Responsibilities

The Principal Administrative Coordinator provides high-level operational and administrative support to the Division Director for Proposals, Contracts, and Acquisitions (PC&A), the extended Leadership Team, and division staff. As a key administrative resource, the role coordinates diverse business processes, works autonomously with sound judgment and professionalism, supports cross-organizational collaboration, and identifies opportunities to improve administrative practices that enhance overall efficiency and consistency.

Strategic and Operational Support

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to the Division Director and leadership team.
• Anticipate needs and prepare the Director through proactive planning, calendaring, and briefing.
• Manage complex and shifting schedules, optimize time commitments, arrange meetings, and prepare materials for presentations, reports, and deliverables.
• Track, coordinate, and initiate actions across multiple concurrent assignments to ensure timely and high-quality completion of operational workflows.
• Handle sensitive and confidential information with the highest level of discretion and integrity.
• Coordinate and process travel and expense activities by assisting staff with travel planning, ensuring compliance with PNNL and DOE requirements, preparing and reviewing expense reports for accuracy, and supporting timely submission and resolution of reimbursements.
• Independently oversee and refine administrative processes by maintaining tracking tools, reports, and information resources, ensuring clear visibility into priorities and workflows across the division.
• Proactively manage cross-organizational coordination by communicating status, identifying and resolving issues, and addressing both routine and atypical administrative challenges with sound judgment and initiative.

Correspondence & Deliverables Management

• Oversee DOE-related correspondence and deliverables, including drafting letters, maintaining status updates in CCTS, and partnering with contracting professional leads to ensure alignment and accuracy.
• Manage division correspondence workflows by routing materials for administrative completeness, tracking deadlines and status updates, coordinating cross-organizational reviews, and proactively following up with responsible parties to ensure timely completion of outstanding actions.

Training & Cross-Directorate Coordination

• Coordinate cross-directorate training activities, including scheduling TOR 1 Teams-based sessions, managing participant queues, and partnering with the BSD training coordinator, Program Management Lead, and instructors for seamless execution.
• Foster a collaborative BSD administrative team by supporting cross-training and mentoring peers to uphold high-quality administrative practices across the directorate.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Serve as a primary liaison for the Division Director and Leadership Team by representing the division professionally, exercising sound judgment in managing priorities and escalations, and coordinating information and activities across multiple organizations to support effective communication and alignment.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with administrative partners across PNNL, federal site office contacts at PNSO, and external collaborators.

Administrative Leadership and Process Improvement

• Coordinate administrative activities across team members to ensure consistent, efficient execution of division business and alignment of operational priorities.
• Apply in-depth knowledge of department and laboratory processes to independently manage complex administrative responsibilities and maintain high standards of accuracy and compliance.
• Identify administrative issues and improvement opportunities, recommend practical solutions, and support the implementation of enhanced administrative practices and processes across the division and related organizations.

This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence Monday through Thursday, with Friday as required by business needs.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma/GED and 12 years of relevant experience in an administrative environment -OR-
• AA degree or higher and 10 years of relevant experience in an administrative environment.
• Experience in planning meetings and coordinating travel

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage effectively with diverse audiences, including senior managers and external clients.
• Demonstrated sound judgment and initiative in facilitating programs, policies, and procedures.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters with professionalism.
• Autonomous oversight of administrative processes and procedures.
• Extensive working knowledge of departmental and company policies and practices.
• Consistent identification and recommendation of process improvements and enhancements to directorate or group practices.
• Experience serving as a liaison to support coordination of business activities.
• Proven ability to multi-task, prioritize, and organize work under tight deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Ability to manage day-to-day office and team coordination with minimal supervisory input.
• Trained in B2B purchasing and coordinates regular office supply procurement.

Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment

Not applicable.

Additional Information

Not applicable.

Testing Designated Position

This is not a Testing Designated Position (TDP).

Rockstar Rewards

Employees 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.

Click Here For Rockstar Rewards

Notice to Applicants

PNNL 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 Salary

USD $34.57/Hr.
Maximum Salary

USD $50.10/Hr.