Building Operations & Controls Engineer 3

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•UNAVAILABLE, UNAVAILABLE

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Integrated Discovery Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, is accelerating the transition to an efficient, resilient, and secure energy system through basic and applied research. We leverage a strong technical foundation in power and energy systems and advanced data analytics to drive innovation, transform markets, and shape energy policy. 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, and 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, and site-level assessment and planning for energy and water resilience. We work closely with over 370 subject matter experts across the broader Electricity Infrastructure & Buildings Division to support the Nation’s transition to a sustainable, efficient, resilient, and secure energy system through innovation and actionable solutions. 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. The individual will provide guidance on assignments to more junior staff and develop technical approaches to solve building research challenges. Leads development of technical products, such as technical reports and journal articles, and presents at national conferences and technical forums. Defines and leads projects/tasks, reporting results on time and on budget. Provides leadership to proposals for new work. Teams with staff across the group and division to share resources and optimize approaches. Mentors junior staff and/or students.

Requirements

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
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
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.
U.S. Citizenship
Ability to obtain and maintain a federal security clearance.
Ability to pass a pre-employment drug test and comply with PNNL Workplace Substance Abuse Program.

Nice To Haves

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.

Responsibilities

Perform assigned roles, following applicable project and field procedures, and performance of assigned tasks on time and within budget.
Provide guidance on assignments to more junior staff and develop technical approaches to solve building research challenges.
Lead development of technical products, such as technical reports and journal articles, and present at national conferences and technical forums.
Define and lead projects/tasks, reporting results on time and on budget.
Provide leadership to proposals for new work.
Team with staff across the group and division to share resources and optimize approaches.
Mentor junior staff and/or students.