NREL

National Security Sector Partnership Development Lead 

Golden, CO Full time

Posting Title

National Security Sector Partnership Development Lead 

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Regular

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NREL

NREL is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join NREL, where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NREL stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NREL, you’ll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

Join NREL, the nations primary laboratory for energy systems and development, where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NREL stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. 

At NREL, you’ll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being. 

The National Security Sector Partnership Development Lead in NREL’s Strategic Partnership Office (SPO) is responsible for partnership strategy development and business growth activities with the National Security Sector. The Lead will work collaboratively with SPO as part of the National Security and Defense (NS&D) Partnerships Team, as well as the National Security Research Oversight Office (NSRO) and other key stakeholders across NREL’s Science and Technology (S&T) Directorates.  The role will be positioned to expand NREL’s impact and support to U.S. government agencies with critical national security missions, as they seek solutions for their most challenging energy problems. The successful candidate will be assessed against their ability to identify and onboard strategic partnership agreements aligned with NREL’s research mission and priorities. 

The National Security Sector Partnership Development Lead position is dynamic, helping to build partnership opportunities for NREL and transfer NREL’s world class knowledge and expertise to partners via non-DOE funding agreements.  As such, the successful candidate will have experience building productive relationships and partnerships in a professional setting and think creatively about how NREL’s capabilities can help partners achieve their goals. 

The position plays a critical role leading development of partnership strategies that apply whole-of-lab research capabilities to National Security Sector partner organizations’ most critical mission requirements.  To succeed, the Lead will quickly acquire detailed knowledge of NREL cross-directorate capabilities and their application to National Security Sector partner prioritiesThe Lead will collaborate across NREL to continuously learn and understand the application of NREL’s technical research areas to partners’ energy-related needs, collaborating with Center Directors (CDs), Laboratory Program Managers (LPMs), and other NREL leadership to align partnership activities to S&T research priorities. Concurrently, the Lead advises NREL S&T organizations on key opportunities for securing funds-in agreements based on National Security Sector organization research priorities. 

 

Day-to-day, external activities will include but not be limited to outreach to National Security Sector partners on classified or unclassified systems, travel to National Security Sector partner organizations for in-person meetings, representing NREL at key conferences, hosting partners to NREL, and managing a pipeline of business opportunities to ensure continued growth of funds into the laboratory. To succeed in the tactical aspects of the position, the Lead will be expected to build and maintain strong relationships internal to NREL with S&T leadership, subject matter experts, communications professionals, project managers, contract specialists, site operations, IT specialists, and many others, and work collaboratively with these contributors on requirements development, proposal development, final pricing, statements of work, and executing partnership agreements.  As a subject matter expert on National Security Sector priorities and unique security considerations, the Lead can expect significant opportunities for providing mentorship to other staff across NREL. 

The National Security Sector Partnership Development Lead will report to the SPO Office Director while taking operational guidance from the NS&D Partnerships Team Lead.  The successful candidate will be expected to work collaboratively with other members of the SPO, colleagues in the Technology Transfer Office (TTO), the broader team of people doing partnership development across NREL, and NREL’s research community to accomplish the partnership mission goals of the laboratory. 

 

Responsibilities include: 

  • Working in classified and unclassified environments on appropriate computer systems to pursue strategic partnership opportunities with agencies of the National Security Sector 
  • Understanding and cultivating key relationships with partners and organizations to align partner research requirements with NREL’s current and future capabilities and research priorities 
  • Interacting with senior management, technical leaders, and support organizations across the laboratory to drive partnership growth and inform capability to deliver 
  • Managing business development pipeline to maximize mission impact and probability of capture by overseeing requirements development, proposal development, and final pricing and statement of work delivery 
  • Building strong internal relationships with researchers, project managers, and subject matter experts to develop compelling solutions that partners value 
  • Understanding other context within which the program is conducted and how outcomes contribute to the customer's success 
  • Providing mentorship across NREL on National Security Sector partner organizations’ requirements and unique security considerations 

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Basic Qualifications

Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 14 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 12 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant PhD and 9 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

  • Active and transferable TS/SCI or DOE Q/SCI security clearance with an investigation current; the ability to maintain a DOE Q/SCI security clearance is mandatory for this position

  • Strong leadership, project management and problem solving skills

  • Five or more years of demonstrated project management and customer relationship experience 

  • Proven history of being able to interpret partner requirements and lead teams toward successful development and delivery of winning solutions 

  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize and reprioritize areas of focus in a dynamic environment 

  • Strong oral and written communication skills 

  • Ability to use computer programs that exist in both classified and unclassified environments 

  • Applies advanced technical principles, theories and concepts

  • Contributes to the development of new principles and concepts

  • Develops advanced concepts, techniques and standards

  • Comprehensive and advanced knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field

Preferred Qualifications

  • Five or more years of demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships between agencies and organizations.

  • Ten years of relevant experience in the U.S. Intelligence Community or equivalent experience partnering with the U.S. Intelligence Community

  • Ten years of relevant partnership development, science and/or technology experience of demonstrated experience developing strategic partnerships between agencies and organizations

  • Experience managing capture or business development teams

  • Knowledge of contracting or similar business processes that cross classified and unclassified systems

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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: Professional V / Annual Salary Range: $117,200 - $211,000

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*- and long-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; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. 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. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NREL is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

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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Equal Opportunity 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.

Reasonable Accommodations

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