Posting TitleGroup Manager II/III– Digital Twins and Scalable Workflows

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LocationCO - Golden

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Position TypeRegular

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Hours Per Week40

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Working at NRELThe 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.

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

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is seeking an accomplished leader for the role of group manager within the Computational Science Center (CSC) with a focus on Digital Twins and Scalable Workflows. NREL’s Computational Science Center conducts research to advance the science of computing across advanced computer science, visualization, data science, AI/ML, applied math, and computational science, as well as providing computing expertise to the NREL community and staffing for project execution.

 

The core mission of the Digital Twins and Scalable Workflows group is to drive the creation, seamless integration, insightful analysis, and strategic deployment of data and advanced computational tools in support of the NREL mission. By bridging expertise with the computational science center, researchers across the lab, and IT operations, the group manager will help develop robust and scalable workflows that underpin transformative research. This group will support hybrid compute solutions that span cloud and HPC, data storage solutions, and analytics workflows including visualization. Collaboration is at the heart of our work — our researchers partner with scientists across NREL to deeply understand their computational challenges, co-develop tailored solutions, and provide the technical expertise needed to push boundaries in renewable energy and sustainability. This group will aim to unlock new possibilities through the power of Digital Twins, enabling simulations and insights that accelerate innovation and amplify impact.

 

As the manager of this new group, the successful candidate will build on the capabilities established across other groups in the Computational Science Center (CSC) and have the opportunity to shape the group’s strategic plan. Reporting to the CSC Center Director, this leader will oversee the Digital Twins and Scalable Workflows group, driving excellence in organizational management, advancing strategic capabilities and developing programs that align with the center’s and NREL’s vision, strategy, and mission. The candidate will translate strategic plans into actionable execution, deliver value over time, and maintain an active role in technical contributions. Additionally, they will collaborate with center leadership to develop new programs and business lines, enhancing the group’s capabilities to further NREL’s mission.

The manager of the Digital Twins and Scalable Workflows group will require a combination of technical, managerial, and interpersonal skills. From a technical side, the manager will need to have a deep understanding of digital twin concepts, including real-time simulation, predictive modeling, and integration with physical systems; a familiarity with big data management and visualization; strong knowledge of HPC systems, parallel computing, and cloud-based workflows for scalable applications; and experience with designing workflows that integrate IT infrastructure, software tools, and computational platforms.

 

From a leadership perspective, the candidate must possess the ability to set and communicate a clear vision for the group’s goals and align them with broader institutional objectives. They must be proficient in managing complex, multidisciplinary projects, developing new clients, ensuring timely delivery, while adhering to budgets. The manager must also have experience in optimizing team resources, securing funding, and allocating computational assets effectively, foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and collaboration across diverse technical teams, and be able to navigate organizational shifts, adopt new technologies, and adapt workflows to evolving needs.

 

Additionally, a candidate must demonstrate excellent interpersonal and communication skills not limited to collaboration and stakeholder engagement, technical communication, conflict resolution, and mentorship and talent development.

Specific duties of this position include:

Provide vision, strategic planning, and leadership to the group and center around digital twins and scalable workflows.Work closely with other group managers to develop computational strategy writ large to address the NREL mission.Keep up to date with advancements in digital twin technologies, scalable workflows, and computational science.Develop strategic staffing plans and recruit world-class talent.Hold regular team meetings to review strategic priorities, promote team cohesion, and provide growth paths for staff.Effectively manage the group with respect to finances, performance reviews, and other administrative functions necessary for proper execution.Actively support workforce development by providing coaching, mentoring, training, and other development opportunities for staff and managers.Honor NREL’s employment opportunity, affirmative action, and anti-sexual-harassment programs, policies, and procedures.

https://www.nrel.gov/computational-science/

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Basic QualificationsGroup Manager III -
Bachelor’s Degree and 14-years’ experience in technically related research discipline; Or, Master’s Degree and 12-years’ experience in technically related research discipline; Or, PhD and 9-years’ experience in technically related research discipline. 2+ years' experince with prior formal management experience with direct reports.

Group Manager II -
Bachelor’s Degree and 9-years’ experience in technically related research discipline; Or, Master’s Degree and 7-years’ experience in technically related research discipline; Or, PhD and 4-years’ experience in technically related research discipline.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required QualificationsPassion for identifying and articulating the role of computational workflows in the clean energy agenda.In-depth knowledge of digital twins, data science and visualization, high-performance computing, system architecture and integration, AI/ML, modeling and simulation.Strong analytical skills and creative thinking abilities.Demonstrated existing skills and experience in applying computational workflows in industry, academia, or government settings.Previous management, project management, budget development, and/or significant leadership in an individual contributor role required.Demonstrated track record of research and/or technology innovation in computational science or related discipline.Ability to lead and direct personnel with diverse skills, work styles, and values, both directly and through subordinate management.Excellent customer and solution-oriented problem-solving skills.Ability to develop and maintain positive relationships internally to NREL and externally with sponsors and research partners.Ability to bridge gaps between domain language (engineering, science) and computing solution language.Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Preferred QualificationsThought leadership in multi-disciplinary collaborations.Past leadership accomplishments, including managing a diverse multi-disciplinary team.Understanding of energy systems, renewable energy technologies, or other relevant fields aligning with NREL’s mission.Track record of successful business development and/or management across multiple sectors and diverse clients.Ability to develop multi-year capital plans.Exceptional leadership potential, including conceptual thinking ability; differentiated interpersonal, collaborative, and negotiating skills; ability to inspire and motivate personnel and model critical leadership skills and values; ability to engage effectively with both computational and analysis communities.Initiative, creativity, and communication skills necessary to effectively propose new or expanded research efforts to the DOE as well as industrial and academic partners.

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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: Group Manager III / Annual Salary Range: $140,900 - $253,600

Job Profile: Group Manager II / Annual Salary Range: $117,200 - $211,000

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 SummaryBenefits 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 RequirementNREL 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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