R&D Associate, Energy Efficient Building Envelopes

Requisition Id 12493 

Overview:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, with an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,200 people! ORNL’s decadal vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation. Come join us as we solve the nation's biggest challenges!

We are seeking an R&D Staff who will be part of the Building Envelope Materials Research (BEMR) Group in the Building Technologies Research and Integration Center (BTRIC) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).  BEMR research supports the U.S. DOE Building Technologies Office and other customers by developing state-of-the-art and cost-effective building envelope technologies that make new and existing buildings energy efficient, low carbon, resilient, healthier, comfortable, and grid interactive.

Major Duties/Responsibilities: 

• Conduct research on advanced envelope designs for new and existing buildings; material characterization and integration; and design and integration of thermal energy storage systems with building envelopes, HVAC systems, and sensors and controls, as well as how these components are optimized in systems
• Perform simulations and laboratory and field experiments to evaluate heat and mass transfer through building envelope materials, assemblies, and systems and their effect on heating and cooling energy use
• Develop and implement first-principle numerical models to optimize thermal components and systems
• Design and develop experimental setups, conduct experiments, and analyze results
• Collaborate in multidisciplinary teams that are composed of ORNL researchers with various backgrounds (e.g., material science, automation, advanced software, and sensors and controls among others)
• Interact and collaborate with researchers from universities, national laboratories, and private industry
• Present research results to ORNL staff, DOE, industry, and academia in the form of invited talks, conference papers, and peer-reviewed journal papers with high impact factors
• Significantly contribute to the development of ideas and the assembly of proposals
• Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, health, and program requirements
• Maintain a strong commitment to the implementation and continuation of ORNL’s values and ethics
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications

• PhD in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or related discipline
• An academic and research record in relevant heat transfer, thermodynamics, and/or mass transfer, emphasizing modeling and experimental research
• Knowledge of building construction and energy efficiency in buildings
• Experience setting and conducting laboratory experiments

• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong interpersonal skills to support team building
• Ability to work individually and as part of diverse teams
• Ability to develop and/or maintain strong relationships through active participation in professional societies
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever changing needs
• Strong, proven publication record

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least two years of relevant work experience
• Proficiency with EnergyPlus and COMSOL
• Experience programming in Matlab, LabVIEW, Python, or similar tools

Moving can be overwhelming and expensive. UT-Battelle offers a generous relocation package to ease the transition process. Domestic and international relocation assistance is available for certain positions. If invited to interview, be sure to ask your Recruiter (Talent Acquisition Partner) for details.

For more information about our benefits, working here, and living here, visit the “About” tab at jobs.ornl.gov.

No security clearance is required for this position.

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This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

If you have trouble applying for a position, please email ORNLRecruiting@ornl.gov.

ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply.  UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.