Senior Backend Software Engineer III (richland, WA)

Software Engineer Position at PNNL

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 NSD, combines profound domain expertise and creative integration of advanced hardware and software to deliver computational solutions that address complex data and analytic challenges.

We are seeking a mid-career Software Engineer to join PNNL in advancing groundbreaking technologies that support national security initiatives. PNNL is leading the charge in advanced AI engineering, driving innovation in areas such as real-time multi-intelligence processing, petabyte-scale data orchestration, and agentic AI system architectures.

In this position, you will leverage your experience in scalable system design, AI/ML engineering, and data architecture to develop revolutionary capabilities for processing multi-modal intelligence data with unprecedented speed and scale. You'll work in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment that combines startup-style agility with the rigor required for high-impact national security applications.

As a Senior Software Engineer on PNNL's Software Engineering and Architectures (SEA) team, you will architect and lead the development of mission-critical AI systems, design systems at scale in support of mission objectives, and drive technical strategy for some of the nation's most sophisticated intelligence and security applications. You'll take ownership from concept to deployment, mentor and develop staff, collaborate with research scientists and domain experts, and translate cutting-edge research into production-ready systems deployed in highly secure environments—all while maintaining the entrepreneurial mindset that turns breakthrough research into operational reality.

What You'll Architect & Build:

• Software Platforms – Develop scalable microservices architectures that coordinate across multiple domains, build robust API gateways for classified environments, architect service mesh implementations that handle the nation's most sensitive traffic
• High-Performance Processing Systems – Lead distributed system design processing data from hundreds of sources simultaneously, architect real-time streaming platforms that handle terabytes per hour, design event-driven architectures that scale horizontally across data centers
• Mission-Critical Infrastructure – Develop container orchestration platforms that span multiple security domains, architect CI/CD pipelines processing millions of deployments, build monitoring and observability systems across secure enclaves
• Technical Leadership with Impact – Mentor engineering teams building systems that push the boundaries of software architecture, drive technical decisions that influence platform strategy, lead cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple development teams

Technical Expertise Expected:

• Programming Excellence – Fluency in Python, with proficiency in C#/.Net, Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, [Java, C/C++, Rust]
• Cloud & Infrastructure – AWS/Azure architecture, Kubernetes orchestration, Infrastructure as Code, [GCP, Multi-cloud, Edge computing]
• Data & Storage – S3, Elasticsearch/OpenSearch, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, Redshift, Delta Lake, Vector stores
• AI/ML Engineering – Agentic AI systems, LLMs, model deployment & orchestration, MLOps platforms, distributed training, model serving at scale, vector databases, graph analytics
• Intelligence Systems – Data fusion, GEOINT processing, signals analysis, threat correlation
• Data Engineering – Spark/Databricks, Kafka/streaming, data lake/mesh architectures, real-time analytics, distributed computing
• Specialized Systems – Geospatial processing frameworks, time-series databases, distributed computing, secure enclaves
• Leadership Tools – Agile/SAFe methodologies, GitLab Enterprise, advanced CI/CD, security-first DevOps

This position is based in Richland, WA and requires an onsite presence Monday through Thursday, with Friday as required by business needs.

Qualifications:

• Minimum Qualifications:
• PhD and 1 year of relevant experience -OR-
• MS/MA or higher and 3 years of relevant experience -OR-
• BS/BA and 5 years of relevant experience -OR
• AA and 14 years of relevant experience -OR-
• HS/GED and 16 years of relevant experience
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Degree in computer science, software engineering, or related field
• Experience in building and deploying petabyte size large-scale and high-performance ETL pipelines and analytics
• Demonstrated fluency in Python and proficiency in at least one other language (C#/.NET, C++, Go)
• Demonstrated experience overseeing a small team of software engineers and translating complex technical problems into clear, structured, and actionable units of work for execution as well as mentor junior staff
• Strong understanding of software engineering and data management best practices
• Strong experience in cloud architecture (AWS, Azure, GCP) and implementation
• Possession of professional certification in cloud technologies or database certifications
• Familiarity with machine learning algorithms with hands-on experience in machine learning pipeline development
• Experience engaging with funding agencies such as the Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, or National Nuclear Security Administration
• Possession of an active Federal Q Clearance

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.

About PNNL:

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them! At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab's campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.

Commitment to Excellence and Equal Employment Opportunity:

Our laboratory is committed to fostering a work environment where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect while solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov.

Drug Free Workplace:

PNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. If you