Posting Title
Postdoctoral Researcher for CdTe Photovoltaics
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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 eight 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.
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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
The Cadmium Telluride Accelerator Consortium (CTAC) is seeking a post-doctoral research associate to support the consortium’s efforts to enhance U.S. technology leadership and competitiveness in CdTe photovoltaics (PV). A successful applicant for this position will perform detailed characterization of CdTe surfaces and interfaces at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory using surface sensitive spectroscopic methods such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). In addition to applying already developed analytical methods, the research will involve pushing the state-of-the-art in surface and interface characterization methods. Work in this position will be highly interdisciplinary and will involve close collaboration with in-house, industry, and university researchers in pursuit of DOE goals for deployment of renewable and efficient energy technologies. A particular focus will be on next generation CdTe-based photovoltaics.
In addition to experimental work characterizing surfaces and interfaces, candidates should be prepared to help find solutions to device performance barriers that are identified in the course of their investigation. For that reason, an ideal candidate would have experience with thin-film fabrication processes such as close-space sublimation, evaporation, reactive sputtering, and metal-organic vapor deposition. Additional experience with surface modification processes such as chemical etching, chemical deposition, and atomic layer deposition is desirable. Experience with complementary semiconductor characterization techniques such as time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and current-voltage analysis are also highly desired.
While the focus of this position will be CdTe photovoltaics, there will be opportunities to work on other areas of materials research. There will also be opportunities for professional development, such as proposal writing, and progression towards becoming an independent researcher.
MCCS Directorate
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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
Qualified candidates must demonstrate skills in interpreting and assessing the experimental results and have a demonstrated record of success from graduate and/or post-graduate work with presenting and publishing results. Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills are essential. Teamwork and collaboration are essential and successful candidates will need the ability to partner and team internally and externally. Inclusion and diversity are core values, and the candidate will be expected to support a work environment that maximizes the unique talents and innovative ideas of every worker.
Basic Qualifications
Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years
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Additional Required Qualifications
PhD in Chemistry, Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or a related field.
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Preferred Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in physics, chemistry, engineering, materials science, or similar.
- Experience with one or more of the following: XPS and AES, ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), inverse photoelectron spectroscopy (IPES), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD)
- Experience in thin-film growth
- Experience in basic thin-film solar-cell characterization techniques
- Experience in time-resolved photoluminescence
- Experience in quantitative PV cell-performance modeling (e.g., Sentaurus, SCAPS, COMSOL, etc.)
- Experience setting up/building custom research equipment
- Experience programming in at least one language
- Knowledge of device physics
- Demonstration of research capability to solve challenging problems with limited guidance.
- Good communication and writing skills.
- Creative, independent, innovative, and adaptable.
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Submission Guidelines
Please note that 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, 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.
EEO is the Law | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Reasonable Accommodations
E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify |For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.
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Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $71,300 - $117,600
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.
EEO is the Law | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Reasonable Accommodations
E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.
E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.