Senior Grid Analyst—Power Flow and Integrated Planning

National Laboratory of the Rockies; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 100,000 - 181,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

403(b) plan with employer match

Pension benefits

Paid holidays

Time off (PTO & sick leave)

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

National Laboratory of the Rockies seeks a Senior Grid Analyst to advance bulk power flow and integrated planning using co-simulation and multi-model workflows. You will model transmission and distribution with DER/IBR considerations, lead partner projects, and help train engineers at the lab and with partners.

The role emphasizes development of innovative modeling techniques, collaboration with utilities and industry, and contributing to reports and conferences within GPAC.

Qualifications

• PhD or MS/BS with extensive engineering experience and leadership.
• Experience with bulk transmission system modeling and planning.
• Strong written and oral communication; ability to lead trainings and workshops.

Responsibilities

• Build, troubleshoot, and validate large-scale bulk/transmission power system models.
• Conduct AC power flow, dynamics, and contingency simulations across scales.
• Lead engagement with utilities and coordinate technical working groups.
• Develop and adapt analytical tools to support evaluation and integration.
• Support development of open-source tools and community-building.

Skills

Leadership and mentorship

Independent work

Training engineers

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Master's degree

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Powerworld

PSS/E

PowerFactory

CYME

Synergi

DIgSILENT

HELICS

MDO4Grid

Python

Julia

Rust

Job description

Senior Grid Analyst—Power Flow and Integrated Planning

Location: CO - Golden

Position Type: Regular

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

Are you passionate about improving the reliability, resilience, and affordability of the electric grid using improved integrated planning techniques, including power flow, dynamics, and related analyses? Do you enjoy modeling transmission and distribution systems across a range of timescales, spatial resolutions and use cases? Are you able to pass that enthusiasm and these skill sets on to others through trainings, mentoring, and other outreach?

The Grid Planning and Analysis Center (GPAC) at NLR is looking for exceptional candidates to join our team to help conduct bulk/transmission power flow, dynamic, and related contingency modeling including building models in commercial and lab tools, conducting power flow and dynamics studies for both existing and future grids, and help connect such modeling into multi-model workflows. In addition, this role will help lead complex partner projects with a range of partners in the U.S. and worldwide, contribute to distribution-scale modeling and analysis, participate in the development and analysis of new technoeconomic schemes for grid management, and provide technical assistance to partners.

The ideal candidate would bring solid knowledge on bulk power system dynamics, co-simulation, along with experience modeling of distribution systems, and DER & IBR; along with project leadership experience and the ability to teach these skills to other both at the lab and through partnerships.

We are researchers, engineers, software developers, modelers, physicists, product managers, thought leaders, system thinkers, and life-long learners. We strive to push the boundaries of innovation, integrated analysis, and computational tool development. You would join us in developing innovative modeling approaches, collaboratively applying them with a wide-range of research and industry partners to conduct high-impact analysis and working to articulate current trends and chart future needs in integrated grid systems. A sample of ongoing research include reliability studies examining interactions between DER, grid-forming IBRs, and bulk grid dynamics; multi-model frameworks for helping to automate complex grid planning workflows; and bulk transmission-system planning at both regional and continental scales.

Come join a team whose mission is to innovate, inform, and create value for energy systems transitions, including renewable energy, distribution systems, transmission systems, energy storage, markets, and economics and much more.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

• Build, troubleshoot, and validate large-scale bulk/transmission power system models
• Conduct AC power flow, dynamics, and contingency simulations across scales ranging from smaller island and regional-scale systems up to national and international interconnections
• Leading engagement with utilities, including responsibility for setting up technical working groups, leading regular calls, responding to partner requests, etc.
• Developing/adapting analytical tools as needed to support technology evaluation, planning, approval and integration
• Supporting the development of and community-building for open-source software tools
• Developing and delivering training curriculum as appropriate to engineers at grid operators on analytical methods and use of relevant tools in institutional processes
• Identifying potential research and assistance funding sources and engaging with partners to secure support
• Design, develop and maintain multi-model frameworks and tool interfaces
• Apply best-practice in software development techniques
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams of developers, engineers, and analysts
• Present work at conferences, symposia, and project meetings
• Contribute to journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports
• Work with other staff to develop proposals and partnerships for funding opportunities

What We Can Offer

• A collaborative, supportive, flexible, and fun work environment
• Training, mentoring, and collaboration to build upon or learn new technical skills
• Interesting work where you don't do the same thing every day
• Projects, professional development, and growth opportunities to help you meet your career goals
• A professional environment that encourages innovation and imaginative thinking to understand and plan the future electric power system
• Adaptable schedule to promote work-life balance

Basic Qualifications

Relevant PhD and 4 or more years of experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 7 or more years of experience. Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 9 or more years of experience. Applies extensive engineering technical expertise, and has full knowledge of other related disciplines. Considered a technical resource. Demonstrates leadership in several areas of team, task or project lead responsibilities. Demonstrated experience in management of projects.

Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Experience with commercial power system power flow software such as Powerworld, PSS/E, PowerFactory, or similar
• Experience with distribution-scale modeling and analysis, such as with CYME, Synergi, PowerFactory, or similar
• Exceptional written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently and in team settings

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven expertise with developing, modeling, troubleshooting, and in-depth analysis with large-scale power system power flow and dynamics (phasor, RMS) using widely used commercial software tools including Powerworld, PSS/E, and DIgSILENT
• Experience with production cost modeling tools, such as PLEXOS-ST or Sienna, and their interactions with power flow models
• Experience automating, conducting, and visualizing engineering analyses for large-scale grids, including N-1, N-1-1, and N-k contingencies; frequency response; and multiple stability criteria for both strong and weak grids
• Experience developing and validating dynamic models for both grid-forming and grid-following IBRs with a variety of energy sources, including solar, wind, and storage.
• Experience troubleshooting and adapting system-scale models for convergence, particularly for future scenarios with extensive changes to the generator fleet and widespread transmission expansion
• Experience with analyzing the technical and financial impacts of DERs on distribution systems (e.g., hosting capacity, non-wires alternatives, locational value of DPV, etc.)
• Experience working with utility stakeholders at various levels to translate analysis outputs into implications and actionable recommendations for DER planning, evaluation, approval and integration
• Experience evaluating economic and business elements of DER policy decisions, including evaluating DER compensation mechanisms, projections of DER consumer uptake, etc.
• Experience leading trainings and working groups with culturally diverse audiences in a capacity-building setting, including developing training curriculum and materials and building trust and confidence with partners
• Experience with software development for scripting and automation of such analyses, particularly in Python, Julia, or Rust
• Experience with multi-model and co-simulation frameworks such as HELICS and MDO4Grid
• Familiarity with DER and IBR interconnection standards, such as IEEE 2800 or IEEE 1547

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: Researcher IV / Annual Salary Range: $100,400 - $180,700

Benefits Summary

• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• short*- and long-term disability insurance
• pension benefits*
• 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*
• life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
• personal time off (PTO) and sick leave
• paid holidays
• tuition reimbursement*

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. 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. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

• 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.

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.

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

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