Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Transportation Systems Analysis

National Laboratory of the Rockies; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 45,000 - 71,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

403(b) plan

Sick leave

Job summary

National Laboratory of the Rockies invites graduate students for a Year-Round Intern position in Transportation Systems Analysis in Golden, CO. The role focuses on data processing, database development, and dashboard work to analyze mobility trends and energy implications.

Responsibilities include analyzing large datasets, developing population models, and communicating findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders. Requires enrollment in a relevant degree program and strong data skills.

Qualifications

• Experience with quantitative data and statistical tasks.
• Proficiency in Python, R, MATLAB, or SQL.
• Ability to create clear data visualizations.

Responsibilities

• Assist researchers on mobility energy systems projects.
• Analyze large travel activity and geospatial datasets.
• Develop population models and communicate methods clearly.
• Evaluate mobility accessibility and quantify tradeoffs.
• Work with GTFS data to assess transit performance.
• Produce reports and presentations integrating analyses.
• Document methods and contribute to peer-reviewed outputs.

Skills

Quantitative data analysis

Problem solving

Written and verbal communication

Education

Bachelor's degree program (in progress)

Master's degree program (in progress)

Recent graduate (<=12 months)

Tools

Python

R

MATLAB

SQL

Job description

Posting Title

Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Transportation Systems Analysis

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Intern (Fixed Term)

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Hours Per Week

40

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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

Seekingfull - or part-time graduate candidates to workwith researchers inNLRCenter for Integrated Mobility Sciencesondatabase development, data processing, and dashboard development to supportanalysis of mobility trends andenergy implications of emerging transportation technologies.Specific tasksmay include:

• AssistNLRresearcherson projectsprovidinginsights into transportation energy systems, with a focus on how emerging transportation systems impact travel behavior, quality of life, and energy use.

• Analyze large-scalereal-world travel activity,vehicle driving,andgeospatial datasets using scalable,high-performance computingapproaches.

• Contribute to the development and enhancement of population evolution and demographic microsimulation frameworks, including model design, calibration, validation, and scenario analysis; clearly communicate modeling approaches and findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Evaluate transportation accessibility outcomes alongside economic andoutcomes, andhelp quantify tradeoffs and co-benefits associated with emerging mobility systems, infrastructure investments, and policy interventions.

• Generate insights from transit datasets, including General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS), ridership, usage, and fare data to evaluate transit performance and accessibility.

• Deliver quality products that synthesize external literature, data analyses, and modeling results.

• Document methods andassumptions andassistwith preparing peer-reviewed publicationsalong withhigh-quality technical reports andpresentations.

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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

• Experience working with quantitative data and performing statistical or analytical tasks

• Proficiency in at least one programming or analytical tool such as Python, R, MATLAB, or SQL

• Ability to create clear and accurate data visualizations using tools such as Python (Matplotlib/Seaborn), R (ggplot2), or similar

• Experience handling large or complex datasets

• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

• Good written and verbal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with demographic or population modeling or longitudinal data

• Experiences with transportation modeling, travel demand modeling, or land use and transportation interaction

• Familiarity with GIS tools

• Experience applying ML or data-driven methods to forecasting, behavioral modeling, or pattern recognition

• Familiarity with ML libraries or frameworks such as scikit-learn, TensorFlow, PyTorch, or similar

• Cumulative undergraduate/graduate GPA over 3.5 on a 4.0 scale.

Please include all relevant experience and qualification information on the uploaded PDF (or MS Word) copy of your resume or CV.

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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.

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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