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 eight 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.
Job Description
This position will be filled at the Researcher Level III or IV based on the basic and required qualifications of the selected candidate.
NREL’s Cybersecurity Science and Simulation Group is performing research to secure our energy systems from cyberattack, and to make them more resilient to disruptions of any type. Using an on-premises private cloud interconnected with unique and powerful laboratory systems, NREL’s cyber range powers our investigation of rapidly evolving communication systems, industrial control systems, internet of things (IoT), and the flow of energy on which we all depend. Our research significantly enhances energy security, resilience, efficiency, and affordability across the United States and the world.
In CSSG, software engineers work closely with network engineers and architects, mathematicians, and security professionals. Every project involves collaboration across NREL’s domains of expertise – from renewable generation via wind, solar, and geothermal; to efficient energy consumption in smart buildings, electric vehicles, and industry; to the power systems, energy storage, data and control algorithms needed to ensure the whole system operates reliably.
The successful candidate will support development of novel modeling and emulation approaches for a wide range of telecommunications technologies. These models and networks will be employed within NREL’s cyber range for research on cybersecurity, cyber-resilience, and telecommunications transformation of many energy systems. The successful candidate will have experience developing and performing research on advanced telecommunication systems–such as device or protocol modeling, network traffic emulation, and similar. They will join NREL to develop, implement, validate, and visualize a wide range of such systems for energy applications. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in a highly interdisciplinary environment, and will demonstrate effective communication and interpersonal skills.
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Basic Qualifications
Basic Qualifications
Researcher III:
PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or related field. Or, Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, and 3 or more years of relevant experience. Or, Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, and 5 or more years of relevant experience.
Researcher IV:
PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science or related field and 4 or more years of relevant experience. Or, Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, and 7 or more years of relevant experience. Or, Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field, and 9 or more years of relevant experience.
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Additional Required Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing models and simulations of telecommunications equipment, networks, and bulk systems.
- Experience with telecommunications relevant to energy systems – both central (SCADA, AMI, etc.) and distributed
- Demonstrated experience with telecommunication emulation tools, including NS3
- Demonstrated experience with object-oriented software development (python, golang, or C/C# preferred)
- Experience with software development tools (e.g. Gitlab, Jira, etc.) and methodologies/practices (e.g., test-driven development, domain-driven design, agile, etc.)
- Basic understanding of electric power systems, distributed energy resources, and Internet of Things
- Experience performing and publishing novel research, as evidenced by a publication record
- Demonstrated excellence in communicating technical concepts – verbally, in writing, and via presentation
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with embedded software development (e.g., firmware, hardware security, or embedded operating systems)
- Experience developing or operating within a Cyber Range
- Experience with cyberphysical energy systems in a research context
- Demonstrated experience with cosimulation
- Preference may be given to candidates with the ability to hold a security clearance. Additional preference may be given to candidates with an existing security clearance.