Senior Machine Learning Engineer-AI Assurance

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments referred to as Directorates, focused on specific areas of scientific research or function with its own leadership and budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment, plus Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to address complex, real-world threats. The AI and Data Analytics Division, part of NSD, combines domain expertise and advanced hardware and software to deliver computational solutions for complex data and analytic challenges, connecting research to engineering and operations. We work in multidisciplinary teams across the data analytics lifecycle, from data acquisition and management to analysis and decision support.

PNNL is seeking a Senior Data Scientist - ML Engineer-AI Assurance with deep experience refactoring and modularizing research code for maintainability, extensibility, and reusability. The candidate will collaborate across research and engineering teams to align research goals with deployment requirements and to develop packages, APIs, and interfaces for straightforward integration into mission-relevant environments. They should be fluent in Python and modern ML frameworks and comfortable working with unstructured, experimental code.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead refactors, modularization, and optimization of research code for maintainability and scalability
• Drive collaboration with researchers to understand algorithmic intent and with engineers to ensure integration into broader systems
• Mentor junior staff on best practices to integrate research into broader systems
• Design and develop tools and APIs to enable integrations into mission-relevant environments and workflows
• Write clear, well-documented code and participate in code reviews
• Conduct work in secure environments and execute work from an operational security perspective

Location: This position is based in Richland, WA or Seattle, WA and requires onsite presence.

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant work experience
  -OR-
• MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant work experience
  -OR-
• PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in computer science, engineering, mathematics, or related fields
• Experience in research engineering, ML engineering, AI systems integration, or applied data science
• Strong proficiency in Python and experience with ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, Tensor Flow, Hugging Face)
• Comfort navigating research codebases (Jupyter notebooks, unstructured scripts) and translating them into production-ready components
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• SCI Clearance

Not applicable.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance. A security clearance background investigation includes review of employment, education, financial, and criminal history, and interviews with the candidate and references to determine trustworthiness, reliability, and loyalty to the United States. Investigations also examine foreign connections, drug and alcohol use, foreign influence, and overall conduct. Requirements:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Background Investigation:
  Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter per 10 CFR 710, Appendix
  
  B.
• Drug Testing:
  All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, with pre-employment drug testing and post-employment random drug testing. Applicants must demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 consecutive months prior to completing the QNSP.

Note:

Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing if non-use of illegal drugs for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.

This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana, per the Controlled Substances Act and the PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution with a diverse workforce and core values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. We offer an exciting research environment and benefits including health insurance and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State, with the Lab’s campus near Seattle and Portland, reachable via regional travel options.

PNNL is committed to fostering a fair and respectful work environment and is an Equal Employment Opportunity…