Postdoctoral Research Associate - Industrial Energy Efficiency

Requisition Id 14977 

­­Overview:  

The Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Research & Analysis (MEERA) Group, housed within the Manufacturing Science Division (MSD), Energy Science and Technology Directorate (ESTD) at ORNL is currently seeking to fill a position for a Postdoctoral Research Associate. This role entails contributing to MEERA group’s mission of disseminating knowledge on energy, carbon, water, and material efficiency in the manufacturing sector and develop, deploy, and promote impactful practices, tools, and technologies. You should have a strong background in mechanical engineering, industrial energy systems, energy efficiency of manufacturing industry, or other related fields. You will play a crucial role in the planning, execution, and optimization of our technical assistance program for energy intensive industries (iron & steel, food, pulp & paper, chemicals, nonferrous metals, and nonmetallic minerals). The primary objective of the Energy-Intensive Industries (EII) program is to engage with manufacturers from these sectors to better understand their specific needs and challenges in implementing energy efficiency, enhancing competitiveness, and improving energy resilience. You will work closely with program allies, subject matter experts and technical trade associations to ensure successful delivery of technical assistance to energy intensive manufacturing participants.

 

The MEERA Group actively contributes to the efforts of the Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) by providing technical assistance. This role supports the ITO’s vision of driving energy savings and improving energy productivity that can have broader impact across the energy intensive industries, which leads to cost savings, greater resilience, a strengthened workforce, and increased global competitiveness.

 

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

You will contribute to the efforts on research and analysis of technologies and practices for increasing energy efficiency and reducing carbon footprint of the energy intensive sector.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and industry partners to understand sector-specific energy efficiency and emissions reduction challenges.
• Conduct systems-level analyses of industrial energy use and process efficiency.
• Support the design, execution, and evaluation of technical assistance efforts tailored to EII needs.
• Liaise with technical trade associations, program allies, and subject matter experts to ensure effective outreach and implementation.
• Develop technical reports, case studies, tools, and methodologies that support DOE’s mission and amplify knowledge transfer.
• Contribute to the strategic goals of the DOE’s Industrial Technologies Office (ITO) by informing and advancing national initiatives aimed at achieving energy productivity, cost savings, workforce development, and global industrial leadership.
• Develop monthly program impact reports to share the status and findings of the program with DOE program manager. 
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

 

Basic Qualifications:

• PhD in energy engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, or a related field completed within the last five years.
• A strong foundation in manufacturing energy use, process systems, or industrial emissions reduction technologies.
• Possess an excellent quantitative and analytical background acquired through PhD research, which can be applied to conduct research analyses on applicable energy efficiency and emissions reduction technologies for energy intensive sectors.
• Willingness to travel. Candidate will be expected to travel to EII program participants manufacturing sites to represent DOE during technical assistance activities.