About the role#
The Geospatial Data Science team at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory is looking for an intern to support energy research for a term of 6 to 12 months. This role focuses on the intersection of energy deployment, big data, and geospatial modeling. You will work with researchers to develop algorithms and methods that evaluate energy technologies like wind, solar, hydropower, and transmission. This work supports techno-economic assessments and power systems modeling from local to continental scales.
What you'll do#
- Manipulate multiple data sources, models, and software tools within engineering workflows for decision support.
- Process geospatial data using open-source desktop software and programmatic approaches.
- Conduct background research on datasets and existing modeling tools.
- Develop literature reviews under the guidance of research scientists.
- Write Python scripts to conduct analysis and visualize data.
- Work in distributed computing environments, including internal servers, high-performance computing systems, and the cloud.
- Assist scientists in developing analytical solutions for energy siting, deployment, and adoption.
What you'll need#
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
- Current enrollment in or recent graduation (within the past 12 months) from a master's or PhD program in Geography/GIS, Environmental Science, Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field.
- Independent programming experience in Python, specifically with libraries such as geopandas, numpy, scipy, shapely, and pyproj.
- Proficiency with geospatial analysis and modeling using open-source tools like QGIS.
- Experience with geographic transformations and projections.
- Strong critical thinking, research, and communication skills.
- Ability to work as part of a collaborative, often-dispersed team.
- A resume and an online code repository (such as GitHub) with publicly visible projects, or an explanation in your cover letter if these are not available.
- Preferred experience includes Linux/Unix, collaborative code development, machine learning, GADL, and big geospatial data processing.
Location & details#
- This position is based in Golden, Colorado, with remote work options.
- The role is full-time at 40 hours per week.
- All candidates must be authorized to access the facility per Department of Energy rules and must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification card.
- Employment is conditional on passing a pre-employment drug test.
About National Renewable Energy Laboratory
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory operates as the primary national laboratory for the United States Department of Energy focused on energy systems research. Founded in 1977, the organization conducts research in energy efficiency, basic science, and energy security. It maintains a staff of approximately 3,751 employees. The laboratory is based in Golden, Colorado.
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