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 eight 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.

Note: Research suggests that potential job seekers may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who is interested in this opportunity to apply. We seek dedicated people who believe they have the skills and ambition to succeed at NREL to apply for this role.

Job Description

Passionate about a clean energy future and making scientific advances in clean energy relatable, understandable, and memorable to a wide range of audiences? Skilled with building relationships to become a trusted partner? Experienced at creating and executing strategic communications plans and tactics?

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Communications Office has an opening for an energetic and collaborative communications leader to provide creative marketing strategies and communications support for NREL’s Strategic Partnerships Office. The candidate will communicate NREL’s impact collaborating with industry, government, and non-profit partners. You’ll work closely with a core group of dedicated, creative communicators to develop materials that help NREL tell the stories of its research capabilities and strategic partnerships.

The Communications Professional III position requires the ability to manage key relationships with ease, and quickly learn and handle a variety of projects including writing and presenting communications plans, social media planning, supporting an annual high-level partner meeting and other engagement events, managing a routine web update, or building a PowerPoint deck for a presentation. We are looking for a self-starter with strong project management skills, good judgment, and the ability to take initiative and share new ideas.

The perfect candidate is a self-motivated individual who is familiar with traditional and digital communications strategies, demonstrates meticulous attention to detail and quality, and is comfortable interacting directly with research staff, laboratory management, and external stakeholders while collaborating across NREL’s Communications Office.

As a Communications Professional III, you will build strong working relationships with other communicators including graphic designers, writers, editors, project managers, web specialists and developers, and the corporate media team. You’ll manage multiple projects with limited supervision and exercise strong creative writing and editing skills for a variety of products – web, PowerPoint, and print.

Primary Job Functions

Communications Planning: Develop and execute plans for internal and external communications related to NREL’s extensive portfolio of partnership projects and the impact NREL and partners are making in the world.
Relationships: Build and maintain positive relationships with teams, peers, and partners. Find innovative solutions and act as a strategic partner.
Project management: Track multiple project plans, timelines, and budgets to manage completion of deliverables for a variety of multichannel outreach campaigns. Inform other project coordinators and team leaders on project status and collaborate on day-to-day problem-solving. Communicate successes and lessons learned regularly.
Content: Work with team members to develop and edit PowerPoint presentations, video, social media, web, email, and other program and outreach content following established standards and best practices and adhering to style guide(s). Steward content and products through multiple reviews and approvals.
Internal Communications: Consistently utilize internal communications methods and channels to help team and clients spread the word to NREL’s growing staff about partnerships related information.
Events: Be available to support and be engaged in partner-centric events hosted by NREL.

Additional Responsibilities

Apply external audience communications and engagement best practices
Maintain positive working relationships with organizational partners and other team members. Find innovative solutions and act as a strategic partner to colleagues
Learn and follow the Communications Office’s processes and best practices
Inform other project managers and team leaders on project status and day-to-day problem-solving.

Your success will depend on your adaptability, flexibility, and willingness to learn; can-do attitude and collaborative work style; and the ability to react positively to rapidly changing circumstances. In addition to your resume, please include a cover letter describing why you are interested in this position and your specific qualifications related to being a communications leader at NREL.

The NREL Communications Office comprises communications experts in a variety of disciplines focused on raising awareness about the lab and DOE programs. This position resides in the Communications Office’s Corporate Communications Group, which includes the media team, employee communications, and events and visits team.

Basic Qualifications

Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant PhD or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant JD or equivalent relevant education/experience. Complete understanding and wide application of technical principles, theories and concepts in the field. General knowledge of other related disciplines. Considerable knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field. Strong leadership, project management and problem solving skills. Ability to use various computer software programs.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience professionally in communications including experience listed here:

Demonstrated success leading complex, multi-dimensional communications campaigns
Strong project management skills including demonstrated success in budget and schedule oversight
Experience working collaboratively and solving problems with teams and clients
Demonstrated experience with digital communications and application of marketing concepts and practices
Experience writing and/or editing stories and presenting scientific and technical content in plain language
Experience writing/editing web and/or social media content
Experience following corporate branding standards and building PowerPoint Presentations, following templates
Experience with project management and collaboration platforms, such as Microsoft Teams
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Can-do attitude with experience working in a collaborative team environment
Results-oriented, reliable, able to work under pressure
Willingness to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple projects and deadlines
Communications activities measurement and reporting experience a plus
Strong knowledge of AP style
Experience working in a CMS to manage web content
Ability to maintain confidentiality and understand political sensitivities
Ability to work on campus 2-3 days or more per week in a hybrid work arrangement.

Preferred Qualifications

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree in communications, journalism, marketing or a related field and 5 or more years of experience.

Or, Master's Degree in communications, marketing or a related field or equivalent relevant education/experience and experience in communications, public affairs, marketing or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of clean energy research and technologies
Experience working in Salesforce and Marketing Cloud

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Professional III / Annual Salary Range: $71,300 – $117,600

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

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.

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.