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Year-Round Under/Graduate Internship: Biorefinery Analysis

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.From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our eight employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.
NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.
Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.
Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

Job Description

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, is the nation's primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. This position is part of the Economic, Sustainability and Market Analysis (ESMA) team within NREL's BioEnergy Science and Technology Directorate. Primary responsibilities of team members include the development of conceptual process designs, and the economic and sustainability analyses of conversion technologies from biomass and other materials, including plastics/polymers.  The ESMA team is seeking a post-graduate intern for a one-year appointment, providing support in these activities.
Job Duties:  Working under the supervision of senior analysts and researchers, the candidate will develop techno-economic analysis (TEA) models for unit operations and use the models to predict the effect of research improvements and scale-up on process performance using Aspen Plus and engineering economic analysis. The focus for technical work here will be process simulation and TEA modeling for deconstruction, processing, and synthesis of polymers leveraging biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes, including reactor design, scale-up, operations, and downstream recovery/purification. An additional focus of work will be to gather information and analysis for protein production pathways for food and feed applications, including fermentative and photosynthetic technologies for protein synthesis. This candidate will also develop cost estimates for processes and perform economic analyses under supervision. Analysis results will be documented in technical memos and internal milestone reports, as well as contributions to publications and presentations in peer-reviewed journals and at regional, national, and international scientific meetings and conferences.
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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. Internship period cannot exceed 12 months past graduation. 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.
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Additional Required Qualifications


  • Knowledge and application of process simulation software, such as Aspen Plus, for developing conceptual process models is required.  Knowledge of Fortran and Excel VBA will be useful for model development.
  • Demonstrated experience in process and design engineering, scale-up, costing, and TEA methodologies, including process considerations for equipment design optimization.
  • Background experience in product separations, polymers, and bioproducts is a plus.
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in chemical or bioprocess engineering.