What keeps me here at NREL are the people. They are wicked smart. They are passionate about the mission as well. They are caring. They are loving. And to be honest, they are my friends now. I'm proud to actually work at a place where everyone has the same mission to contribute to a clean energy future. So, I'm excited to come to work every day to tackle the next challenge, because there are plenty of them."
Watch: Senior Engineer Nicholas Long Shares Why He Enjoys Working at NREL
Our Employees' Perspective
Ashley Gaulding
Postdoctoral Fellow
Of all the national labs, I chose NREL because of its mission to tackle our energy needs and independence through energy efficiency and renewable technologies. When I first arrived as an undergraduate intern, I found scientists, engineers, and administrative staff that were drawn here for the same purpose. I worked with individuals that maintain the same level of enthusiasm for their work as starry-eyed undergrads. You’ll find a breed of collaborative and inspirational scientists not only driven by their careers, but also by life and wanting to better the world. That is what brought me back as a postdoctoral researcher.
Wendy Dafoe
Clean Cities Task Leader
If this was a place where you had to fit in a certain box and be in the office 40 hours a week, I'm not sure I could have fit in—or would've wanted to fit in. I am very fortunate to have worked for people who believe in job satisfaction and growing careers. They all made a major investment in not just helping me grow professionally, but making the job work for everyone. I can't believe how lucky I've been to have them all as mentors."
Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug-Free Workplace
NREL is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other status protected by applicable law. NREL is also committed to a drug-free workplace and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Learn more.