Post Bachelors Research Associate - Web Development

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an 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 take on complex, real-world threats to our nation and the world.

The AI and Data Analytics Division, part of the National Security Directorate, combines profound domain expertise and creative integration of advanced hardware and software to deliver computational solutions that address complex data and analytic challenges. Working in multidisciplinary teams, we connect foundational research to engineering to operations, providing the tools to innovate quickly and field results faster. Our strengths are integrated across the data analytics lifecycle, from data acquisition and management to analysis and decision support.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• An interest, curiosity, and technical depth to support the development and advancement of a variety of applied problems specific to the national security community.
• The ability and desire to learn new technologies in a rapidly evolving field.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Expectations of the candidate:

• Apply knowledge of software engineering best practices with minimal oversight (e.g., clean and readable code, version control, unit testing, debugging, code reviews, secure coding, technical documentation, and agile teamwork).
• Take initiative by setting clear personal goals, establishing priorities, and taking ownership of progress.
• Use AI tools effectively for coding, debugging, testing, and documentation while writing clear prompts and providing appropriate context. Validate AI-generated outputs for accuracy, security, and protection of sensitive information.
• Stay current on industry developments as it relates to software engineering and AI.
• Work collaboratively within a team to execute on the full software/system development life cycle.
• Maintain and follow quality assurance procedures.
• Demonstrate good time management skills.
• Be able to work with a variety of existing and new technologies.

• Candidates must have received a Bachelor’s degree within the past 24 months or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university.

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field.
• Prior experience working as a software engineer, including designing and building production-quality applications.
• Hands‑on experience developing software applications and prototypes using languages/frameworks such as JavaScript, Type Script, React, or Python.
• Solid understanding of software engineering best practices and the full software development lifecycle (e.g., design, testing, deployment, maintenance).
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey technical concepts to diverse audiences.
• Experience leveraging Agentic AI and AI-assisted development tools to accelerate coding, testing, and documentation workflows.
• Experience interning at a national laboratory a plus.
• The ability to get and maintain a security clearance through the Department of Energy.

Not Applicable.

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,…