Posting Title
Postdoctoral Researcher - Iron and Steel Decarbonization
Location
CO - Golden
Position Type
Postdoc (Fixed Term)
Hours Per Week
40
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.
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Job Description
NREL's Building Thermal Energy Sciences group has an opening for a postdoctoral researcher to support a green steel production (decarbonized steel) project, addressing the ~8% of global annual CO2 emissions generated by the steel industry. The ideal candidate will have background in metallurgical processes, preferably focused on ironmaking. The candidate should have experience leading experimental work in this area.
Specifically, the project focuses on hydrogen direct reduction of iron ores including thermal management, energy/mass balance, and chemical requirements of the process for steel production. Ore pre-processing, carburization, smelting, and electric arc furnace processing are also of interest.
Coordination with a large multi-institutional team and mentorship of interns and juniors will be required. Therefore, the successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate excellent teamwork, strong leadership, and mentorship skills.
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 a PhD in Metallurgy, Metallurgical Engineering, Metallurgical Chemistry, or related field.
The successful candidate will demonstrate experimentally-based expertise in:

• Metallurgy
• Direct reduction of iron ores
• Iron ore processing

A candidate with a strong fundamental knowledge of metallurgical principles who can translate this understanding to applied problems is sought. Creative, critical thinking across a wide variety of disciplines and research areas will be essential.
A strong record of teamwork, mentorship, project management, and leadership are desired. The successful candidate will work closely with engineers, scientists, and students in many different fields, and will work to establish collaborations both within NREL and with partner organizations. As such, demonstration of an ability to participate in, to facilitate, and to lead collaborations is important. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to encourage and maximize the unique talents and innovative ideas of a diverse array of collaborators from a wide range of backgrounds.
In addition to strong teamwork, candidates must demonstrate a history of working independently and taking initiative. Candidates must demonstrate ability to design high-quality research projects and to interpret and communicate experimental results. 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.
Preferred Qualifications
Ideally, the candidate will have expertise in:

• Iron carburization
• Smelting
• Electric arc furnaces
• Thermal management of ironmaking processes
• Renewable energy integration with industrial processes
• Working closely with modeling experts
• Steelmaking

Preferred qualifications include:

• Experience developing new laboratory capabilities
• Leadership experience
• A strong history of publication

• Applied work (e.g., with the steel industry or related field)

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $71,300 - $117,600
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-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; and paid holidays. 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.
* Based on eligibility rules
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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
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