Research Engineer Intern
General program information and/or position overview.
We are seeking an exceptional and motivated Research Engineer interested in pursuing their passion by working side-by-side with world experts as a research scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory’s (NETL) Pittsburgh site. In this role, you will work as part of Leidos’s leading Research & Development laboratory team supporting DOE at NETL to pursue cutting-edge research on enhancing oil production from unconventional reservoirs. Specifically, you will work with NETL’s Production team to address the challenges of low permeability and complex fluid dynamics in shale formations by developing and testing secondary recovery methods, such as the injection of water, natural gas, or carbon dioxide with additives. In this role, you will engage with world-class researchers and engineers integrating expertise in reservoir engineering, subsurface geochemistry, fluid characterization, geomechanics, and advanced diagnostic imaging, including leading DOE scientists and external partners to advance fossil energy technology through scientific and technological innovation that addresses the optimization of oil recovery mechanisms.
Primary Responsibilities.
- Assist rock characterization of oil saturation mapping, mineral analysis, porosity and permeability.
- Assist fluid characterization including pressure-volume-temperature measurements, interfacial tension, contact angle, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance scanning measurements and additive evaluation for fluid selection optimization.
- Assist with the design and conduct of laboratory tests aimed at enhancing oil and gas recovery from unconventional reservoirs by simulating subsurface conditions, quantifying oil and gas recovery rates and determining dominant recovery mechanisms under various injection scenarios.
- Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team, including geologists, geographers, chemists, computer scientists, environmental scientists, and other researchers to accomplish project related tasks.
Basic Qualifications.
- Currently pursuing a Master’s degree in petroleum engineering or related scientific/engineering field.
- Experience utilizing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance scanning for oil saturation mapping.
- Experience with interfacial science by conducting contact angle measurements, interfacial tension and wettability alteration.
- Ability to meet the requirement for gaining access to work on the NETL campus.
Preferred Qualifications. List additional skills and experience that are “nice to have” but not required.
- Experience interpreting complex experimental data using tools like python or MATLAB.
If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.
Original Posting:
September 17, 2026For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above.
Pay Range:
Pay Range $57,850.00 - $104,575.00The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.