Posting Title
Wind Farm Controls Researcher

Location
CO - Boulder

Position Type
Regular

Hours Per Week
40

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.

Join a team of world-class scientists, engineers, and visionaries dedicated to shaping the world's energy future through cutting-edge research and innovation. From our vision to our NREL community, we are unique in the research community. We are focused on impact. From our work in basic sciences to systems engineering, analysis, demonstration, and deployment, we are focused on solving market-relevant problems that result in advanced, secure, reliable, and affordable energy systems. We are trusted clean energy leaders, developing cost-saving solutions that make U.S. industries more competitive, and support job creation and economic growth across rural and urban communities.

At NREL, we offer a unique, mission-driven work environment with cutting-edge facilities and multidisciplinary research teams. NREL's environment offers strong partnerships with industry, academia, and other national laboratories, as well as professional development opportunities and a competitive benefits package for employees.

Learn about NREL's critical objectives: NREL's Mission and Vision.

Job Description

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), nestled at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, is the nation's leading facility for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. For over 40 years, the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) and NREL's Flatirons Campus have been at the forefront of advancing wind energy, pioneering innovative turbine components, systems, and modeling methods that have propelled the wind energy industry forward.

The NWTC at NREL is currently seeking a dedicated Researcher to advance cutting-edge methods for wind farm control and wake management strategies.

Responsibilities:

• Design and analyze advanced wind farm control techniques to optimize performance and efficiency.
• Use high-performance computing tools to develop and implement wake-mixing controllers in simulation environments.
• Conduct simulation campaigns to assess the impact of control strategies on wind farm performance, structural loads, and power production.
• Support field demonstrations of wind farm control methods, such as dynamic induction control and the helix method.
• Publish research findings in peer-reviewed journals and present results at industry conferences.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including the U.S. Department of Energy, other national laboratories, industry partners, and international organizations.

Basic Qualifications
Relevant PhD. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Exceptional writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to publish research findings in technical journals and conference proceedings.
• Experience presenting work at conferences, symposia, and review meetings.
• Proven ability to contribute to the development, preparation, and review of new project proposals.
• A strong understanding of engineering principles, theories, and concepts.
• Expertise in wind energy systems and related disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience researching wind farm control methods.
• Proficiency in analyzing wind farm controllers using high-fidelity simulations, wind tunnel testing, and field trials.
• Familiarity with key open-source tools such as AMRWind, FLORIS, and OpenFAST.
• Proficiency in Python programming.
• Comfort with high-performance computing environments.

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: Researcher III / Annual Salary Range: $81,500 - $146,700

Job Profile: Researcher III / Annual Salary Range: $81,500 - $146,700

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

Badging Requirement
NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

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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