support and coordinate adoption activities, including improvement sprints, Q&A sessions, new-user onboarding, resource updates, and division-wide communications; resolve system issues in partnership with technical specialists as needed.
- Investigate recurring workflow problems, assess contributing factors and potential solutions, and implement approved improvements that strengthen coordination and delivery.
- Maintain system documentation and coordinate recurring maintenance, archive, and fiscal-year transition activities.
Communications Performance Analysis and Reporting
- Develop recurring reports and briefings that provide leadership with a consistent view of program performance, portfolio and budget alignment, delivery progress, and emerging capacity concerns.
- Analyze activity against established Communications tiers, priorities, and objectives, identifying trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
- Prepare reporting for assigned programs and initiatives, bringing together information on commitments, progress, and documented outcomes.
- Validate inputs with staff, leads, and appropriate business partners; resolve discrepancies; and communicate information gaps or limitations that affect interpretation.
- Translate findings into clear summaries, visualizations, and actionable recommendations that support decisions about priorities, processes, and resources.
- Work with the Strategy & Insights Lead to refine reporting measures and approaches and track follow-through on agreed actions.
Operational and Purchasing Coordination
- Partner with the Recognition in Science and Engineering (RISE) Program Manager to coordinate assigned awards and recognition activities that elevate PNNL's visibility and reputation, including nomination preparation, contributor inputs, reviews, submissions, reporting on program activity and outcomes, and communications celebrating award recipients.
- Manage defined operational improvement projects, establishing deliverables, responsibilities, timelines, and progress updates.
- Gather stakeholder input, assess potential solutions, and implement approved changes, including related communication, guidance, and training.
- Evaluate whether changes achieve their intended results and recommend adjustments.
- Serve as a Technical Oversight Representative (TOR) for assigned contracts, completing required qualifications and working with Contracts Specialists to assess safety and financial risks, monitor subcontractor compliance with contract requirements, review invoices, accept deliverables, and complete closeout activities within authorized responsibilities.
Communications and Staff Engagement
- Develop presentations, briefing materials, staff updates, and other content that communicate Communications priorities, activities, and outcomes.
- Coordinate inputs, reviews, and delivery for trimester presentations, PNSO briefings, and other assigned leadership communications, ensuring materials are accurate, cohesive, and ready on schedule.
- Manage content for Communications SharePoint sites serving division staff and broader Lab audiences, working with content owners to keep information current, accessible, and useful.
- Plan and deliver Commschella (an all staff, annual event) and other assigned staff engagement activities, coordinating content, communications, contributors, logistics, and follow-through.
- Prepare executive communications materials for assigned needs, adapting content to the audience and purpose within established messaging and review processes.
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications:
- BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant communications experience -OR-
- MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant communications experience
- Experience coordinating communications projects or recurring operations involving multiple contributors, deadlines, and deliverables.
- Experience with writing, editing, and presentation-development skills, with attention to audience needs, accuracy, and organizational standards.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proficiency with ClickUp or comparable work management platforms, including workflow configuration, templates, dashboards, and user support.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze operational or communications data and translate findings into clear reports and practical recommendations.
- Familiarity with Excel, Power BI, or comparable reporting and visualization tools.
- Background in executive communications or training in strategic communications, with an understanding of how to translate organizational priorities into clear, audience-focused messages and leadership materials.
- Skill in managing SharePoint or comparable intranet content and shared information resources.
- A record of identifying process problems, implementing improvements, and following projects through to completion.
- Background coordinating staff engagement activities, events, purchasing, or renewals.
- Effective interpersonal and organizational skills, including the ability to manage work independently, build agreement across teams, balance competing needs, and exercise sound judgment about when to elevate decisions.
Hazardous Working Conditions/EnvironmentNot Applicable
Testing Designated PositionThis is not a Testing Designated Position (TDP).
Rockstar RewardsEmployees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.
* Research Associates excluded.
**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.
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Notice to ApplicantsPNNL lists the full pay range for the position in the job posting. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual's relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. This approach is applicable to all positions, with the exception of positions governed by collective bargaining agreements and certain limited-term positions which have specific pay rules.
As part of our commitment to fair compensation practices, we do not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire. Instead, our compensation offers are determined by the specific requirements of the position, prevailing market trends, applicable collective bargaining agreements, pay equity for the position type, and individual qualifications and skills relevant to the performance of the position.
Minimum SalaryUSD $86,700.00/Yr.
Maximum SalaryUSD $134,200.00/Yr.
