National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Postdoctoral Researcher - Techno-economic Analysis and Life-cycle Analysis of Low Carbon Industrial Processes
Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher - Techno-economic Analysis and Life-cycle Analysis of Low Carbon Industrial Processes

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week

40

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.

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Job Description

A position is available in the Building Technologies and Science Group to support and lead work relating to analysis of new technologies to decarbonize emissions-intensive industries. Focus will be on the cement & concrete and iron & steel sectors, as well as other hard-to-decarbonize processes. Carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration may also be a focus area.

The successful candidate will lead carbon lifecycle analysis (LCA) and technoeconomic analysis (TEA) and will engage extensively with industry partners, co-leading industry advisory and community engagement committees. Comprehensive, unified frameworks suitable for use by a wide variety of stakeholders across industry will be produced.

The candidate will perform process design/modeling and TEA using simulation software such as Aspen Plus for a variety of new projects. The candidate will also lead the development of life cycle inventories and conduct LCA using open-source tools such as OpenLCA and software such as Simapro. The candidate can expect to learn and apply open-source LCA models and tools developed at NREL.

Strongly motivated candidates with a history of leadership and taking initiative are encouraged to apply. Candidates must demonstrate ability to design high-quality LCA/TEA studies in collaboration with a large and diverse team.

The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills, with a strong record of contributions to the field. Teamwork, leadership, and collaboration will be essential.

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

The successful candidate will have expertise in LCA and TEA modeling. They will demonstrate an ability to lead modeling and analysis for a variety of applications.

The candidates should have expertise in leveraging commonly-used software, tools and databases for TEA and LCA. The candidate should have demonstrated abilities to perform sensitivity and uncertainty analyses in TEA and LCA.

Ana, please add any codes and standards they should be familiar with/able to learn and apply.

A strong record of teamwork, mentorship, project management, and leadership is desired. The successful candidate will work closely with engineers, scientists, and students in many different fields, and will work to establish collaborations both within NREL and with partner organizations. As such, demonstration of an ability to participate in, to facilitate, and to lead collaborations is important.

Preferred Qualifications

 LCA and TEA expertiseA strong history of publicationA history of working with the cement and concrete industryA history of working with the iron and steel industryA history of working in CCUS technologies

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

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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.

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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Golden, CO