Advisor 5

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 Physical and Computational Sciences Directorate's (PCSD’s) strengths in experimental, computational, and theoretical chemistry and materials science, together with our advanced computing, applied mathematics and data science capabilities, are central to the discovery mission we embrace at PNNL. But our most important resource is our people—experts across the range of scientific disciplines who team together to take on the biggest scientific challenges of our time.

The Department of Energy’s Isotope Program produces and sells stable isotopes and radioisotopes world-wide, including materials from PNNL. Isotope Program research at PNNL supports scientific advances in the production and use of radioisotopes for research, medicine, and industrial applications.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) seeks an Advisor 5 to set strategy and provide technical and programmatic leadership for isotope research and production. The leader will grow capabilities that advance domestic isotope supply and innovation for medicine, discovery science, national security and industry, and will steward a cross-laboratory portfolio aligned with the Department of Energy Isotope R&D and Production Program (DOE IP). The role includes close engagement with DOE IP, the National Isotope Development Center, and partner institutions to expand production capacity, mature new isotope technologies, and strengthen supply-chain resilience.

The Advisor will coordinate across PNNL directorates and facilities to deliver mission outcomes, including leveraging PNNL’s Radiochemical Processing Laboratory and related assets that support the production and use of radioisotopes. The selected scientist must demonstrate a commitment to working with PNNL staff members and engaging those staff members in the broader research and production enterprise.

In the role of PNNL liaison to the DOE Isotope R&D and Production Program (DOE IRP), the sector lead will steward PNNL’s isotope research and production portfolio and play a lead role in developing and executing PNNL’s strategy for advancing isotope supply, technology innovation, and mission delivery. In addition, the successful candidate will work across organizations to enhance the recognition of the isotope science and production community and individual contributors at PNNL.

Specifically, the sector lead sets a clear, lab-wide strategy for isotope research, development, and production that advances national priorities and aligns with DOE IRP objectives. The sector lead translates this strategy into practical investment plans that cover people, facilities, instrumentation, digital capabilities, and quality systems.

The role serves as PNNL’s primary point of contact with DOE IRP and the National Isotope Development Center, ensuring transparent planning and coordination across reactors, accelerators, enrichment assets, and radiochemical processing resources. The leader cultivates partnerships with national laboratories, universities, and industry to co-develop technologies, expand supply, and accelerate appropriate commercialization.

On the technical front, the sector lead advances new production routes, targets, and separations methods, then converts promising concepts into reliable production and distribution pathways that address domestic shortfalls. The sector lead oversees production campaigns and pilot efforts in close collaboration with operations teams, maintaining rigorous standards for safety, quality, regulatory compliance, and on-time delivery.

The position grows the program through proactive sponsor engagement, alignment to funding opportunities, and disciplined capture planning. The sector lead also communicates strategy, scientific focus, progress, and results to PNNL leadership, DOE sponsors, advisory bodies, and external audiences.

People leadership sits at the core of the role. The sector lead builds and mentors diverse, high-performing teams across radiochemistry, chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, materials science, and related fields. The sector lead nurtures a strong safety culture, models inclusive leadership, and invests in workforce development that strengthens the national pipeline of isotope science and engineering expertise.

About the DOE IRP Program and PNNL’s IRP Program:

DOE IRP is the sole authority within DOE to produce isotopes for sale and distribution and focuses on domestic availability of critical radioactive and stable isotopes that are in short supply or require unique federal capabilities. The program coordinates production using accelerators, reactors, enrichment technologies and radiochemical processing across the national laboratory complex and universities, and it manages business operations through the National Isotope Development Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

PNNL’s Isotope Program supports scientific advances in isotope production and use for research, medicine and industrial applications, with facilities and staff that enable radiochemical processing and related capabilities on the Richland campus.

• BS/BA and 13 years of relevant experience -OR-
• MS/MA or higher and 11 years of relevant experience

• PhD in Radiochemistry, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Materials Science or a related discipline
• Demonstrated record leading R&D and production activities in isotopes or closely related nuclear chemical processing domains
• Experience working with DOE programs, preferably DOE IRP, including successful leadership as a PI, co-PI or PM.
• Expertise in target design, irradiation planning, post-irradiation examination, radiochemical separations and scale-up, with a strong safety and quality focus
• Proven ability to set strategy, secure resources, and deliver multi-PI, multi-institution programs
• Familiarity with national-laboratory facilities and user assets relevant to isotope production, including hot-cell and glovebox operations
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and a track record of effective sponsor engagement

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, 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 in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B.
• Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for the 12 consecutive months preceding completion of the requisite Questionnaire for National Security Positions (QNSP).

Note: Applicants will be considered ineligible for security clearance processing by the U.S. Department of Energy if non-use of illegal drugs, including marijuana, for 12 months cannot be demonstrated.

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