NREL Jobs

Posting Title

Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC)

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

20

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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

Building technologies to have real impact in cleantech markets takes an entire ecosystem of innovators, industry players, researchers, and investors. You can be part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC)’s team, who brings that ecosystem together to access the capabilities and expertise of NREL. This internship will support the acceleration of clean energy technologies to market through:

• (1) Data entry.

• (2) The creation of metrics and gathering impact for programmatic annual report(s) and other program-related activities.

• (3) Supporting the 29th year of the NREL Industry Growth Forum (IGF) in March 2025.

1) The IEC builds lasting relationships with key, relevant, and emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and industry partners, including foundations, in the cleantech ecosystem. Data entry and analysis is an important component of capturing value for our network of partners and identifying trends.

2) IEC also creates technology incubation programs and solutions that address the gaps preventing innovations from getting to market and preventing market growth. Annual reports showcase the impact of these activities to the ecosystem.

3) The IGF is one of several events and programs run by the NREL Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) with the mission to build a cleantech ecosystem, empower market solutions, and transform communities around the world. The IGF builds on decades of technical expertise and market analysis accumulated at the NREL, the nation’s only federal lab dedicated to renewable energy and energy efficiency research. It attracts hundreds of cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, and industry and public sector experts to build relationships, showcase innovative technologies, and identify disruptive business solutions. As part of the dynamic IGF team, you will work in the months leading up to the forum with all the key ecosystem players that are critical to the IEC mission and the success of the event.

Specific objectives:

• Organize important data through data entry in Excel and Customer Relationship Management software to support IEC networks and programs. The internship will work in coordination with the IEC data team to support the development of metrics and analyses.

• Support IEC programming as required, including the gathering of impacts and metrics from program alumni innovators and companies.

• Recruit clean energy startups to apply to present at the IGF through extensive email outreach and proactive calls to startups to inform them of the IGF and value proposition of applying. This involves both researching prospective applicants and the outreach communication to the prospects (September – November).

• Support IGF team with coordination of and communication to presenting companies once selected (December-April).

• Support IGF team with the recruitment and coordination of and communication with seated investment professionals and judges (November – April).

• Support setup and administration of the application software.

• Support setup and administration of our mobile event management software.

• Support setup and administration of our event management software, including registration, speaker management, exhibitor management etc.

• Conduct industry research and analysis in search of potential sponsorships and attendees.

• Support the event management of the program in general (IGF email account, website updates, surveys, sponsor recruitment).

• Support social media and marketing efforts including content marketing.

• Provide on-site logistical support of the event (March 26-28, 2024) including but not limited to pitch session monitoring, exhibitor management, registration support.

• Work during the summer and fall focuses on metrics, reporting, data management, planning for the next year’s event and supporting other programming in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center.

Skills needed:

• Eagerness, interest, and capability to learn about the clean energy technologies that will create real impact

• Proficiency with Excel and enthusiasm for data entry and management.

• Effective written and oral communication skills for communicating with senior level individuals at startups and investment funds, and contribution to content marketing

• Comfort making cold calls to prospective stakeholders to articulate value of the IGF and to help with customer service issues

• Software-savvy familiarity with various software platforms and systems, including CRM, mobile app, registration, email marketing, etc. Ability to quickly understand and pickup software and virtual platforms.

• Ability to network effectively and communicate accurate information regarding all aspects of the Industry Growth Forum to a wide range of stakeholders.

• Operational analytical skills and experience with Excel advanced features to support updating of IGF metrics.

• A growth mindset and willingness to jump in where needed to support the team, particularly on tasks requiring quick turn-around

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Basic Qualifications

Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree program, or graduated in the past 12 months from an accredited institution. Internship period cannot exceed 12 months past graduation. Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Please Note:

•You will need to upload official or unofficial school transcripts as part of the application process.

•If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

• A nontraditional background, e.g. completing full-time work before attending graduate school

• Customer or client relationship management experience

• Website development skills

• Graphic design skills

• Extensive Excel skills

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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: Graduate I / Annual Salary Range: $42,700 - $68,300

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; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; and sick leave (where required by law). 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. Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

* 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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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.