Technical Project Manager, Software Engineer and AI

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Richland, Seattle (WA, WA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking an experienced Technical Project Manager to lead software implementation projects from conception through operations and sustainment. The role requires strong knowledge of software engineering, data science, and agile project management within national security contexts.

Based onsite in Richland, WA or Seattle, WA, you will coordinate across software engineers, data scientists, and SMEs, maintain Jira/Confluence artifacts, and communicate

Qualifications

• BS/BA with 9+ years of PM experience or MS/MA with 7+ years of PM experience.
• Experience managing software engineering, analytics, AI/ML, or data science projects.
• Experience on national security or federal government projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead software engineering, data science, and AI/ML initiatives from initiation through deployment and sustainment.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, milestones, resourcing, and governance with clear status reporting.

Skills

Project management

Agile methodologies

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk management

Education

BS/BA degree

MS/MA or higher

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Job description

Overview

At PNNL,our core capabilities are dividedamongmajor departmentsthat werefer to as Directorates within the Lab,focused on a specific area of scientific research orother function, with its own leadership teamand dedicated budget.

Our Science & TechnologydirectoratesincludeNational Security,Earthand Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, andEnergy andEnvironment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory,a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facilityhoused on the PNNL campus.

The National Security Directorate (NSD) drives science-based, mission-focused solutions to take on complex,real-worldthreats 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. 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.

Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced Technical Project Manager to lead software implementation projects from conception through operations and sustainment. The ideal candidate brings national security domain knowledge, software engineering or data science expertise, and proficiency in agile project management, with proven ability to manage scope, schedule, budget, and stakeholder expectations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead project execution across software engineering, data science, and AI/ML initiatives from initiation through deployment, operations transition, and sustainment handoff
• Own integrated planning and controls—scope, schedule, budget, milestones, resourcing, and governance—delivering clear, actionable status reporting and documented decisions
• Apply agile practices to support iterative software delivery, data science experimentation, and development cycles
• Partner with Technical Leads, Architects, Principal Investigators, Data Scientists, and SMEs to drive execution, resolve blockers, and align technical decisions with program objectives
• Maintain project artifacts in Jira/Confluence (backlogs, roadmaps, decision logs, action items, dependency tracking)
• Identify and mitigate risks and issues across scope, technical execution, data quality, model performance, ML-Ops readiness, security/compliance, and deployment
• Serve as primary stakeholder interface, translating mission objectives into executable plans and managing expectations on progress, risks, and tradeoffs
• Experience with National Security or federal government projects

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

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA and 9+ years of relevant project management experience -OR-
• MS/MA or higher and 7+ years of relevant project management experience
• Experience managing software engineering, analytics, AI/ML, or data science projects in technically complex environments, including experimentation, validation, deployment, and operationalization

Preferred Qualifications:

• Degree in computer science, data science, information technology, engineering, or related technical field
• Demonstrated success with cross-functional teams (software engineers, data scientists, researchers, SMEs)
• Proficiency with agile delivery methods and project tracking tools (Jira, Confluence)
• Proven ability developing and managing project schedules, budgets, dependencies, and delivery metrics
• Strong sponsor engagement and stakeholder communication skills
• Solid analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and collaboration capabilities