[Hiring] Building Operations & Controls Engineer @Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Role Description

The Buildings Systems Group is seeking a Building Operations and Controls Engineer to join our team of building controls experts working to improve energy and water efficiency and resilience, test and demonstrate new technologies and methodologies, and facilitate complex controls systems integration in federal and commercial facilities. This position offers a unique opportunity to develop, demonstrate, and learn from novel approaches to Building Re-tuning™, building control systems integration, and predictive fault detection and diagnostics.

We are looking for candidates with familiarity and practical experience with:

• Building HVAC control systems (design, programming, commissioning, or operations)
• Analyzing control system data to optimize building performance
• Developing diagnostic and prognostic methods to enable more timely and proactive operation and maintenance of buildings and HVAC systems

PNNL’s Buildings Systems Group performs applied research to enhance energy and water efficiency, occupant productivity, and resilient operation of buildings and their connected energy and water systems. Our core research capabilities span:

• Building performance evaluation
• Building control system optimization
• Site-level assessment and planning for energy and water resilience

The successful candidate will be accountable to:

• Project Managers and/or Task leads for performing assigned roles, following applicable project and field procedures, and performance of assigned tasks on time and within budget
• The Building Systems Group Leader and Team Leader for staff development, performance evaluation, and operational discipline (e.g., safe operations)

The candidate we are looking for is an individual who has a recognized reputation of applying building science and engineering principles and theories to proposing new ideas and solving buildings operations and controls challenges in federal and commercial facilities. Responsibilities include:

• Providing guidance on assignments to more junior staff
• Developing technical approaches to solve building research challenges
• Leading development of technical products, such as technical reports and journal articles
• Presenting at national conferences and technical forums
• Defining and leading projects/tasks, reporting results on time and on budget
• Providing leadership to proposals for new work
• Teaming with staff across the group and division to share resources and optimize approaches
• Mentoring junior staff and/or students

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications:
• BS/BA and 5+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
• MS/MA and 3+ years of relevant work experience -OR-
• PhD with 1+ year of relevant experience
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering, Building Science, Architectural Engineering, or a related field
• Experience analyzing building- or campus-scale energy and water systems, including design, commissioning, controls, operations and maintenance, or energy auditing (e.g., ASHRAE Level III)
• Experience using whole-building energy modeling and simulation tools (e.g., eQUEST, EnergyPlus) to evaluate building performance and identify retrofit, operational, or control optimization opportunities
• Experience analyzing building automation system (BAS) or building control system data to optimize HVAC performance using diagnostic and prognostic methods that improve system operations and maintenance
• Experience planning and executing experimental research, technology demonstrations, or pilot projects
• Experience using programming or scripting languages (e.g., Python, R) for data analysis, automation, or visualization
• Experience supporting research or engineering projects at Department of Defense (DoD) installations or other federal facilities
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with multidisciplinary, geographically distributed teams and contribute to technically complex projects
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts and research findings effectively through written reports, presentations, and interactions with project sponsors and stakeholders
• Demonstrated initiative, technical curiosity, and commitment to advancing building energy efficiency, resilience, and emerging technologies
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% to support field work, technology demonstrations, sponsor engagements, and project activities at U.S. military installations or other federal facilities

Requirements

• U.S. Citizenship
• Background Investigation: Applicants selected will be subject to a Federal background investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified matter in accordance with 10 CFR 710, Appendix B
• Drug Testing: All Security Clearance positions are Testing Designated Positions, which means that the applicant selected for hire is subject to pre-employment drug testing, and post-employment random drug testing
• Testing Designated Position: This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP). The candidate selected for this position will be subject to pre-employment and random drug testing for illegal drugs, including marijuana

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Robust telehealth care options
• Several mental health benefits
• Free wellness coaching
• Health savings account
• Flexible spending accounts
• Basic life insurance
• Disability insurance*
• Employee assistance program
• Business travel insurance
• Tuition assistance
• Relocation
• Backup childcare
• Legal benefits
• Supplemental parental bonding leave
• Surrogacy and adoption assistance
• Fertility support
• Company-funded pension plan*
• 401(k) savings plan with company match*
• Up to 120 vacation hours per year
• Ten paid holidays per year

Company Description

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations, and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors.

PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.