Responsibilities

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join PNNL's advanced AI engineering team and help build next-generation systems across agentic AI platforms, large-scale data orchestration, and real-time intelligence processing. You'll design scalable, mission-critical solutions while mentoring others and shaping technical direction.

Who You Are
An accomplished engineer with strong foundations in scalable system design, AI/ML development, and production software. You're ready to lead complex system components, mentor junior engineers, and turn technical requirements into working solutions.

What You'll Build

• AI Systems: Agentic AI, LLM orchestration (LangChain, LlamaIndex), MLOps pipelines, and multi-modal data integration
• Scalable Infrastructure: Microservices, real-time streaming, large scale ETL pipelines, and Kubernetes deployments
• Production Systems: Monitoring/observability, secure & edge deployments, geospatial and time-series processing
• Technical Leadership: Lead project components, mentor staff, drive design decisions, and support proposals

What You Bring

• Engineering: Strong Python plus one other language (.NET/C#, Go, C++, Rust); solid CS fundamentals (object-oriented design, design patterns, data structures, algorithms, and clean code practices), Git, testing (TDD), CI/CD, and AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, Claude, Cursor)
• AI/ML: Understanding of the ML lifecycle, model serving, and production integration via APIs
• Cloud Native: Hands-on experience with AWS/Azure/GCP, Docker/Kubernetes, event-driven & microservice architectures, API design (REST, GraphQL, gRPC), and SQL/NoSQL databases
• Data Engineering: ETL/ELT pipelines, distributed processing (Spark, Kafka, Flink, Ray), cloud storage, and data modeling at scale
• Collaboration: Strong communication and engagement with cross-functional teams, Agile experience, mentorship, and pragmatic delivery

National Interest Project Examples

• Detect and prevent smuggling of drugs and contraband at ports of entry [Link]
• Develop large data pipelines to thwart funding for terrorists, nuclear proliferators, drug cartels, and rogue leaders [Link]
• Applying big data solutions to national security problems [Link]
• Applying image classification for nuclear forensics analysis [Link]
• Develop capabilities for scalable geospatial analytics [Link]

Read more about the AI & Data Analytics division: https://www.pnnl.gov/ai-and-data-analytics

This position is based in Richland, WA or Seattle, WA and requires onsite presence Monday through Thursday, with Friday as needed based on business needs.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• PhD and 1 year of Software Engineering experience -OR-
• MS/MA and 3 years of Software Engineering experience -OR-
• BS/BA and 5 years of Software Engineering experience -OR
• AA and 14 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 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.
• Current, hands-on software development experience using Python.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Actively using Python and have been doing so for the previous three years
• Advanced Python expertise: Building production-grade applications, libraries, or frameworks at scale
• ETL/data pipeline experience: Designing and optimizing large-scale ETL/ELT workflows using cloud-native tools (AWS Glue, Azure Data Factory, Step Functions) and distributed frameworks (Spark, Kafka)
• Deep cloud platform experience: Production deployments on AWS, Azure, or GCP, with multi-cloud and Kubernetes orchestration highly valued
• FFRDC or national laboratory experience: Prior work within a Federally Funded Research and Development Center or DOE national lab environment
• National security / mission-driven experience: Supporting government, defense, or national security programs, including familiarity with secure and compliance-driven environments
• Agentic AI / LLM experience: Hands-on work with LLM orchestration, RAG, or autonomous agent frameworks
• MLOps maturity: Experience operationalizing ML models with experiment tracking, versioning, and monitoring in production

Hazardous Working Conditions/Environment

Not applicable.

Additional Information

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.

A security clearance background investigation includes review of your employment, education, financial, and criminal history, as well as interviews with you and your personal references, neighbors, and co-workers to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. The investigation also examines your foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct.

Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship

"Referral Eligible"

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 $133,100.00/Yr.
Maximum Salary

USD $210,400.00/Yr.