Undergraduate/Graduate (Summer) Intern - Cyber Mission Assurance

NREL•Golden, CO

About The Position

The National Laboratory of the Rockies’ (NLR) cybersecurity research is strengthening our grid against tomorrow's threats. The selected intern would join the Cyber Mission Assurance team to support research efforts within the Cybersecurity Research Center’s portfolio including: Characterization of the potential for U.S. electric grid disruption from natural hazards and human threats Assessment of the cybersecurity of distributed energy systems Strengthening the resilience of the U.S. electric grid The Cyber Mission Assurance team is looking for talented Software or AI Engineering interns to help build intelligent, data-driven applications for 5G and emerging 6G networks. This internship focuses on developing RIC rApps, xApps, and dApps, along with NWDAF-based analytics, enabling closed-loop automation and AI-powered optimization across the RAN and core network. Interns will work on cloud-native, microservice-based systems that apply machine learning and advanced analytics to real network data, contributing to next-generation autonomous networks.

Requirements

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 PhD student from an accredited institution.
Please Note: Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process. If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date." Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Currently enrolled in or recently from a bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, AI/ML, or a related field; or currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program in these fields
Strong programming skills in Python, Go, Java, or C++
Demonstrated knowledge or experience in software engineering principles, data structures, and algorithms
Experience working in Linux-based environments, command line, and networking
Demonstrated knowledge and/or experience with AI-driven systems, distributed software, and telecom networks
Knowledge or experience with data analytics pipelines such as one of the following:(Kafka, Prometheus, Grafana, time-series databases)

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of 5G architecture, O-RAN, RIC, or 3GPP NWDAF concepts
Experience with machine learning frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn)
Experience with cloud-native technologies i.e. docker
Exposure to reinforcement learning, graph analytics, or network optimization
Prior experience with telecom data, simulations, or digital twin

Responsibilities

Design and implement RIC applications: rApps (non-real-time optimization and policy-driven automation) xApps (near-real-time RAN control and optimization) dApps (distributed and domain-specific intelligent network functions)
Develop and enhance NWDAF analytics functions for performance monitoring, prediction, anomaly detection, and optimization
Build AI/ML models for network intelligence (forecasting, classification, reinforcement learning, root-cause analysis)
Implement closed-loop automation workflows using AI insights and RIC control interfaces
Develop cloud-native microservices using containers and Kubernetes
Integrate with O-RAN and 3GPP interfaces (A1, E2, O1, service-based APIs)
Process and analyze large-scale, time-series and streaming network data
Collaborate with cross-functional teams on design, testing, and validation
Document software designs, experiments, and technical results

Benefits

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; and sick leave (where required by law).
NLR 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.
Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

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