Energy, Environment, Economy Scientist

~ Located in Richland, Washington, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is one of 10 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories managed by DOE's Office of Science. ~

Our research strengthens the U.S. foundation for innovation, and we help find solutions for not only DOE, but for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the National Nuclear Security Administration, other government agencies, universities and industry. Unlike others, our multidisciplinary scientific teams are brought together to address their problems.

Position Overview

The Joint Global Change Research Institute (JGCRI) of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), located in College Park, Maryland, is seeking several early-career scientists to participate in research, modeling, and analysis at the intersection of energy systems, water system, land systems, the environment, technology, economics, and policy.

JGCRI conducts multi-disciplinary research to advance fundamental understanding of human and Earth systems and provide decision-relevant information for management of emerging global risks and opportunities. The candidates will work in a multi-disciplinary research team and will be expected to contribute to the development and use of JGCRI’s suite of integrated analysis and modeling capabilities, including the Global Change Assessment Modeling (GCAM) framework.

Depending on interest, expertise, and needs, the candidates may be asked to focus on a single area or on several areas of research. The JGCRI website highlights our current research foci.

Note: This is a project hire, dependent on project funding, not expected to exceed 12 months.

Responsibilities

• Research scientists at JGCRI are expected to communicate their research results by publishing in peer-reviewed journals, scientific reports, and oral presentations to the sponsors and other scientists at meetings and conferences.
• They are also expected to participate in activities to develop and support new research areas and proposals.
• Research scientists at JGCRI collaborate on a variety of projects with scientists at partner organizations and other stakeholders in the U.S. and countries worldwide (e.g. in Latin America, Europe and Asia). 

Examples of broad research areas of current interest include:

• What will be the consequences of climate change, climate variability, and extreme events for key aspects of human societies from energy infrastructure to water resources and management and food production? 
• How can models and observations be best constructed and used to explore and understand these issues? How can simplified models be used to emulate the behavior of complex models, such as Earth system models, agricultural system models, or energy simulation models? 
• How can national international actions on environment and energy systems be undertaken in ways that best contribute to other societal goals such as reductions in air pollution, energy security, and energy access?
• How might near-term national/international actions create a foundation for longer-term efforts to address climate and other environmental challenges? What technologies will have the largest economic, environmental, and societal impacts in near-, mid- and long-term? 

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS/BA with 2 years of experience.
• MS/MA with 0 years of experience.
• PhD with 0 years of experience in a relevant field of study, for example, engineering, operations research, environmental studies, economics, mathematics, or computer science.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Technical Leadership: Building reputation through application of S&E principles and theories, and developing technical approaches to solve problems. 
• Organizational Leadership: Building networks at a local and capability level. Effectively teaming to share resources and optimize research at the group and division level. Mentoring junior staff and students. 
• Project Execution: Receives guidance on new assignments, making preliminary selections on technical alternatives; independently completes recurring assignments. Defines and leads project work at a small task/project level, reporting results on time and on budget. Contributes to proposals.
• Embraces expectations for quality, safety, and security. Communicates the importance within the work team. 
• Impact: Member of external professional community. Active participant at national or international forums. Leads elements or sections of research projects. 
• PhD or Master degree in Earth and environmental sciences, engineering and operations research, management science, computer science, or related fields.
• Demonstrated scientific ability through publications in peer-reviewed journals, model developments, community leadership, and successful grant applications.
• Demonstrated experience in developing support for new research activities.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise in computer modeling of human and earth systems, including energy systems modeling, economic modeling, Earth system modeling, and environmental modeling.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate research projects involving multiple researchers.
• Excellent communication skills, ability to work in a group environment, and have an interest in and ability for successful collaboration across disciplinary boundaries.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload a resume as well as a cover letter describing your qualifications and experience.