Post Doctoral Research Associate - AI for Building Energy Systems

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution focused on solving energy challenges. The Post Doctoral Research Associate will conduct research in AI-enabled building energy systems, developing methods and tools to support energy modeling and analysis while contributing to interdisciplinary project teams.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research in AI-enabled building energy systems research under a given mission area, including generative AI, large language models, and agentic systems for building research applications
• Develop and apply generative AI, large language model, and agentic methods for building research applications, including support for data preparation, testing, and technical evaluation
• Develop and support analysis methods, modeling workflows, tools, and prototypes for building research applications under guidance from project leads
• Contribute to technical products, analyses, and research outputs that support building research and decision making
• Contribute to existing building research and engineering projects in these application areas, including projects with established workflows and projects transitioning toward AI-enabled approaches
• Execute assigned technical tasks and deliver high-quality work within defined scope, schedule, and project expectations
• Work with project teams and collaborators to support technical tasks and respond to project needs
• Work effectively within interdisciplinary teams and collaborate closely with mentors, project leads, and teammates
• Support proposal development through technical analysis, literature review, or background research
• Contribute to technical reports, publications, and presentations related to assigned research
• Stay current with relevant literature, methods, and tools in support of assigned research and professional growth

Skills

• Candidates must have received a PhD within the past five years (60 months) or within the next 8 months from an accredited college or university
• PhD in architectural engineering, building science, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field, with strong potential to conduct independent research
• Experience conducting building energy system analyses, such as modeling, controls analysis, or system performance evaluation
• Experience developing or experimenting with AI or machine learning methods in engineering or scientific research applications
• Experience programming in Python or similar languages to support modeling, simulation, or research data analysis
• Experience contributing to research projects and delivering technical work within defined project scope and schedule
• Experience supporting proposal preparation, such as technical analysis or background research
• Record of technical publications or research contributions from doctoral research
• Experience communicating research results through presentations or publications

Benefits

• Health 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 Overview