Project Controller II - Cybersecurity Research

Posting TitleProject Controller II - Cybersecurity Research

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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.

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

NREL has an opening for a Project Controller. The primary responsibility of this role is to provide project management and financial support to research staff and project leaders. The Project Controller will work under the Group Manager, project Principal Investigators (PIs), project managers, and financial analysts to support planning, coordinating, implementing, and assessing project activities according to project objectives and deadlines, while assisting to keep project milestones/deliverables on time and within budget. Staff in CROG lead complex, cutting-edge research initiatives and depend on Project Controllers to ensure that projects are effectively managed to maximize impact.
The Cyber Risk Optimization Group (CROG), within NREL’s Energy and Security Resilience Center, performs research to better understand the threats, detection strategies and mitigation opportunities for renewable energy infrastructure and distributed energy resources.  Our efforts include technical assessments of existing technologies and near-term innovations, research into ICS communications technologies, network architectures and protocols, as well as informing the development and application of cybersecurity frameworks and policy.  CROG researchers collaborate with government and industry partners to contribute to a more secure and resilient renewable energy infrastructure with global impact.
This role is critical to ensuring success across our research program. The successful candidate will perform financial analysis and staff planning, track project milestones and deliverables, and develop presentation materials. They will support research on security for our energy systems. They will be comfortable working in an fast-paced interdisciplinary environment. A high degree of professionalism, curiosity, and ethical conduct is required. Outstanding communication is a must - written, verbal, and via written and presentation materials.

Specific roles and responsibilities may include:
• Project planning and staffing support
• Coordination of research proposals
• Track the milestones and progress of projects as well as associate project costs against the budget
• Assist the Group Managers in tracking execution of a research portfolio
• Contribute to and prepare reports, disclosures, presentations, and recommendations as part of required reporting to internal and external stakeholders
• Provide input to assessing progress towards meeting project financial goals
• Support planning, organizing, and executing portfolio activities such as webinars, client and stakeholder events, etc.
• Proactively identify project controls issues and recommending corrective actions to ensure a successful outcome
• Coordinate efforts for competitive solicitations and partnerships
• Draft project documents (e.g. deliverables, quarterly and annual reports) and coordinating team and management reviews and approvals
• Interact with various NREL departments to support the development of proposals, subcontracts, legal agreements, communications for publication
• Support the team to meeting project milestones and providing deliverables on time and budget

This position is hiring for a hybrid work arrangement, including weekly on-site days at the STM campus in Golden, CO, and is not eligible for 100% remote work arrangements.

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Basic QualificationsRelevant Bachelor's Degree and 2 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree or equivalent relevant education/experience.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Detail oriented with strong organizational skills
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (e.g., Excel, Word, PowerPoint) 
• Excellent prioritization and ability to manage multiple assignments
• Desire to continually develop project management skills, including learning how to use and apply new project management tools or using existing tools to meet project management needs
• Strong teaming, collaboration, and conflict management skills as well as the ability to problem solve and take initiative
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain trusting relationships with team members and project leaders
• Clearance: Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Security Clearance*.
* Eligibility requirements: To obtain a clearance, an individual must be at least 18 years of age; U.S. citizenship is required except in very limited circumstances. See DOE Order 472.2 for additional information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with project management; including experience in finance and business processes

• Knowledge and application of project management principles and practices
• Problem-solving skills related to project challenges
• Ability to prepare professional communications that are appropriate for internal and external stakeholders

• Prior experience with data analysis tools such as Power BI or Tableau

• Prior experience with business tools including Sharepoint, Salesforce, Jira, and/or ServiceNow

• Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat
• Familiarity with online collaboration platforms (e.g., Webex, MS Teams, Zoom, etc.)
• Knowledge of national laboratory structures and processes

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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: Professional II / Annual Salary Range: $63,600 - $104,900

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.

EEO is the Law | Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination | Reasonable Accommodations

E-Verify www.dhs.gov/E-Verify For information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.

E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.