Job Information
National Renewable Energy Laboratory Research Technician - Electronics, Wind and Waterpower Technology in Boulder, Colorado
Posting Title
Research Technician - Electronics, Wind and Waterpower Technology
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Location
CO - Boulder
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Position Type
Regular
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Hours Per Week
40
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Working at NREL
NREL’s 305-acre Flatirons Campus is the nation’s premier wind energy, water power, and grid integration research facility. Nestled south of Boulder, Colorado, and north of NREL’s main South Table Mountain campus, Flatirons sits adjacent to the Rocky Flats National Wildlife Refuge and countless acres of open space and parks with stunning views of the Flatirons rock formations.
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 National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a leader in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) effort to secure an energy future that is both environmentally and economically sustainable. With locations in Golden, Boulder and Washington D.C., NREL is the primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the United States. The NREL mission is to develop renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and practices, advance related science and engineering, and transfer knowledge and innovation to address the nation’s energy and environmental goals.
This position will be on-site at NREL’s Flatirons Campus located near Boulder, CO. (see https://www.nrel.gov/flatirons-campus/ ) which is the home of:
Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems (ARIES) is a research platform that can match the complexity of the modern energy system and conduct integrated research to support the development of groundbreaking new energy technologies. (see https://www.nrel.gov/aries/)
DOE’s National Wind Technology Center (NWTC)
Waterpower systems research (marine energy and hydropower)
Composite Manufacturing Education & Technology (CoMET) research facility.
The ideal candidate will design, procure, configure, assemble, build, document, operate, inspect, maintain, and calibrate equipment and systems needed to execute successful research experiments and produce required research results in the above listed technology areas. Primary responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Ensuring safe operations by exemplifying NREL’s culture of safety in all work activities.
Fabrication of low voltage electrical data acquisition systems, control and monitoring systems, communications systems, and networking.
Deployment of measurement systems at local and off-site locations, indoors and outdoors.
Knowledge, programming, and installation of instrumentation including accelerometers, strain gages, meteorological sensors, power monitoring devices, and various other sensor types.
Maintaining test equipment and instrument calibrations.
Interpretation of mechanical and electrical drawings, ability to follow and execute detailed technical processes and procedures.
Documentation and database upkeep.
Customer-service-oriented skills and technical background necessary to interface with other engineers, project managers, and scientific Principal Investigators.
The Research Technician IV applies knowledge of the job, and company policies and principles, to complete a wide range of tasks.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities of the Researcher Technician IV:
Complete understanding and wide application of concepts in the field
Extensive knowledge of other related disciplines
Provide technical solutions to a wide range of difficult problems
Perform normal aspect of job with little to no direct supervision
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Basic Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent and 7 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
Ability to travel to both domestic and foreign remote locations in support of hardware installations, and other activities as needed. Estimated travel 6-10 trips per year.
Candidate has or is able to qualify for a TWIC Card.
Preferred Qualifications
Proficient in MS Office, 2D drawings, graphics, and photo management in support of documenting custom-built research apparatus, equipment, and processes.
Experience and certifications in fall protection, working at height (e.g. on wind turbines, meteorological towers), electrical safety, electrician, digital networking, real-time communication protocol.
Experience working with computer systems, software tools, and programming languages associated with instrumentation, sensors, data acquisition & processing, and quality control.
Technical understanding of electrical power systems associated with MW-scale wind turbines, solar PV arrays, hybrid systems, grid simulators, battery systems, power converters, electrical grid power infrastructure and equipment, black start devices, isolated research grids, generators, motors, power conversion systems, instrumentation, and data acquisition systems commonly used in the industry for component validation.
Experience in mechanical fabrication and assembly.
Experience with the working dynamics in a shipyard and aboard seagoing vessels.
Willingness to learn about marine energy validation and testing activities.
Comfort working in confined spaces as needed.
Ability to operate computers, tools, equipment, and vehicles.
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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: Research Technician III / Annual Salary Range: $55,400 - $91,400
Job Profile: Research Technician IV / Annual Salary Range: $63,600 - $104,900
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
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 (http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm) | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination (https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_English_unformattedESQA508c.pdf) | Reasonable Accommodations (http://www.nrel.gov/careers/employment-policies.html)
E -Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here (http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2013/08/13/FinalOSCPosterEN08_01_2013.pdf) for English or here (http://www.justice.gov/crt/file/813271/download) 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.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a leader in the U.S. Department of Energy’s effort to secure an environmentally and economically sustainable energy future. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NREL is the primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the United States.
NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All candidates must be authorized to access the facility per DOE rules and guidance within a reasonable time frame for the specified position in order to be considered for an interview. DOE rules for site access during the interview process are the same regardless of whether the candidate is interviewed on-site, off-site, or via telephone or videoconference. Additionally, DOE contractor employees are prohibited from participating in certain Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs (FGTRPs). If a candidate is currently participating in an FGTRP, they will be required to disclose their participation after receiving an offer of employment and may be required to disengage from participation in the FGTRP prior to commencing employment. Any offer of employment is conditional on the ability to obtain work authorization and to be granted access to NREL by the Department of Energy (DOE).
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.
Please review the information on our Hiring Process (https://www.nrel.gov/careers/hiring-process.html) website before you create an account and apply for a job. We also hope you will learn more about NREL (https://www.nrel.gov/about/) , visit our Careers site (https://www.nrel.gov/careers/) , and continue to search for job opportunities (https://nrel.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/NREL) at the lab.