Posting Title
Postdoctoral Researcher - Controls, Emulation, and Scale-up for Clean Energy Transition
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Location
CO - Golden
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Position Type
Postdoc (Fixed Term)
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Hours Per Week
40
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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.
Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.
Job Description
NREL’s Hybrid Energy Systems team has an immediate opening for a full-time postdoctoral researcher for conducting research in controls, emulation, and the scaling-up of new and novel clean energy technologies with a particular emphasis on developing novel algorithms for applied energy challenges that are effective at large deployment scales.
The Hybrid Energy Systems group performs research to advance the research, integration, and demonstration of thermal, mechanical, wind, solar, battery and other storage technologies as well their end uses in mobility, buildings, and industrial processes, this involves real-time modeling and orchestration of 1000s of edge devices at individual, local, regional, to national scales. In this pursuit we work closely with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), industry partners, and academic institutions. The group’s work involves the development of modeling, simulation, emulation, control, and optimization approaches for various combinations of energy generation and end use applications.
The successful candidate for this position will be responsible for:
Conducting research and development of control algorithms for interconnected, dynamic, and non-linear systems and transitioning them to robust scalable implementations for hybrid energy systems
Developing emulation techniques that can be vetted in experimental setups
Discovering and developing techniques to incorporate streaming data at the edge that are used to enhance solutions
Working with scientists across multiple domains to implement robust solutions
Maintain an active publishing profile in peer reviewed journals and top tier conferences
This position requires effective knowledge sharing and dissemination through publications, presentations, open source or licensed software and data products, community communication and engagement, and invention disclosures.
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Basic Qualifications
Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Computational Science, Applied Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related disciplines.
Knowledge of real time device emulation and power & controller hardware-in-the-loop techniques
Deep knowledge of computing or computational approaches for modeling, simulation, and/or control of instrumented systems
Strong social and communication skills and experience in working with multidisciplinary teams
Experience in working with multidisciplinary teams
Preferred Qualifications
Demonstrated knowledge of control approaches such as adaptive dynamic programming, learning-based methods, distributed control, and optimization
Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, active learning, transfer learning, etc.
Knowledge of statistical techniques including sampling strategies and the design of experiments
An interest in societal aspects of the use of AI for engineering solutions
Strong publication records in the areas of expertise
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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: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $73,200 - $120,800
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; short-term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. 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.
* Based on eligibility rules
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.
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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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