Hanford Analytical Operations Manager

Advanced Technologies and Laboratories (ATL), a Planned Systems International (PSI) company, is looking for a Hanford Analytical Operations Manager. 

The Analytical Operations Manager is responsible for the technical and operational management of analytical laboratory activities supporting the Hanford Site's environmental management and waste cleanup mission. 

The position directs analytical operations across inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, radiochemistry, materials science, sample preparation, and associated laboratory services. The manager ensures that laboratory results are technically defensible, accurate, timely, and produced in compliance with applicable quality assurance, safety, and regulatory requirements. 

This position provides leadership to analytical personnel and technical supervisors while managing production capacity, laboratory scheduling, method performance, equipment utilization, and coordination with facility operations. 

The successful candidate will combine scientific and analytical expertise with demonstrated management experience operating a complex, regulated laboratory. 

Analytical Laboratory Operations 

• Direct daily and long-range analytical operations supporting radioactive tank waste characterization, environmental sampling, and associated laboratory missions. 

• Oversee inorganic, organic, radiochemical, and materials science analytical activities. 

• Manage sample receipt, preparation, analysis, technical review, and reporting processes. 

• Establish analytical production priorities and ensure timely completion of customer deliverables. 

• Coordinate sample throughput, technical resources, equipment availability, and analytical scheduling. 

• Manage laboratory capacity, workload balancing, personnel assignments, and emerging analytical requirements. 

Analytical Quality and Technical Integrity 

• Ensure analytical methods and results meet applicable laboratory quality assurance and customer requirements. 

• Oversee method qualification, validation, calibration, quality control, and technical data review. 

• Establish controls to maintain analytical precision, accuracy, traceability, and defensibility. 

• Support laboratory assessments, technical audits, performance evaluations, and corrective actions. 

• Maintain effective laboratory data management and sample traceability processes. 

• Identify analytical trends, recurring deficiencies, and opportunities to improve method reliability. 

Radiological and Chemical Safety 

• Ensure analytical operations comply with applicable chemical hygiene, radiological protection, contamination control, and hazardous materials requirements. 

• Coordinate safe analytical operations involving radioactive and hazardous materials, including work performed in hot cells, gloveboxes, and laboratory hoods. 

• Promote conservative decision-making, procedural compliance, and employee reporting of abnormal conditions. 

• Ensure appropriate employee qualifications, technical training, and authorization to perform assigned analytical activities. 

• Coordinate with nuclear safety, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, and facility operations personnel. 

Laboratory Production and Efficiency 

• Develop and monitor operational performance indicators covering analytical throughput, turnaround time, sample backlog, quality, equipment availability, and resource utilization. 

• Implement production improvements that increase sample throughput without compromising analytical accuracy or safety. 

• Lead technical process improvement, automation, instrumentation upgrades, and analytical method development initiatives. 

• Evaluate staffing requirements, instrument performance, and laboratory production bottlenecks. 
• Support cost-effective procurement and lifecycle planning for analytical instrumentation, consumables, and technical services. 

Leadership and Customer Integration 

• Supervise analytical section managers, technical personnel, chemists, scientists, and associated laboratory support functions. 

• Coordinate analytical schedules and requirements with the Laboratory Manager, Facility Operations Manager, and customer representatives. 

• Resolve conflicts involving sample priorities, technical requirements, and laboratory capacity. 

• Develop technical staff capabilities, succession plans, and specialized laboratory competencies. 

• Communicate laboratory production performance, operational risks, and corrective actions to senior management. 

Education 

• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, radiochemistry, chemical engineering, nuclear chemistry, materials science, or a related scientific discipline. 

• Master's degree or doctorate in a related technical discipline preferred. 

Experience 

• Recommended 12+ years of experience in analytical laboratory operations, including experience with regulated analytical services. 

• Recommended 5+ years of managerial responsibility for laboratory operations, analytical production, or multidisciplinary scientific teams. 

• Demonstrated experience supervising complex analytical workflows, laboratory quality programs, and scientific or technical personnel. 

• Experience managing laboratory throughput, technical quality, instrumentation, and customer delivery requirements. 

• Senior management experience within the DOE complex, including DOE Environmental Management or National Nuclear Security Administration facilities. 

• Direct experience with nuclear analytical laboratories, hot-cell operations, radioactive waste characterization, or high-hazard industrial facilities. 

• Familiarity with 10 CFR 830, DOE O 422.1, DOE O 414.1, DOE nuclear safety requirements, and integrated safety management. 

• Experience with DOE performance-based contracts and government oversight. 

• Experience transitioning or stabilizing complex government-operated or contractor-operated facilities. 

• Proven ability to lead organizational improvements in represented workforce environments. 

Critical Leadership Competencies 

• Executive judgment and decision-making under operational uncertainty. 

• Demonstrated commitment to nuclear and worker safety. 

• Clear, credible communication with DOE and technical stakeholders. 

• Ability to manage competing mission, safety, budget, and schedule priorities. 

• Organizational accountability, employee engagement, and succession planning. 

• Ability to lead through significant operational challenges and regulatory scrutiny. 

Expected Performance Outcomes 

• Safe, compliant, and reliable laboratory operations. 

• Delivery of analytical services consistent with customer requirements. 

• Effective integration of analytical production and facility availability. 

• Strong federal customer confidence and positive contract performance. 

• Controlled costs and measurable operational efficiencies. 

• Stable leadership, qualified workforce, and effective corrective action programs. 
• Working knowledge of analytical methods, data validation, quality control, and laboratory information systems. 

Candidates must be available for full-time assignment to the Hanford 222-S Laboratory contract, with a permanent duty station at the Hanford Site or in the local surrounding area. 

Selected candidates must be willing to execute the required key personnel letter of commitment, including a minimum three-year commitment beginning at the contract transition Notice to Proceed. 

Candidates must provide the information necessary to develop a compliant resume under RFP, including relevant experience, leadership accomplishments, education, qualifications, and professional references. Candidates must be prepared to participate in DOE oral evaluation activities associated with the proposal. 

All positions are contingent upon contract award and any applicable employment and site-access requirements. 

PSI offers full-time, benefits eligible employees a competitive total compensation package that includes paid leave, and options for employer sponsored group medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, life insurance, AD&D coverage, legal services, identity theft, and accident insurance. Flexible spending account and health saving account options offer pre-tax savings for qualified medical, dental, and vision expenses. The company sponsored 401(k) retirement plan has an employer contribution match that is immediately vested. We invest in the professional growth of our employees through professional courses, certifications, and tuition reimbursement programs.

It is company policy to promote equal employment opportunities. All personnel decisions, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, and termination, are made without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, citizenship status, veteran status, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities will be provided. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Human Resources by emailing HRDepartment@plan-sys.com, or by dialing 703-575-8400.