Power Systems Distribution Specialist

Sarah Smith Fund; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Pravāh in Bengaluru is seeking a Power Systems Distribution Engineer to own the modeling and analysis capabilities at the core of our grid intelligence platform. You will build robust distribution models and validate them against real-world data to support reliable operation.

You will also develop real-time loss computation workflows, support planning simulations, and collaborate with ML and software teams to translate domain expertise into scalable, utility-facing workflows across India.

Qualifications

• Experience in power systems modeling for distribution networks.
• Ability to build and validate distribution power flow models.
• Experience with real-time or near-real-time data processing.

Responsibilities

• Build, validate, and maintain distribution power flow models for utility clients, ingesting real-world network topology, asset parameters, and measurements to produce accurate steady-state solutions.
• Develop and operationalize real-time technical loss computation workflows that run against live or near-live data to identify loss hotspots.
• Design methods for distribution system state estimation with partial AMI and inconsistent SCADA coverage.
• Build automated validation pipelines that detect data issues before they affect power flow results.
• Develop loss disaggregation methodologies separating technical and commercial losses.

Skills

Power systems modeling

Real-time analysis

Data-driven validation

Collaboration with ML engineers

Tools

GIS

CIM

AMI

SCADA

Job description

Location: Bengaluru (primary). Other location: New Delhi.

About Pravah

Pravah is building the world's first foundation model of the electric grid. The world's most important physical industry is under unprecedented stress. We are using ML to build the 22nd-century grid. We are backed by Khosla Ventures, Pear VC, and Conviction. We work directly with state-owned distribution and transmission electricity utilities to transform their decades of fragmented operational data into deployable, decision-grade intelligence. Our customers include some of the largest DISCOMs in the country, and our work spans demand forecasting (including renewable generation forecasting), weather forecasting, network mapping, and load flow analysis.

As a Power Systems Distribution Engineer, you will own the power systems modeling and analysis capabilities at the core of Pravāh's grid intelligence platform, spanning both real-time operational analysis and long-term distribution planning.

On the operational side, you will build and validate power flow models that compute real-time technical losses, estimate network state from sparse AMI and SCADA measurements, and identify anomalies across distribution feeders serving millions of customers. On the planning side, you will develop simulation workflows for new distribution system design, including capacity expansion, DER interconnection studies, voltage regulation, and contingency analysis, that utilities use to make capital investment decisions.

You will work at the intersection of classical power systems engineering and modern software: translating domain expertise into scalable computational workflows, collaborating directly with ML engineers who are building demand and weather forecasting models, and with software engineers who are productionizing your analysis into utility-facing tools. You will also be the domain authority in conversations with utility partners, understanding their operational challenges, data environments, and regulatory contexts across India, the US, and other markets.

This is a founding role. You will not be running studies in isolation. You will shape how Pravāh thinks about the grid, define what problems we solve, and build the analytical engine that hundreds of millions of customers ultimately depend on.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Power Flow and Loss Analysis

• Build, validate, and maintain distribution power flow models for utility clients, ingesting real-world network topology (GIS, CIM), asset parameters (transformer ratings, conductor impedances, capacitor banks), and operational measurements (AMI, SCADA) to produce accurate steady-state solutions.

• Develop and operationalize real-time technical loss computation workflows that run continuously against live or near-live meter data, identifying loss hotspots at the feeder, distribution transformer, and segment level across networks with thousands of nodes.

• Design methods for distribution system state estimation from sparse and noisy measurement data, handling the reality of Indian DISCOMs where AMI penetration may be partial, SCADA coverage is inconsistent, and network connectivity records are incomplete or inaccurate.

• Build automated validation pipelines that detect data quality issues, topology errors, and measurement inconsistencies before they propagate into power flow results, including cross-referencing GIS asset records against electrical measurements to identify unauthorized connections, phase imbalances, and metering anomalies.

• Develop loss disaggregation methodologies that separate technical losses (I²R, transformer core/copper) from commercial losses (theft, metering errors), enabling utilities to target interventions with quantified impact estimates.

Distribution System Planning and Simulation

• Develop simulation workflows for new distribution system