Senior Data Scientist - System Optimization

Danfoss; Kolding; On-site; DKK 1,100,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Danfoss is seeking a Senior Data Scientist to deepen modelling and optimization for district energy systems in Denmark. You will work on thermo-hydraulic network simulations, calibrate models with live data, and advance production optimization using MILP across grid-scale utilities.

You will communicate complex technical solutions to customers, collaborate with a cross-European team, and help shape decarbonization through physics-based and data-driven methods. Copenhagen or Kolding office-based.

Qualifications

• Hold a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant quantitative field (mathematics, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, etc.)
• PhD degree is a benefit, but not a strict requirement
• Several years of experience applying data modelling to complex physical or industrial systems
• Excellent command of Python as this is used as our main programming tool
• Solid knowledge of district energy and thermo-hydraulic simulation — experience with physical modelling of flow, pressure and temperature in fluid networks is central to this role
• Familiarity with numerical methods for simulating dynamic physical systems, and calibrating such models with measurement data
• Experience in solving complex optimisation problems, for example with Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP), is an advantage
• Experience with C# and C++ is appreciated, as these are used for some of our legacy solutions
• Fluent in English
• Willing to apply and learn about advanced methodology in the district energy field
• Interested in blending physical models of heating and cooling systems with data‑driven methods

Responsibilities

• Develop and extend thermo-hydraulic simulation tools for district energy networks with physical modelling
• Calibrate and validate models against live network measurements
• Advance production optimisation solutions using MILP and related techniques
• Connect layers into system-level optimisation across production, network and demand
• Build data pipelines and collaborate with the data engineering platform team
• Own problems and communicate solutions to customers and non-technical partners

Skills

Python

MILP

C#

C++

District energy

English

Education

Master’s degree or higher in a relevant quantitative field

PhD degree is a benefit

Tools

MATLAB

Job description

The Impact You’ll Make

Are you an experienced data scientist who wants to model how real energy networks physically behave — and then optimize across them?

Join Danfoss Digital Solutions, Utility, and help unlock the flexibility of district energy in the green transition.

The Vision We Are Building Towards

District heating and cooling utilities are facing their most demanding transition yet — changing production sources, electrified heat, volatile energy markets and a hard decarbonization mandate — operated, for the most part, with tools that optimize one asset or one hour at a time.

Our ambition is system-level optimization across production, network and demand, so that a utility can bring the best possible energy‑economic value while honoring its decarbonization commitments.

What You’ll Be Doing

We are looking for a Senior Data Scientist to deepen the modelling and optimization core of our Utility team. You will apply mathematical modeling, programming skills and optimization theory to ensure our products deliver maximal value to our customers.

Some Of The Key Activities Will Include

• Develop and extend our thermo-hydraulic simulation tools for district energy networks by applying physical modelling principles — flow, pressure and temperature dynamics across the network — augmented with machine learning and data driven methods.
• Calibrate and validate the physical models against live network measurements, closing the loop between simulation, real operating data, and the hydraulic behaviour of the networks we run.
• Advance our production optimisation solutions, where Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and related techniques plan heat production and storage across grid-scale utilities.
• Connect the layers into system-level optimisation — production, network and demand treated as one problem, from heat producers through to consumers, including demand‑side response.
• Build and develop the data pipelines your models depend on, together with our data engineering platform team.
• Own the problem and communicate with our customers – deeply understand the problem to solve, possible solution discovery, prototyping and validation. You can communicate technical solutions to non‑technical collaboration partners.

The Team

Your main development team is based in Denmark, working with colleagues across several European locations. Beyond your daily team, you join a data science community in Denmark of experienced data scientists working on problems next to yours — production optimisation, thermo-hydraulic network simulation, temperature optimisation and forecasting. You will have people to think out loud with, review your models and challenge your assumptions, and you will do the same for them.

What We're Looking For

You are an experienced data scientist who knows how to solve complex problems by applying data modelling. You have experience working in a large development team in a modern software development environment. You own the problem and solution and at the same time collaborate with the team to make it happen.

On top of that, you should be able to check off as many of the following as possible:

• Hold a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant quantitative field (mathematics, machine learning, statistics, physics, engineering, etc.)
• PhD degree is a benefit, but not a strict requirement
• Several years of experience applying data modelling to complex physical or industrial systems
• Excellent command of Python as this is used as our main programming tool
• Solid knowledge of district energy and thermo-hydraulic simulation — experience with physical modelling of flow, pressure and temperature in fluid networks is central to this role
• Familiarity with numerical methods for simulating dynamic physical systems, and calibrating such models with measurement data
• Experience in solving complex optimisation problems, for example with Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP), is an advantage
• Experience with C# and C++ is appreciated, as these are used for some of our legacy solutions
• Fluent in English
• Willing to apply and learn about advanced methodology in the district energy field
• Interested in blending physical models of heating and cooling systems with data‑driven methods

Location

This position is based in our office in Copenhagen or Kolding, Denmark — Copenhagen preferred. We work closely as a team on site, and we are looking for someone who will be based in one of these two locations.

What You’ll Get From Us

At Danfoss, we are engineering solutions that allow the world to use resources in smarter ways — driving the sustainable transformation of tomorrow.

Purpose-driven work. District energy is one of the most effective levers for decarbonising heat. The models you build shape how much fuel is burned, how much CO₂ is emitted, and how much value a utility can capture from flexible operation.

Depth, and the mandate to go deeper. Physics-based modelling of real networks is where our expertise sits and where we intend to stay ahead. This is not a feature factory — the hard modelling problem is the product.

Growth. We value continuous development and encourage it through courses, rotations and career tracks.

We believe that innovation and great results are driven by the right mix of people with diverse backgrounds, personalities, skills, and perspectives, reflecting the world in which we do business.

Ready to Make a Difference?

If this role excites you, we’d love to hear from you!

Our Commitment to Transparency

Salary ranges listed reflect only primary location and currency. For local salary ranges and specific benefits in your preferred hiring location, please ask your Talent Acquisition representative for more information.

The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Any benefits listed do not promise or guarantee any particular benefit or specific action. They may depend on country or contract specifics and are subject to change at any time without prior notice.

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All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category.