Data Scientist III - Mathematician / Statistician

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.

PNNL is seeking a Data Scientist III – Mathematician / Statistician with expertise in the fundamentals of mathematics and statistics in one or more areas including artificial intelligence, operations research, modeling of complex systems or events, risk analysis, scientific machine learning, and optimization.

The selected candidate will contribute to research and development programs within the AI and Data Analytics Division which specializes in data science, applied mathematics, advanced analytic architectures, software engineering, and human-centered computing. The Data Scientist will work as part of interdisciplinary teams to deliver data-driven solutions that address critical national security challenges. The candidate will support PNNL's mission by contributing to impactful R&D projects that help tackle national challenges. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to grow professionally while working on diverse, mission-focused projects. At PNNL, we foster a collaborative and innovative work environment aimed at lifelong learning, creative problem-solving, and advancing interdisciplinary, data-driven innovation.

• Conduct and lead research to develop mathematical or statistical models of data and algorithms to analyze those models. Execute experiments to gather insight into the data and systems that generate the data. Use artificial intelligence approaches where appropriate.
• Ensure experiments are statistically sound, including standard performance metrics, and results are reproducible. Assess empirical results to guide future research and experimental steps.
• Maintain awareness of emerging trends in mathematics and statistics for data science challenges in national security to shape future research directions and identify new opportunities for impact.
• Take ownership of defined tasks or small projects, proactively identifying technical challenges and proposing solutions to senior staff or project leads.
• Engage with stakeholders to understand project requirements and translate them into actionable technical approaches aligned with sponsor goals.
• Team with and lead others to develop high-quality research code demonstrating proficiency with data science techniques and tools.
• Serve as a mentor to junior staff or interns within the team, fostering a collaborative and inclusive research environment.
• Support proposal development and business development by contributing to proposals and/or briefing sponsors.
• Build effective working relationships and communicate effectively within your immediate team, as well as across interdisciplinary teams at the group or division level.
• May require conducting work in secure environments and executing work from an operational security perspective.

• 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

• Degree in mathematics, statistics, data science, or related fields.
• Expertise in the fundamentals of mathematics and statistics in one or more areas including artificial intelligence, operations research, modeling of complex systems or events, risk analysis, scientific machine learning, and optimization.
Experience in applying mathematics and statistical methods within one or more specialty domains-e.g., communications, geospatial data, nuclear nonproliferation, radiography, remote sensing
• -and willingness to dive in and learn domain-specific knowledge in new applications.
• Passion for agentic AI and large language models including experience using or developing these tools in various data science domains.
• Interest in working across the spectrum from research to prototype development to deployable tools.
• Proficiency with data science techniques and tools including cloud computing platforms and version control systems like git, and flexibility in working with various systems and environments including on-premises servers and cloud platforms.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with a multi-disciplinary team environment.
• Demonstrated strong communication skills with the ability to deliver technical findings to diverse audiences.

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.