Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Advanced Building Equipment Research Group

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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

NREL's Advanced Building Equipment Research group has an immediate opening for a post-doctoral position focusing on modeling and experimental heat and mass transfer applied to HVAC systems and buildings. The successful candidate will join team members on cutting-edge laboratory and analytical projects to research, develop, and evaluate heat and mass transfer components and systems, including conventional and non-conventional HVAC, thermal storage, dehumidification, and other building energy systems. The successful candidate should have a strong background and understanding of heat and mass transfer, including theory, numerical modeling, and experiments.

Under the general direction of senior staff, the successful candidate will:

• Develop and improve numerical models based on first-principles to simulate heat pumping components and systems including the frosting and defrosting cycles.
• Analyze the impact of frost/defrost cycles on the heat pump and the grid.
• Perform laboratory experiments on HVAC components and systems at NREL’s laboratories.
• Publish papers in relevant journals.

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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

Ph.D. with strong academic and research record in relevant heat transfer, thermodynamics, or mass transfer field with emphasis on both modeling and experimental research. Mechanical engineering, or relevant dissertation research in other engineering or science field.

Demonstrated experience in the following:

• Heat and mass transfer fundamentals.
• HVAC fundamentals and vapor compression cycles.
• Experience programming in Matlab, Engineering Equation Solver (EES), EnergyPlus, python, or similar tools.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills (oral and written) and demonstrated ability to work independently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in heat pump frost and defrost modeling and/or experiments.
• Familiar with the solution schemes for heat exchangers and/or vapor compression systems.
• Experience in object-oriented programming.
• Building energy modeling.