Hydropower Engineer

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Richland, WA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget. Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus. The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management. The Earth Systems Science Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, provides leadership and solutions that advance Earth system opportunities for energy systems and national security. We are a multidisciplinary division connected by a shared commitment to innovate and collaborate towards solving complex problems in the dynamic Earth system. The Operational Systems Engineering group within the Earth Systems Science Division seeks an early to mid-career Mechanical Engineer to support research, development, and deployment activities focused on hydropower and pumped storage technologies. This position supports projects sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydropower and Hydrokinetics Office, and other federal and state hydropower stakeholders. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with engineers, scientists, project managers, and external partners to address technical and operational challenges associated with hydropower production and energy-water infrastructure systems. This position offers a diverse range of technical and project-oriented responsibilities. The successful candidate will have a combination of coursework, experience, and knowledge in mechanical and electrical engineering principles, with demonstrated capabilities in identifying, analyzing, and implementing solutions to challenges and risks associated with hydropower production. Additionally, the successful applicant will need to be adaptable, collaborative, and capable of balancing multiple priorities across research and applied engineering efforts.

Requirements

BS/BA and 2 years of relevant engineering experience -OR- MS/MA -OR- PhD

Nice To Haves

Master's degree or Ph.D with in Engineering (Civil, Environmental, Mechanical, or Electrical) with a focus on the analysis, design, or benefits/impacts of hydropower.
Experience working with or analyzing the U.S hydropower fleet components including dams, powerhouses, fish passage, navigation, pumped storage development, and/or sediment transport facilities.
2+ years experience in the hydropower industry.
Experience with data-oriented programming/scripting languages such as Ruby, R, Perl, and Python on Linux-based computer clusters.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
A proactive and collaborative approach to problem-solving with the ability to work well on interdisciplinary teams.
Demonstrated participation in multidisciplinary efforts to provide solutions to complex problems where the problems are characterized by lack of precedents, source material, or lack of prior success.
Well-established research reputation with professional achievements, including excellent technical writing skills.
Ability to effectively communicate within a team environment and with sponsors and partners.
Experience securing project funding, working with or leading technical teams, and the ability to manage research projects.
Registered Professional Engineer.

Responsibilities

In collaboration with senior engineers, scientists, and project managers, the candidate will conduct engineering and regulatory-based analyses across a diverse range of projects, including, but not limited to, early-stage R&D and applied science aimed at advancing transformative, cost-effective, reliable, and sustainable hydropower and pumped storage technologies. The goal is to better understand and capitalize on opportunities for these technologies to support the nation’s rapidly evolving grid and improve energy-water infrastructure and security.
The candidate will conduct engineering analyses related to U.S. hydropower infrastructure, including dams, powerhouses, fish passage systems, navigation facilities, sediment transport systems, and associated operational components.
Design, support, and evaluate laboratory and field-based technology testing and demonstration experiments for emerging hydropower and pumped storage technologies and novel manufacturing methods.
Collaborate with multidisciplinary technical teams to identify engineering challenges, assess risks, and develop innovative solutions supporting reliable and sustainable hydropower generation.
Support research and engineering activities spanning early-stage research and development through applied science and technology demonstration projects.
Develop technical documentation, analyses, reports, presentations, and publications for sponsors, project teams, and external stakeholders.
Contribute to the preparation of competitive research proposals and strategic project planning activities aligned with sponsor priorities and national energy objectives.
Support research project execution, including coordination of technical activities, schedules, deliverables, and stakeholder communications.
Support regulatory and engineering-based evaluations that advance transformative, cost-effective, and resilient hydropower and pumped storage technologies for the evolving electric grid.
Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, industry trends, and sponsor priorities relevant to hydropower systems and energy-water infrastructure.