Posting Title
Researcher III - Energy Finance
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Location
CO - Golden
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Position Type
Regular
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Hours Per Week
40
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Working at NREL
Join a team of world-class scientists, engineers, and visionaries dedicated to shaping the world’s energy future through cutting-edge research and innovation. From our vision to our NREL community, we are unique in the research community. We are focused on impact. From our work in basic sciences to systems engineering, analysis, demonstration, and deployment, we are focused on solving market-relevant problems that result in advanced, secure, reliable, and affordable energy systems. We are trusted clean energy leaders, developing cost-saving solutions that make U.S. industries more competitive, and support job creation and economic growth across rural and urban communities.
At NREL, we offer a unique, mission-driven work environment with cutting-edge facilities and multidisciplinary research teams. NREL's environment offers strong partnerships with industry, academia, and other national laboratories, as well as professional development opportunities and a competitive benefits package for employees.
Learn about NREL’s critical objectives: NREL's Mission and Vision.
Job Description
NREL is seeking a full-time Energy Finance Expert for the Project Development and Finance (PD&F) Group in the Accelerated Deployment and Decision Support (ADDS) Center. The mission of the PD&F Group is to partner with clients with ambitious energy goals and support project development, financing, and execution. The PD&F Group aids its clients in making sound investment decisions in clean energy technologies through unbiased strategic advisory, business case assessment, transaction-level support, financing, contracting, and market intelligence.
The successful candidate will apply a deep understanding of project development and finance related to energy technologies such as renewable electricity and heat, weatherization and energy efficiency, energy storage, and/or microgrid project financing mechanisms, domestic acquisition regulations, and general energy project development fundamentals for domestic energy projects.
Knowledge and experience in the following will support a candidate’s successful application: power purchase agreements, energy service contracts, private finance mobilization, low-emission energy and financing development, and net energy metering and billing. The successful candidate will demonstrate advanced understanding and application of project management principles, concepts, practices, and standards. The candidate should have experience engaging with communities.
The candidate will support and guide projects throughout the project implementation process, with a focus on the procurement contracting and financing. Knowledge of domestic tax credits and U.S. tax law, and financing incentives, markets, and policies will be important for success in this position. The candidate will also identify and respond directly to procurement and technical assistance needs and will coordinate with the appropriate technical resources within the lab.
The successful candidate will:
- Oversee and guide technical, financial, and contractual work, resources, and projects.
- Demonstrate integrity, the ability to establish trust, commitment to scientific and technical excellence, and operational effectiveness.
- Work with communities to support identification and design of energy financing, incentive and other programs that can enable energy development.
- Lead or contribute to one or more complex tasks or projects.
- Assist a portfolio of energy projects that will involve a variety of energy project development tasks.
- Identify cost-effective opportunities to save energy, use distributed energy and that also improve energy resilience for a variety of clients.
- Create responsive quantitative analyses to evaluate a variety of investments and program outcomes.
- Navigate complex federal, state, local and tribal policies and markets, and utility regulations, to facilitate project development.
- Inform energy procurement strategies.
- Develop and lead webinars, conference presentations, and other trainings as needed.
- Write publications, resource and guidance documents, fact sheets, case studies, and other communication products.
- Demonstrate knowledge of financing instruments commonly used in clean energy financing, such as tax equity arrangements.
- Engage with stakeholders to ensure that solar projects are designed and implemented in ways that meet the specific needs of low to moderate-income households.
- Collaborate with technical experts to create resources that support the implementation of community and residential solar projects, which could include training materials, guides, or other tools.
- Provide ongoing support and training to organizations to enhance their capacity to develop and manage solar projects. This includes offering technical assistance, facilitating workshops, and providing one-on-one support as needed.
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Basic Qualifications
Relevant PhD . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience . Demonstrated full knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field. Strong leadership, communication, problem solving and project management skills. Ability to use various computer software programs.
* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Additional Required Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in energy finance, engineering, environmental science, business, economics, or a related field.
Professional Experience:
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in energy finance, project development, and/or energy technology implementation.
- Proven experience in the development, financing, and execution of energy projects, including but not limited to renewable electricity, energy storage, microgrids, and energy efficiency technologies.
- Familiarity with financing mechanisms, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), energy service contracts (ESCs), tax credits, and private finance mobilization.
- Familiarity with braiding and stacking various financing mechanisms and incentives for successful project development and implementation
- Experience in engaging with and supporting communities, particularly low-to-moderate income.
Technical Expertise:
- Strong knowledge of energy project development fundamentals, including procurement, contracting, and financing mechanisms (e.g., tax equity, project financing, loan guarantees).
- In-depth understanding of U.S. energy policies, tax law, financing incentives, and markets, particularly related to federal, state, local, and tribal regulations.
- Familiarity with tools and methods for financial modeling, quantitative analysis, and program evaluation.
Project Management and Communication:
- Advanced understanding of project management principles and practices, including budget management, resource allocation, and risk management.
- Experience leading complex projects or tasks, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders, timelines, and deliverables.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to write publications, reports, and guidance documents, as well as present at webinars, conferences, and workshops.
- Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams, including technical experts, communities, and policymakers.
Community Engagement & Training:
- Demonstrated experience in working with communities to design and implement energy programs that address local needs.
- Experience creating training materials, guides, and conducting workshops to support energy projects at the community or residential level.
Preferred Qualifications
Advanced Education:
- Master’s degree in energy finance, sustainable development, public policy, or a related field.
Sector-Specific Experience:
- Expertise in energy finance with particular experience in the renewable electricity, energy efficiency, energy storage, or microgrid sectors.
- Knowledge of advanced financing instruments such as green bonds, environmental impact bonds, or energy performance contracting.
Technical Proficiency:
- Experience with energy modeling software or financial analysis tools, such as HOMER, RETScreen, or NREL’s SAM (System Advisor Model).
- Experience with cash flow/pro forma modeling, especially for renewable energy projects with tax benefits.
- Knowledge of grid integration, distributed energy resources (DERs), and resilience-building strategies for energy systems.
Policy & Regulatory Expertise:
- Extensive experience navigating U.S. tax law, federal energy regulations, and policy programs that incentivize energy investments (e.g., the Investment Tax Credit (ITC), Production Tax Credit (PTC)).
- Familiarity with tribal energy issues, policies, and regulations.
Leadership & Innovation:
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and initiatives, demonstrating leadership in both technical and non-technical roles.
- Experience with innovation in energy financing or project development, particularly in community-based or low-income settings.
Additional Skills:
- Proficiency in managing or advising on the financial structuring of complex energy projects.
- A network of industry contacts in the energy finance, development, or policy space.
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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: Researcher III / Annual Salary Range: $81,500 - $146,700
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*- and long-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; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. 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. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition 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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