Posting Title

Senior Research Operations Engineer

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Regular

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NREL

NREL is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join NREL, where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NREL stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NREL, you’ll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

The Engineering Group at the NREL’s Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF) seeks to fill a senior electrical engineering position in the laboratory research operations center.

The Engineering team at ESIF is composed of multi-disciplinary engineering professionals who design, operate, upgrade and maintain advanced, complex technical research capabilities that support research and development project work. ESIF engineering staff partner with research staff to carry out experimentation using laboratory assets and systems. ESIF engineering is responsible for the effective conduct of engineering to ensure safety and availability of advanced equipment and systems, which notably includes updated drawings, operational procedures, safety procedures, technical requirements, software environments and tools, and maintenance plans. The laboratory environment is collaborative, technically rich, and offers many learning and networking opportunities. The ESIF Operations Center manages and stewards use of the ESIF in support of DOE’s research mission to ensure a safe, operationally effective, technically advanced research facility. Employees with ESIF significantly contribute to the mission of advancing new and clean energy technologies to support a healthy and prosperous nation and world.

The position calls for a person capable of understanding complex research projects and complicated laboratory equipment. Success in this job includes proactive stewardship of the laboratory to maintain relevant advanced capabilities, technical support and resourcefulness, delivery of research project outcomes with partners, and significant contributions to a dynamic team. This job requires dominance of electrical engineering discipline, especially power systems, power electronics, grid controls, and advanced technical applications. This position calls for a person to handle physical setup, fabrication and troubleshooting, design experiments, accomplish project management tasks, deliver data capture,and function successfully in a team environment and as an individual performer.

This position calls for a motivated person with enthusiasm for the research mission, proven ability to coordinate and communicate across multiple teams, and a desire to deliver high quality laboratory engineering and technology. This position necessitates a person armed with strong technical skills to design, build, and implement laboratory research and capable to plan, coordinate, communicate and work in a team environment.

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Basic Qualifications

Researcher V:
Relevant PhD and 9 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 12 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 14 or more years of experience . Apply advanced engineering technical principles, theories and concepts. Contributes to the development of new principles and concepts. Considered a national subject matter expert. Demonstrates leadership in a number of areas including all team, task and/or project lead responsibilities (works independently). Demonstrated management of complex and/or impactful projects. Excellent writing, interpersonal and communication skills.

Researcher IV:
Relevant PhD and 4 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 7 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 9 or more years of experience . Applies extensive engineering technical expertise, and has full knowledge of other related disciplines. Considered a technical resource. Demonstrates leadership in several areas of team, task or project lead responsibilities. Demonstrated experience in management of projects. Excellent writing, interpersonal and communication skills.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Ability to operate, design or install laboratory equipment involving 480Vac (minimum) and/or 1000Vdc (minimum) ratings
• Experience and know-how for design and operation of medium voltage (grid distribution) circuits and equipment
• Research, plan, design and implement advanced laboratory capabilities and infrastructure. This duty calls for some knowledge of commercial and industrial technology in power systems, electrical devices, and/or controls, as well as decision-making and project management.
• Protection engineering for AC systems and working knowledge of DC protection
• Engineering degree
• Knowledge of applying simulation and modeling methods in controller- and hardware-in-the-loop experimentation
• Awareness of NFPA and other Code applied to physical installations
• Computer Aided Drawing experience
• Strong organizational skills and task discipline
• Desire to mentor and teach team members and lead through decision making and advice

Preferred Qualifications

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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: Researcher V / Annual Salary Range: $117,200 - $211,000

Job Profile: Researcher IV / Annual Salary Range: $97,800 - $176,000

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*- and long-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; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. 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. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

* 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.

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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Equal Opportunity 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.

Reasonable Accommodations

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