Posting Title

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

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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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.

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.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

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. 

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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. 

A strong record of teamwork,