Postdoctoral Research Associate - College of Engineering - Engineering and Public Policy

VS-Postdoc; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, prescription, dental, and vis

Retirement savings with employercon-

Tuition benefits

Paid time off & holidays

Life and AD&D insurance

Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass

Family Concierge Team

Fitness center access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy seeks a postdoctoral researcher to advance policy-relevant energy system analysis using open-source tools like Temoa. The role focuses on developing modeling capabilities, coordinating cross-disciplinary work, and contributing to transparent scenario-based insights for U.S.

energy futures. The successful candidate will conduct original research, manage data and software workflows, and collaborate with a broad team to inform

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in engineering, OR, economics, or a related field.
• Strong energy systems modeling and optimization experience.
• Experience with Python, Pyomo, Pandas, or R for data analysis.
• Experience with open-source software development (GitHub).

Responsibilities

• Lead development, maintenance, and extension of the Temoa modeling framework and documentation.
• Maintain an input database representing the U.S. energy system.
• Coordinate modeling and analysis across a large interdisciplinary team and contribute to open-source software management.
• Conduct original research using energy systems optimization models, addressing uncertainty, technology evolution, and policy dynamics.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Energy systems modeling

Optimization

Scientific programming

Data analysis

Collaborative teamwork

Open-source development

Education

Ph.D. in engineering / OR / economics

Tools

Python

Pyomo

Pandas

R

GitHub

Job description

Postdoctoral Research Associate - College of Engineering - Engineering and Public Policy

2026-07-06

Full‑Time

Posted: Today

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university. The Department of Engineering and Public Policy (EPP) in the College of Engineering addresses important problems in technology and policy, educating leaders in policy‑focused research.

Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Engineering and Public Policy is seeking an exceptional postdoctoral researcher to advance cutting‑edge, policy‑relevant analysis of the U.S. energy system through open‑source modeling and collaborative research. The successful applicant will play a central role in developing and applying Tools for Energy Model Optimization and Analysis (Temoa), a widely used open‑source energy systems optimization framework, and contributing to the Open Energy Outlook, an ongoing effort to provide transparent, scenario‑based insights into the long‑term evolution of the U.S. energy system under deep uncertainty.

Core Responsibilities

• Lead the development, maintenance, and extension of the Temoa modeling framework, including its core architecture and documentation.
• Maintain an input database representing the U.S. energy system.
• Coordinate modeling and analysis activities across a large interdisciplinary team and contribute to open‑source software management, including version control, issue tracking, and community engagement.
• Conduct original research using energy systems optimization models to inform pressing U.S. energy and climate policy questions, including designing and implementing model scenarios with careful attention to uncertainty, technology evolution, and policy dynamics.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in engineering, operations research, economics, or a related field.
• Strong expertise in energy systems modeling, particularly optimization‑based approaches, and demonstrated experience with scientific programming and data analysis using tools such as Python, Pyomo, Pandas, or R.
• Experience with open‑source software development practices, including GitHub.
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with large‑scale energy system models or integrated assessment models, and familiarity with U.S. energy systems, climate policy, and technology pathways.
• Experience managing complex datasets and relational databases.
• Interest in advancing open, transparent, and reproducible approaches to energy analysis.

Benefits

Eligible employees enjoy comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions, tuition benefits, paid time off, observed holidays, and life and accidental death and disability insurance. Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to a Family Concierge Team, fitness center access, and more.

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

Statement of Assurance: Carnegie Mellon University does not discriminate and is required not to discriminate in admission, employment, or administration of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, or handicap in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or other federal, state, or local laws or executive orders.