Postdoctoral Researcher – Mathematical Optimization Energy Systems

Postdoctoral Researcher – Mathematical Optimization for Energy Systems

Location:

Golden, Colorado
Position Type:
Full‑time Postdoc (Fixed Term)
Hours per Week: 40

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) is located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado. NLR is the nation’s primary laboratory for energy systems research and development, bringing together world‑class scientists, engineers, and experts to accelerate energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration.

The Advanced Computing Solutions Group in the NLR Computational Science Center seeks a full‑time Postdoctoral Researcher with an emphasis on mathematical optimization and its application to the design and control of energy systems. The successful candidate will develop and apply mathematical optimization formulations and algorithms to physical systems, design parallel algorithmic approaches for large‑scale optimization problems, and combine these with Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques such as reinforcement learning (RL).

The role will involve collaboration with domain experts, development of computational frameworks, and publishing of research results.

• Collaborate with domain experts to identify opportunities where mathematical optimization is a viable approach.
• Maintain awareness of optimization research both within NLR and in the broader literature.
• Adopt or develop new mathematical, computing, and simulation frameworks to implement and evaluate optimization algorithms and solutions.
• Identify and implement opportunities to leverage AI/RL to augment classical optimization algorithms and/or formulations.
• Author publications and contribute to research proposals to sustain research directions.

• Recent PhD graduate (within the last three years).
• Experience formulating optimization problems in an algebraic modeling language such as Pyomo, JuMP, PuLP, or GAMS.
• Familiarity with optimization solvers including CPLEX, Gurobi, Xpress, Cbc, and Ipopt.
• Strong understanding of optimization fundamentals, both computational and mathematical.

• Experience with distributed computing frameworks such as MPI and OpenMP.
• Proficiency in Python and/or Julia.
• Experience with scalable machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch.
• Background in cross‑disciplinary research teams.
• Familiarity with parallel computing architectures relevant to NLR.

Annual Salary Range: $76,600 – $126,400 (based on full‑time 40 hours per week).

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short‑term disability insurance; pension benefits; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; and paid holidays. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.

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, or any other protected status under federal, state, or local laws.

Applicants must be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD‑12) and pass a pre‑employment drug test. NLR is a drug‑free workplace in compliance with federal law.