Posting Title

Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC)

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

20

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Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

Growing technologies to have real impact in advanced energy commercialization takes an entire ecosystem of innovators, industry players, researchers, and investors. You can be part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC)’s team, who brings that ecosystem together to access the capabilities and expertise of NLR. This internship will support the acceleration of energy technologies to market through 1) supporting the 32nd year of the NREL Industry Growth Forum (IGF), May 5-7, 2027 in Denver, Colorado and 2) tasks and data entry in support of other events and program-related entrepreneurial activities.

1) The IEC builds lasting relationships with key, relevant, and emerging entrepreneurs, investors, and industry partners, including foundations, in the advanced energy ecosystem. Data entry and analysis is an important component of capturing value for our network of partners and identifying trends.

2) IEC also creates technology incubation programs and solutions that address the gaps preventing innovations from getting to market and preventing market growth. Annual reports showcase the impact of these activities to the ecosystem.

3) The IGF is one of several events and programs run by the NLR Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) with the mission to build an advanced energy ecosystem, empower market solutions, and transform communities around the world. The IGF builds on decades of technical expertise and market analysis accumulated at NLR. It attracts over 1,000 attendees including advanced energy entrepreneurs, investors, and industry and public sector experts to build relationships, showcase innovative technologies, and identify disruptive business solutions. As part of the dynamic IGF team, you will work in the months leading up to the forum with all the key ecosystem players that are critical to the IEC mission and the success of the event.

Specific objectives are distributed among a team of interns and may include the following:

Support for the Innovation Showcase, September 30 in Beaver Creek, Colorado (hire date – October)

• Support IEC programming as required, including the gathering of impacts and metrics from program alumni innovators and companies.
• Organize important data through data entry in Excel and Customer Relationship Management software to support IEC networks and programs. The internship will work in coordination with the IEC data team to support the development of metrics and analyses.

Support to the IGF Pitch Competition Application Process (September – January):

• Outreach and Recruitment of Applicants: Support the recruitment of advanced energy startups to apply to present at the IGF Pitch Competition through extensive email outreach and proactive calls to startups to inform them of the IGF and value proposition of applying. This involves both researching prospective applicants and communicating the value proposition of IGF participation.
• Coordination with Investor Selection Committee and Score Analysis: Support the pitch competition selection process, help recruit and coordinate the Investor Selection Committee, and assist in score analysis and final selection recommendations.
• Application Platform Management: Support setup and administration of the application software.

Support to the In-Person Pitch Competition IGF Event (January – May)

• Presenter Management: Support IGF team with coordination of and communication to presenting companies following selection.
• Recruitment and Organization of Pitch Judges: Support IGF team with the recruitment and coordination of and communication with seated investment professionals and judges.
• Prep Materials for Pitch Competition Session: Create run of show documents, and other materials needed to ensure a seamless pitch competition event.

Support for Mobile App, Investor Attendees and 1:1 Networking (January – May)

• Mobile App Support: Support the setup and administration of the mobile event management platform.
• Investor Table Host Recruitment and Management: Support recruitment of investor table hosts for 1:1 networking, respond to inquiries, and ensure smooth coordination before and during the event.

Support for General Event Management and Logistics (January – May)

• Event Software Management: Support setup and administration of our event management software, including registration, speaker management, exhibitor management etc.
• Overall Event Management: Support overall program event management, including the IGF email account, website updates, surveys, and sponsor recruitment.
• Registration Outreach: Support social media and marketing efforts including content marketing.
• Speaker/Content Management: Help with speaker coordination and management of content sessions, including updating the agenda, run of shows, collecting information from speakers, creating slides, and other tasks as needed
• Logistics Support: Other logistic support as needed including signage coordination, food and beverage, volunteers etc.

Support for Sponsors Management (November – May)

• Identify Prospects: Support identifying potential organizations that are strong prospects for sponsorship.
• Information management: Organizing and tracking prospective and engaged sponsors using IEC’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.
• Communication and Relationships: Maintaining timely communication and strong relationships with sponsors and ensuring deliverables, commitments, and deadlines are met.

All interns will be required to be onsite every Tuesday as well as provide on-site logistical support of the event (May 5-7, 2027) including but not limited to pitch session monitoring, exhibitor management, registration support.

Work during the summer and fall focuses on metrics, reporting, data management, planning for the next year’s event and supporting other programming in the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center.

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Basic Qualifications

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.

Additional Required Qualifications

Skills needed:

• A growth mindset and willingness to jump in where needed to support the team, particularly on tasks requiring quick turn-around.
• Eagerness, interest, and capability to learn about the advanced energy technologies that will create real impact.
• Proficiency with Excel, including advanced skills such as dynamic arrays (ex: xlookup), advanced formulas, and automation using python or other tools.
• Enthusiasm for data entry, analysis and management.
• Effective written and oral communication skills for communicating with senior level individuals at startups and investment funds, and contribution to content marketing.
• Comfort making cold calls to prospective stakeholders to articulate value of the IGF and to help with customer service issues.
• Software-savvy familiarity with various software platforms and systems, including CRM, mobile app, registration, email marketing, etc. Ability to quickly understand and pickup software and virtual platforms.
• Creative thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop innovative approaches to outreach, engagement, event execution, and process improvement.
• Strong network and relationship management skills, with the ability to build, maintain, and steward professional relationships with startups, investors, sponsors, and partners.
• Excellent organizational and task management skills, including the ability to manage multiple workstreams, prioritize competing deadlines, and track details in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

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

NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

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.

* Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation. Intern assignments extending beyond six months will be subject to this requirement.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NLR you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), 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.

Reasonable Accommodations

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