Posting Title
Post-Doctoral Researcher for CdTe Photovoltaics
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Location
CO - Golden
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Position Type
Postdoc (Fixed Term)
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Hours Per Week
40
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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 ten 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.
We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.
Job Description
CdTe photovoltaics are the most successful thin-film PV technology in the world. While this technology is directly competing with Si at the utility-scale, there is still foundational work that can enable significant advances with an industry poised to implement them. The focus of this position is the synthesis and detailed characterization of Cd(Se,Te) devices and test structures for investigating the causes for photovoltage loss and ultimately mitigating these losses. In addition to experimental work fabricating and characterizing samples, a key part of this position will be using quantitative microscopic-based models in a hypothesis-driven manner to understand results and propose next steps. The successful candidate will have significant experience with thin-film fabrication processes such as close-space sublimation, evaporation, and reactive sputtering. Additional experience with characterization methods such as device testing under solar simulation, quantum efficiency, capacitance-voltage, UV-Vis spectroscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and time-resolved photoluminescence is highly desired. Further general skills such as programming, machining, and equipment automation are considered a plus. Direct experience in CdTe or even photovoltaics is not an explicit requirement, but the successful candidate will be expected to have spent time gaining some familiarity with the field and its challenges as well as demonstrate applicable skills along with the willingness and ability to learn quickly.
The successful candidate will work as part of a larger team including staff scientists, students, and external collaborators (industry and academia).
Qualified candidates must demonstrate skills in interpreting and assessing the experimental results and have a demonstrated record of success from graduate and/or post-graduate work with publishing results. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills are essential. Teamwork and collaboration are essential and successful candidates will need the ability to partner and team internally and externally. Inclusion and diversity are core values, and the candidate will be expected to support a work environment that maximizes the unique talents and innovative ideas of every worker.
MCCS Directorate
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Basic Qualifications
Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
PhD in Applied Physics, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, or related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- Degree in physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or similar.
- Experience with thin-film fabrication techniques
- Experience in basic thin-film solar-cell characterization techniques
- Experience in at least one advanced characterization technique relevant to the project (time-resolved photoluminescence, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy)
- Experience in quantitative PV cell-performance modeling (e.g., Sentaurus, SCAPS, COMSOL, etc.)
- Experience setting up/building custom research equipment
- Experience programming in at least one language
- Knowledge of device physics
- Demonstration of research capability to solve challenging problems with limited guidance.
- Good communication and writing skills.
- Creative, independent, innovative, and adaptable.
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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: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $73,200 - $120,800
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; short-term disability insurance*; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. 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.
* 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.
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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EEO Policy
NREL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action 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.
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