Careers

Why Work for EL?   

NIST's Engineering Laboratory (EL) is one of the Nation's primary federal laboratories serving the manufacturing, construction, and building industries, with a focus on high-leverage, high-impact measurements and standards efforts to foster U.S. manufacturing and construction industry innovation, productivity, and competitiveness, improve building and fire safety, and reduce the environmental impact of buildings and manufacturing activities.  EL provides exciting opportunities in areas of national impact, access to excellent research facilities and work environment, exposure to top notch peers and mentors, and competitive benefits.  

EL's strategic goals include cyberphysical systems; disaster-resilience buildings, infrastructure, and communities; advanced manufacturing; and sustainable and energy-efficient, manufacturing, materials, and infrastructure.  EL also has specific statutory responsibilities for fire prevention and control, earthquake hazards reduction, windstorm impact reduction, and building and fire safety investigations.  

EL carries out mission-related measurement science research in

• Fire prevention and control
• Earthquake hazards reduction
• Windstorm impact reduction
• Building materials and structures
• Smart Grid
• Systems integration and engineering,
• Intelligent systems and control, robotics and automation,
• Cyber-physical systems
• Sustainability and energy efficiency
• Economic analysis and life cycle assessment

We urge you to browse our website and view the list of current NIST Vacancies announced on USAJobs.  We look forward to hearing from you! 

Director of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) 

NIST Engineering Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD USA – NWIRP Director

Introduction: 
Become part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) team in making measurable reductions in loss of life and property from severe windstorms! NIST's Engineering Laboratory seeks candidates for a Director of the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program (NWIRP) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. 

As the NWIRP Director, you'll lead a four-agency program comprised of NIST, NOAA, NSF, and FEMA to support research aimed at improving the understanding of windstorms and their impacts and develop technical guidance and outreach initiatives encouraging the implementation of cost-effective mitigation measures to reduce those impacts.

Once announced, this will be advertised as an interdisciplinary position in USAJOBS: General Engineering/General Physical Science/Social Science; ZP-0801-V/ZP-1340-V/ZP-0101-V.

Job Description:
We are seeking candidates with expertise in current wind engineering practices, windstorm processes and measurements, and wind mitigation, as well as familiarity or expertise within one or more of the following technical areas: 

• Computational fluid dynamics with applications to wind engineering 
• Hurricane or severe convective storm risk modeling for buildings or infrastructure 
• Hurricane, tornado, and straight-line wind loading 
• Field instrumentation and measurements for hurricanes, tornadoes, severe convective storms, and/or wind-driven wildfire 
• Structural damage analysis or modeling 
• Wind mitigation techniques 
• Building codes and standards, and the response of structures and infrastructure to hurricane, tornadic, and straight-line winds. 
• Community resilience and emergency response
• Knowledge of policy and federal programs.

If selected, you will also collaborate closely with NIST’s Disaster and Failure Studies Program. You will contribute to expanding NIST's research on windstorm hazards and may participate in future event studies. Key responsibilities include:

• Implementing the NWIRP Strategic Plan and lead the Windstorm Working Group
• Reporting NWIRP activities to Congress biennially
• Organizing NWIRP Interagency Coordinating Committee annual meetings comprised of agency principals
• Collaborating across NIST programs and divisions
• Coordinating windstorm investigations with federal agencies and other stakeholders
• Disseminating research findings through media, conference presentations, authoritative journal papers, and reports
• Contributing to the development of codes and standards for building resilience against windstorm hazards

Salary and Benefits: 
The salary range for this position is $163,964 to $191,900 per annum. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. The position is eligible for Alternate Work Schedule and Telework flexibilities. Additional information on Federal benefits can be found on our Pay, Benefits, and Leave page. Please note that only U.S. citizens can be considered for this position. This position is not eligible for full-time remote work but telework may be available. Relocation expenses may be considered. 

Basic Requirements: 

For 0801: A degree in engineering OR a combination of education and experience. 

For 1301: A degree in physical science, engineering, or mathematics that included 24 semester hours in physical science and/or related engineering science such as mechanics, dynamics, properties of materials, and electronics OR a combination of education and experience. 

For 0101:  A degree in behavioral or social science; or related disciplines appropriate to the position OR a combination of education and experience that provided the applicant with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field OR four years of appropriate experience that demonstrated that the applicant has acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences equivalent to a major in the field.

In addition to the above basic requirements, for all three series, all applicants must also show they have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience at the GS-14 (ZP-IV at NIST) grade level. Specialized experience is defined as experience in conducting complex hurricane, tornado, or windstorm hazard characterization and research, as well as providing high-level strategic guidance and standards development as it pertains to windstorm hazards, and the mitigation and resilience of buildings, infrastructure, and communities to windstorms.

Submission of Interest: 
Please send a cover letter/email and resume to ELHQJobs [at] NIST.gov (ELHQJobs[at]NIST[dot]gov) by June 3, 2024. Please reference “NWIRP Director” and let us know how you learned about this position.  When the position is available, an official vacancy announcement will be posted on USAJOBS.gov. This announcement will be also posted on the Engineering Laboratory’s Careers page. 

The Department of Commerce is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Engineering technicians

NIST Engineering Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD USA

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Engineering Laboratory anticipates the need for an upcoming Engineering Technician, ZT-0802-II/III, for the Fire Fighting Technology Group and the National Fire Research Laboratory in the Fire Research Division in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. 

An official vacancy announcement will open on USAJOBS.gov on February 29, 2024, and close on March 14, 2024. Applicants MUST apply online through USAJOBS.gov. To apply, please click on this link: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/778317400 . 

More information about Fire Research at NIST can be found at fire.nist.gov. For any technical questions related to the job please contact Anthony Putorti at Anthony.putorti [at] nist.gov (Anthony[dot]putorti[at]nist[dot]gov). 

JOB DESCRIPTION: 
Under close supervision, this position will provide technical support to fire research and data collection activities through the fabrication, installation, operation, and modification of experimental fixtures, structures, and specialized instrumentation for laboratory-scale and full-scale fire experiments in the laboratory, at off-site facilities, and in the field. 

You will work with other staff on project teams to successfully achieve common group goals and mission. This work will positively impact the ability of the Fire Research Division to conduct experimental studies that provide the data necessary to develop models and data sets to reduce the impact of unwanted fire on people, property, and the environment. 

Please review the USAJOBS announcement for a complete description of the duties you will be completing. 

SALARY AND BENEFITS: 
The salary range for this position is $45,146 to $97,925 per year. Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience. 

The position is eligible for Alternate Work Schedule and Telework flexibilities. Additional information on Federal benefits can be found at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-ingovernment/benefits/ . 

Please note that only U.S. citizens can be considered for this position, and this position is not eligible for full-time remote work (relocation would be required from outside the area). 

The Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. 

BASIC REQUIREMENTS:

For the ZT-II level: 
Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to a GS-04 grade level (ZT-I for NIST employees) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience in at least one of the following: 

1. Assisting colleagues with assembling experimental apparatuses or test fixtures on portions or entire buildings composed of wood, concrete, and/or steel, supporting the construction of simple building mock-ups, and/or installing sensors. 
2. Helping colleagues with basic troubleshooting on technical equipment, instruments, and/or software. 

OR 

Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree (a) with major study in an appropriate field of engineering, construction, or industrial technology; or (b) that included at least 24 semester hours in any combination of courses such as engineering, engineering or industrial technology, construction, physics, drafting, surveying, physical science, or mathematics. At least 6 of the 24 semester hours must have been in drafting. OR A combination of education and experience. 

For the ZT-III level: 
Applicants must have at least one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to a GS-08 grade level (ZT-II for NIST employees) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience in at least two of the following: 

1. Assisting colleagues with assembling experimental apparatuses or test fixtures on portions or entire buildings composed of wood, concrete, and/or steel, supporting the construction of simple building mock-ups, and/or installing sensors. 
2. Performing troubleshooting on technical equipment, instruments, and/or software. 3. Working with teams to conduct basic experiments and collect data. 

OR 
Two full years of graduate education. 

OR 
A master's degree related to the position. 

OR 
A combination of graduate education and specialized experience.