R9610 Research Technician II– Li-Ion Battery Materials Recycling
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.
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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), 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.
For this position, a research technician is needed to test novel reuse and recycling processes for end-of-life batteries. Candidates must demonstrate a history of excellent hands-on laboratory work in chemical, electrochemical, material processing, or mechanical research. Previous experience in electrochemical diagnostic testing, chemical instrumental analysis, chemical reactor design, extraction techniques, battery materials synthesis, and/or battery cell fabrication is encouraged, but not required.
For this position, efforts will support larger multi-investigator projects and multi-National Lab consortia. As work is synergistic with larger team efforts, qualified candidates must demonstrate an aptitude for collaboration and teaming. Finally, excellent interpersonal and documentation skills are essential for success in this role.
Job duties will include:
- Preparing battery components from a variety of materials inputs and testing Li-ion battery cells using established electrochemical test protocols.
- Running tests according to pre-determined protocols in several chemical reactors; assisting with the development and implementation of improvements to reactor and processing conditions.
- Monitoring and reporting on the status of experiments. This will include collecting, exporting, and initial computer processing of data from a variety of electrochemical and analytical instruments.
- Summarizing results for inclusion in term reports, participate in conference calls and group meetings, document work in laboratory notebooks.
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Basic Qualifications
High School Diploma or equivalent and 4 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Associate's Degree or certification program of comparable scope and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Substantial acquaintance with and understanding of general aspects of the job with a broad understanding of the detailed aspects of the job. Intermediate to advanced skills in research techniques and practices. Good written, verbal, team, interpersonal and communication skills.
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Additional Required Qualifications
- Demonstration of capability to solve challenging problems
- Interpersonal, communication and written documentation skills.
- Creativity, innovation, and adaptability.
- Hands-on experience working with hazardous chemicals in wet chemistry laboratory
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with working in a glovebox environment
- Knowledge of electrochemical characterization techniques, experience with battery test
- Familiarity with implementing and/or analyzing data from materials characterization techniques, e.g. XRD, SEM, FT-IR, Raman microscopy, ICP, etc.
- Knowledge of battery cell fabrication procedures.
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Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)
Job Profile: Research Technician II / Annual Salary Range: $46,600 - $74,600