Job Description

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Buildings and Thermal Engineering

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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

The Building Thermal Energy Science Group of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking a postdoctoral researcher. NREL is the nation's primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. The candidate will join team members on cutting-edge research to investigate the performance of thermal switches and switchable insulation and their impact on heat and moisture transfer through building envelopes.

The candidate should have a strong background and understanding of heat and mass transfer, including theory, numerical modeling, and experiments.

JOB IS FROM: postdocjobs.oneVIEW

General Duties and Responsibilities:

The successful candidate should have a strong background in thermodynamics and heat transfer and be able to independently work on modeling and experiments related to building envelopes. The candidate will contribute to ongoing research in the area of thermal storage and dynamic envelopes for buildings. The candidate is expected to demonstrate good communication skills and the ability to document the research in the form of journal articles, and presentations. The candidate will get the opportunity to be involved in detailed thermal modeling and experimental research, along with system integration analysis.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform laboratory experiments on thermal materials and components
• Examine and validate the experimental results using analytical and numerical models
• Conduct component-level modeling and whole-building energy modeling (e.g., EnergyPlus)
• Develop, design, and analyze new thermal components for dynamic building envelope and thermal energy storage
• Assist in project management, including writing reports, journal articles, and presentations for program review or conferences.

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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

• Strong academic and research record in building energy sciences, energy modeling, thermal and moisture transport with emphasis on both experimental and modeling research.
• Strong background in thermal sciences (i.e., thermodynamics and heat and mass transfer) theory, numerical modeling, and basic understanding of heat and moisture transfer experiments.
• Knowledge of building energy modeling, thermal and hygrothermal analysis (e.g., EnergyPlus or similar programs).
• Candidate should have a strong aptitude to learn and explore the field needed for development, to be motivated and dedicated, and to deliver research results on time and on budget.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, documentation skills, oral and writing proficiency in English.
• We do not expect a candidate to hold all the skills listed above but the candidate should illustrate the eagerness to learn and potential for professional growth.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of thermal switches, dynamic insulations, phase change materials, and thermal energy storage systems.
• Experience in experiments related to building envelopes, heat flow meter, and/or environmental chambers is strong plus.
• Knowledge of programming for heat transfer modeling and data analysis (i.e., MATLAB and Engineering Equation Solver (EES) or similar programs)
• Strong background in thermal sciences (i.e., thermodynamics and heat and mass transfer) theory, numerical modeling, and basic understanding of heat and moisture transfer experiments.
• Knowledge of building energy modeling, thermal and hygrothermal analysis (e.g., EnergyPlus or similar programs)
• Demonstrated research capability and creativity to solve challenging problems, as well as the ability to work well in a team.

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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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