Posting Title

　　Undergraduate/Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Floating Wind Turbine Simulation

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　　Location

　　CO - Boulder

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　　Position Type

　　Intern (Fixed Term)

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　　Hours Per Week

　　40

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　　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.

　　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

　　The National Wind Technology Center is seeking a graduate intern to support floating wind turbine simulations for loads analysis and design of new floating wind turbine support structures. The position’s primary responsibilities focus on setting up, executing, and analyzing coupled aero-hydro-servo-elastic models of floating wind turbines over different load cases and design variations. The overarching goal of the work is to contribute to better floating wind turbine support structure designs.

　　The internship will involve some of the following duties:

　　Running simulations in OpenFAST and similar loads analysis tools.

　　Making adjustments to simulation input files to explore different design variations (e.g., platform geometry changes) or wind/wave loading conditions.

　　Analyzing simulation results using Matlab or Python scripts to extract key information about the system responses and loads.

　　Interpreting and communicating the simulation results within a project team to inform conclusions about the design performance and required design adjustments.

　　The successful candidate will work within a team of NREL researchers to contribute the above actions with larger research projects related to floating wind turbine support structure design. The intern will also contribute to research communication in the form of images, presentations, and reports or papers.

　　This internship is intended to be part-time (15-25 hours/week) during semesters with coursework and full time (40 hours/week) otherwise, with a duration of 6 months, extendable to year-round depending on availability and performance.

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　　Basic Qualifications

　　Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

　　Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.

　　Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

　　Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.

　　Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.

　　Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.

　　Please Note:

　　• Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process.

　　• If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process.

　　• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

　　* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

　　Additional Required Qualifications

　　Completion of a Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, physics, ocean engineering, naval architecture, or similar.

　　Strong writing, teamwork, and communication skills.

　　Experience with programming for processing and visualizing scientific results.

　　Experience with floating wind turbine simulation tools such as OpenFAST, OrcaFlex, RAFT, or QBlade.

　　Proficiency with Python or Matlab programming.

　　Preferred Qualifications

　　Understanding of hydrodynamic and aerodynamic theory related to floating wind systems, such as linear hydrodynamics, Morison’s equation, and blade-element momentum theory.

　　Understanding or experience with wind turbine controls, including models such as ROSCO.

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　　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: / Annual Salary Range: $42,700 - $68,300

　　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; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; and sick leave (where required by law). 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. Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

　　* 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.

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　　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.

　　EEO is the Law (http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/ofccpost.htm) | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination (https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/pdf/pay-transp_English_unformattedESQA508c.pdf) | Reasonable Accommodations (http://www.nrel.gov/careers/employment-policies.html)

　　E -Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here (http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/crt/legacy/2013/08/13/FinalOSCPosterEN08_01_2013.pdf) for English or here (http://www.justice.gov/crt/file/813271/download) for Spanish.

　　E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.

　　The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a leader in the U.S. Department of Energy’s effort to secure an environmentally and economically sustainable energy future. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NREL is the primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the United States.

　　NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All candidates must be authorized to access the facility per DOE rules and guidance within a reasonable time frame for the specified position in order to be considered for an interview. DOE rules for site access during the interview process are the same regardless of whether the candidate is interviewed on-site, off-site, or via telephone or videoconference. Additionally, DOE contractor employees are prohibited from participating in certain Foreign Government Talent Recruitment Programs (FGTRPs). If a candidate is currently participating in an FGTRP, they will be required to disclose their participation after receiving an offer of employment and may be required to disengage from participation in the FGTRP prior to commencing employment. Any offer of employment is conditional on the ability to obtain work authorization and to be granted access to NREL by the Department of Energy (DOE).

　　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.

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