Research Technician - Electronics & Electrical - Renewable Energy Systems

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 Research Technician position will be on-site at NREL’s Flatirons Campus located near Boulder, CO. (see ) 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
• 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.

Level III - Full knowledge of specialized focused support functions. Complete acquaintance with and understanding of the general and detailed aspects of the supported activities, and their practical applications to problems and situations ordinarily encountered.

Proficient in research techniques and practices. Solid communication, interpersonal, project management and customer relations skills.

Level IV - Extensive knowledge in specialized focused support functions.A comprehensive acquaintance with and understanding of both general and detailed aspects of technical support activities, and their practical application to a wide variety of problems and situations specific to the discipline or field supported.

Strong research techniques and practices. Strong communication, interpersonal, project management and customer relations skills.

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.

Level III - High School Diploma or equivalent and 7 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education / experience.

Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope and 5 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education / experience.

Level IV - High School Diploma or equivalent and 10 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education / experience.

Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope and 8 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education / experience.

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.

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 - $91,400Job 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.

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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