Graduate (Year-Round) Intern – Industrial and Fuel Supply Optimization Modeling & Analysis

Location

CO – Golden

Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week

20

Working at NREL

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation’s primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.

Job Description

The Integrated Modeling and Economic Analysis Group develops and applies energy and economic models to evaluate and inform the evolution of the energy system and the associated implications for the economy, environment, and society. We are looking forward to welcoming a new researcher intern to our team to contribute to a growing body of research evaluating alternative pathways to cross-sectoral decarbonization of the US economy.

Working With Senior Researchers, The Successful Candidate Will Assist With Data And Complementary Coding For The Fuels And Industry Integrated Optimization (FINITO) Model—a New Model Simulating The Evolution Of The US Industrial And Fuel Supply Sectors—to a Range Of Research Topics, Including

• evaluation of the implications of alternative policy designs for industrial decarbonization,
• evaluation of effects of research and development (R&D) driven improvements to the cost and performance of clean energy technologies,
• evaluation of how industrial decarbonization would interact with other energy sectors (e.g., electricity),
• explore impacts of a clean manufacturing transition on US manufacturing competitiveness.

In particular, the researcher will contribute to identifying, synthesizing, and implementing new data within the FINITO modeling structure; editing processing scripts; data workflow and updates; visualization of data via Tableau. In addition, the intern will assist in communication products, including presentations to deliver at workshops/conferences, technical articles for submission to peer-reviewed journals, as well as shorter written products for policy audiences.

The ideal candidate will have a high level of enthusiasm to expand one’s knowledge of the energy system, learn new skills, and apply such knowledge and skills to help identify how the US can transition to a sustainable energy system, what the implications are for society, and how policy can be designed to help shape those outcomes. We welcome applicants pursuing advanced degrees from any field, but a strong applicant must have experience developing and applying python scripts and a solid background in data management and analysis.

Job Responsibilities Include

• Assisting in research that generates independent, high quality, and reproducible results.
• Research, acquisition, and analysis of large data sets.
• Assist in development of new data architectures to flexibly describe infrastructure systems.
• Assist in executing scenarios and visualizing, analyzing, and interpreting results.
• Assisting senior researchers in the design, implementation, and reporting of the research project.
• Contributing to technical reports, journal articles, and presentations.

While this position is advertised at an average of 20 hours per week, the hiring team can also consider applicants who express interest in working for 40 hours per week.

Basic Qualifications

Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.

Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.

Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

Please Note

• Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process.
• If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in code-based data management and analysis using leading coding environments: e.g., Python,
• Working knowledge of decarbonization literature,
• Exceptional teaming and organizational skills,
• Familiarity with GAMS.

Preferred Qualifications

• Working knowledge of all subsectors of the US energy system and associated markets, policies, and regulations.
• Pursing a PhD in economics (with a focus on energy/environment), policy, engineering or other related field; however, we encourage applicants with training in any field to apply if they have interest and experience in the energy sector and experience with quantitative methods, especially optimization.
• Familiarity with developing and applying optimization models (ideally in energy system applications) and experience with leading modeling coding environments, e.g., GAMS, MPSGE, Julia.

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: / Annual Salary Range: $42,700 – $68,300

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; and sick leave (where required by law). NREL employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

• Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

EEO Policy

NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

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