Behavioral Economics Intern Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Posting Title
Graduate (Year-Round) Intern - Transportation Systems Analysis
Location
CO - Golden
Position Type
Intern (Fixed Term)
Hours Per Week
40
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
Seeking full - or part-time graduate candidates to work with researchers in NLR Center for Integrated Mobility Sciences on database development, data processing, and dashboard development to support analysis of mobility trends and energy implications of emerging transportation technologies. Specific tasks may include:

• Assist NLR researchers on projects providing insights into transportation energy systems, with a focus on how emerging transportation systems impact travel behavior, quality of life, and energy use.
• Analyze large-scale real-world travel activity, vehicle driving, and geospatial datasets using scalable, high-performance computing approaches.
• 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 and outcomes, and help 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 and assumptions and assist with preparing peer-reviewed publications along with high-quality technical reports and presentations.

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.
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.
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
E-Verifywww.dhs.gov/E-VerifyFor information about right to work, click here for English or here for Spanish.
E-Verify is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This business uses E-Verify in its hiring practices to achieve a lawful workforce.