Graduate; Year-Round Internship – Digital Twin Development Biorefinery Processes

Graduate (Year‑Round) Internship – Digital Twin Development for Biorefinery Processes

Location: CO - Golden

Position Type: Intern (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week: 40

The Integrated Carbon Conversion Processes (ICCP) Group within NREL’s Catalytic Carbon Transformation and Scale‑Up (CCTS) Center is looking for a Graduate Intern to support senior process engineers, modelers, and data scientists in developing a digital twin for an experimental biological and thermocatalytic conversion platform. The goal is to create a virtual representation of key unit operations, enabling real‑time monitoring, dynamic simulation, and predictive analytics for biomass and waste conversion to produce biofuels and bioproducts.

• Design and implement process models representing biomass conversion, upgrading, and separation units
• Integrate sensor data and historical process data into the digital twin architecture
• Develop simulation tools and dashboards for visualization, control, and scenario analysis
• Contribute to model validation using pilot‑scale data and collaborate on experimental feedback loops
• Document assumptions, system architecture, and modeling workflows for reproducibility and team collaboration
• Participate in team meetings and present regular progress updates
• Contribute toward peer‑reviewed manuscripts and other technical documentation

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average
• Undergraduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full‑time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post‑Undergraduate:
  Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months; eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate:
  Must be enrolled as a full‑time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution
• Post‑Graduate:
  Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months; eligible for an internship period of up to one year
• Graduate + PhD:
  Completed master’s degree and enrolled as a PhD student from an accredited institution

• The candidate should be currently pursuing or recently completed a master’s degree or be currently enrolled in a PhD program in computational sciences, computational engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biological engineering, chemistry, biology, or a related field
• Experience programming in Python and/or C++; modeling chemical reactors (e.g., using Cantera) and integrating with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) frameworks

• Experience building techno‑economic models using software platforms (e.g., Aspen Plus)
• Exposure to artificial intelligence/machine learning methods for process optimization or anomaly detection
• Experience with digital twin platforms (e.g., Any Logic, TwinCAT, Siemens Xcelerator)
• Interest in bioprocessing, energy systems, or sustainable technology development
• Strong problem‑solving, communication, and collaboration skills

Job Profile: / Annual Salary Range: $44,500 – $71,200

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match
• Sick leave (where required by law)
• Eligibility for performance‑, merit‑, and achievement‑based awards that may include a monetary component
• Eligibility for relocation expense reimbursement for some positions
• Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, 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.