Chief Operating Officer (COO) – Computing & IT Directorate

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory • Richland, WA

8d • Onsite

About The Position

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 directorates related to Mission Support & Operations include Office of General Counsel, Business Services, Communications and External Engagement, Operational Systems, Communications and Information Technology, and Performance Management.
At PNNL, our Computing and Information Technology organization is redefining how we work and innovate by reimagining the digital workplace. We empower research and streamline operations—making both faster, smarter, and more efficient—so our professionals can tackle some of the world's toughest challenges in science, energy, and national security. Our experts in AI, cybersecurity, design, and engineering work side by side, using real-time insights and human-centered design to break down barriers. Ready to make your mark on tomorrow? Come work with us.
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Computing & Information Technology Directorate (CITD) at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory plays a pivotal leadership role in enabling our capabilities to deliver the digital infrastructure that powers the Laboratory’s scientific discovery and national security mission.
This role is a trusted strategic partner and operational leader reporting to the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and Associate Laboratory Director. The COO role is a key member of the CITD senior leadership team (SLT), serving as a connector and facilitator that brings the team together to execute and operationalize our priorities. This role is pivotal in turning vision into action, ensuring disciplined execution across the digital products, computing platforms, and infrastructure that power PNNL’s mission.
As the COO, you will help shape how we operate, aligning strategic priorities with organizational performance, people strategy, and risk and performance management. You will drive operational excellence, foster collaboration, and enable innovation in a dynamic, rapidly evolving environment.
Positions comprised predominantly of information technology, cybersecurity and computing management responsibilities, with significant span of control and/or delegated authority and responsibility. These positions generally manage multi-disciplinary organizations delivering capabilities to the broader laboratory or specifically to research functions, through staff leaders or subordinate managers. Management decisions impact objectives, goals and long-term success of IT, research and business partners and the Laboratory.

Requirements

• BS/BA and 15 years work experience -OR-
• MS/MA or higher and 13 years of experience
• Strong Planning, Project Management, Coordination, and Organizational Skills: Ability to collaborate with a senior team of peers to drive and influence outcomes.
• Operational Strategy & Execution:
• Translates strategy into measurable operational plans and measurements of outcomes (KPIs, etc.); meets or exceeds operational SLAs and milestones.
• Risk Management and Compliance Leader:
• Applies risk management frameworks and approaches; translates DOE requirements into operational and technical requirements.
• Technical Depth in Computing & Information Technology:
• Possesses a deep understanding of digital systems and infrastructure including computing ecosystems, data architectures, applications, devices, networks and cybersecurity.
• Stakeholder & Partner Collaboration and Management:
• Effectively navigates the laboratory operations model, research and operational stakeholder engagements, and external partnerships effectively.

Nice To Haves

• Progressively higher leadership responsibilities in computing or high-tempo operations. Significant executive and leadership-level domain experience and expertise in one or more information technology or computing domains and disciplines.
• Strong people leadership, talent development, and commitment to people as a strategic asset to the organization.
• Proven success influencing executives and cross-functional teams without direct authority; able to negotiate with and influence others internally and externally, with great latitude on outcomes.
• Known as a thought leader, integrating functional and business knowledge to anticipate changing mission, business, and technology direction.
• Exceptional communication, presentation skills, and executive presence; ability to synthesize complex information for communication and executive decision-making.
• Strategic and conceptual thinking skills with a creative approach, curiosity, continuous learning, and AI-enabled work advocate.
• Ability to bring product management mindset and approach to a variety of digital innovation challenges and initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Act as a key advisor to the CDO and partner to the CITD senior leadership team, translating vision into actionable initiatives and aligning resources across the directorate and our operational divisions.
• Partner with the CDO and SLT to drive and facilitate the development and refinement of the PNNL’s digital infrastructure strategy, and our strategic priorities, keeping pace with changing science and technology and operational priorities at the laboratory.
• Develop and steward the directorate workforce and people strategy and other people activities, such as quarterly people reviews, annual performance management, succession planning, and learning and development.
• Be the directorate culture champion, cultivating a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement learning and change resilience, working with teams and leaders across the directorate to foster staff empowerment, decentralized decision-making, and increase the effectiveness of communication and drive transparency.
• Serve as an external and lab-wide advocate for CITD and collaborate with senior research and operational leaders across PNNL to develop a comprehensive understanding of digital requirements to support the mission, leveraging that insight to shape our investment strategies and priorities for laboratory operations.
• Own and oversee the directorate risk management and performance assurance practices, working with our M&O program managers to surface key risk and performance indicators in support of directorate and laboratory performance management requirements.
• Represent CITD on the PNNL Operations Council and serve as an empowered delegate to the CDO in Lab Leadership Team (PNNL executive team) meetings, external interactions and any other venue where CDO participation is precluded.
• Oversee the directorate non-research overhead (NRO) budget, partnered with the business office, and partner with the SLT on annual budget planning and resource allocation to support strategic priorities, including stewardship of our internal strategic investment portfolio.
• Partner and coordinate with the Executive Assistant to optimize leadership team workflows, ensure timely execution of priorities, and maintain alignment across calendars, governance forums, and stakeholder engagements. Leverage the Executive Assistant as a strategic partner for information flow, meeting preparation, and follow-up actions to enhance organizational effectiveness.
• Experience operating in highly regulated environments (DOE, federal, national lab, or similar).

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director