Post-Undergraduate/Graduate (Year-Round) Software Engineering Intern for Grid Modeling Applications

Posting Title

Post-Undergraduate/Graduate (Year-Round) Software Engineering Intern for Grid Modeling Applications

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Location

CO - Golden

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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 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

Ready to build software that powers the future? NREL is looking for a creative and driven intern to join our Application Development team. This isn't your average internship; you'll be writing code that helps researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders solve some of the world's most pressing energy challenges. 

This role focuses on turning complex scientific models and data into robust, user-friendly software applications. You'll work alongside world-class scientists and software engineers to design, develop, and deploy tools that analyze and visualize the future of energy. If you have a passion for elegant code and an interest in making a real-world impact, we want to hear from you. Your work will contribute to the open source Sienna Tool which was developed by NREL NREL-Sienna · GitHub.

The primary programming language for this project will be Julia, known for its high performance in scientific computing.

Primary Responsibilities

• Contribute to the full software development lifecycle, from design and prototyping to testing and deployment of applications in the Sienna platform. 
• Develop new features for existing energy analysis applications and libraries.
• Collaborate with researchers take technical specifications and translate them into code.
• Write documentation and unit tests to ensure code quality and maintainability.
• Participate in code reviews and team meetings, actively contributing to our agile development process.

Submission Guidelines

To be considered, please submit your resume and links to your GitHub profile and a portfolio showcasing your best work. The portfolio can include web apps, desktop tools, data analysis projects, or significant contributions to open-source software.

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Basic Qualifications

Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a Bachelor's, Master's or PhD degree program, or graduated in the past 12 months from an accredited institution. Candidates who have earned a degree may work for a period not to exceed 12 months. Must have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.

Please Note:
•You will need to upload 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.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Software Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field, or currently enrolled in a master's or PhD program in these fields
• Demonstrated proficiency in at least one modern programming language (e.g., Julia or Python
• Solid understanding of core computer science principles and software engineering practices
• Experience using Git and GitHub for version control
• A link to a GitHub profile and a portfolio of software projects or applications is required for consideration
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with web application development tools (OpenAPI, ZeroMQ, Docker Container, etc.)

• Knowledge of software development best practices like CI/CD and automated testing

• A strong interest in power 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: / Annual Salary Range: $50,200 - $80,300

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

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. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

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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