Responsibilities

The Principal Administrative Coordinator provides high-level administrative support to the OSD COO and to leaders within the Aviation and Campus Planning. This highly skilled role delivers advanced coordination, operational oversight, and strategic administrative support. The coordinator ensures seamless office operations, strengthens program execution, and facilitates high-impact communication and decision-making. The successful candidate operates with substantial independence, sound judgment, and professionalism-often anticipating needs, advancing actions, and driving improvement to enhance organizational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide senior-level administrative and operational support to the OSD COO, including high-complexity calendar management, executive briefing preparation, and coordination of strategic engagements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on administrative operations, proactively anticipating needs, identifying gaps, and initiating improvements that support the COO's mission and priorities.
• Coordinate interviews and new-hire onboarding activities-schedule panels, prepare materials, manage candidate and panel communications, and coordinate orientation, access requests, workspace readiness, equipment provisioning, and first-week schedules in partnership with HR/Talent Acquisition and hiring managers.
• Oversee end-to-end travel and expense processes for Aviation and Campus Planning personnel, including itinerary development, expense reporting, corporate card oversight, issue resolution, compliance documentation, and policy guidance.
• Support operational readiness across the 40 Aviation and Campus Planning team members by tracking deadlines, monitoring program requirements, and helping facilitate execution of key operational deliverables.
• Coordinate and document meetings, workshops, site reviews, and cross-organizational discussions, ensuring timely follow-up and accurate recordkeeping.
• Facilitate communication between the COO's office, Aviation Program leadership, Campus Planning teams, OSD divisions, and broader laboratory operational groups.
• Prepare polished executive-level documents, presentations, and communications that support operational clarity and leadership decision-
• Maintain organized and accessible electronic and physical records, including program documents, operational materials, and formal correspondence.
• Ensure administrative workflows, documentation, and processes align with OSD standards and support institutional compliance and safety.
• Coordinate and track formal correspondence including memos, letters, and notifications from draft through approval, signature, distribution, and archiving; Correspondence and Commitment Tracking System training completion is required.
• Provide administrative support to other direct reports to the COO, including the Chief Engineer, Document Management staff, and personnel across the Operations Office.
• Act as the point of contact for PNNL conference room scheduling, managing the inbox and conference room calendars, responding to inquiries, and assisting with scheduling needs.
• Serve as an active member of the OSD administrative team, providing cross-coverage, supporting colleagues as needed, and serving as backup during absences to ensure consistent operational support.
• Lead or contribute to administrative process improvements, training, mentoring, and onboarding efforts for administrative peers.

This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence 4 days a week.

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:

• Experience supporting senior leaders in complex operational or technical environments.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and collaboration platforms (Teams, SharePoint).
• Demonstrated expertise in travel coordination, meeting planning, and executive support.
• Advanced written and verbal communication skills appropriate for executive-level audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities under tight timelines.
• Proven ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise high judgment.
• Strong initiative, problem-solving skills, and ownership of administrative operations.
• Strategic administrative judgment in high-tempo operational environments.
• Strong relationship-building skills across diverse technical and operational teams.
• Exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Leadership in improving workflows, processes, and administrative systems.
• Clear, confident communication and professionalism.

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.

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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.