Power System Engineer

Arizona State University•Charlotte, NC

8d•$76,700 - $92,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Power Systems Engineer will join the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions (LEAPS) at Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. The team develops applied, scalable solutions for clean, resilient, and abundant energy, working on domestic and international projects involving energy security and resilience, grid modernization, energy access, training, testing, and demonstration. LEAPS supports research, development, and implementation across multiple countries and collaborates with university, government, industry, and development partners. The role performs detailed electrical and power engineering studies for public- and private-sector energy projects, with focus areas that may include digital twins, grid modernization, microgrids, mini-grids, distributed generation, smart grids, energy storage, and operational optimization. The position leads intermediate to complex projects and provides technical guidance, design, innovation, and expertise to improve engineering solutions and infrastructure. Work includes distribution-system design and analysis, modeling, equipment selection and sourcing, technical writing, stakeholder communication, and coordination with contractors. The work location is the Polytechnic Campus, with travel potentially up to 30% domestically or internationally. Hybrid work or remote work may be available depending on candidate and department needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and five years of experience appropriate to the assignment or field, or an equivalent combination of experience and/or training that provides comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Power engineering design knowledge, including load-flow analysis and voltage regulation; short-circuit and equipment-interrupting ratings; protection coordination and selectivity; dynamic and transient stability; power quality and harmonics; site grounding and safety; and interconnection studies.
Knowledge of distribution operations, operational knowledge, load sequencing, black start or virtual black start, commissioning, and troubleshooting with distribution hardware.
Knowledge of electrical standards, including ANSI, IEC, and UL.
Knowledge of DER and fossil-fuel generation operations, integration, and operations and maintenance; operational technology such as switchgear, relays, and reclosers; and real-time digital simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
Experience or knowledge using power engineering design and operational simulation tools such as ETAP, OpenDSS, Synergi, Syme, and SKM.
DER or small-scale generation design experience involving solar PV, battery storage, or generators, including asset selection, integration, communication protocols, bills of materials, vendor sourcing, and asset specification sheets.
Technical report writing and technical documentation skills; experience writing tender documentation is listed among management skills.
Knowledge of permitting and experience managing small teams, mentoring peers and junior colleagues, working with remote and distributed teams, engaging in dialogue and co-creation with stakeholders and partners, and giving presentations and talks.
Microsoft Office skills and experience with project-management software such as Smartsheet.
Ability to travel up to 30% of the time, domestically or internationally.
Ability to meet the described physical demands, including climbing, working at heights and in confined spaces, working across extreme temperature ranges, and lifting, pushing, or pulling up to 25 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering.
Experience working for or with the U.S. Department of Defense.
Ten years of industry experience in energy-generation system design, distribution-system design, power engineering, feasibility studies, techno-economic modeling, or operating and maintaining power systems.
Experience working on projects in both industrialized nations and developing nations.
Knowledge of technical standards and best practices.
Experience with real-time digital simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing, such as OpalRT or RTDS.
Experience with cybersecurity and approval processes.
Professional Engineer license.
Five years of related energy experience, or an equivalent combination of experience and/or education providing comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Responsibilities

Conduct power engineering design studies of distribution networks, including multiphase unbalanced power flow, transient analysis, voltage regulation, short-circuit analysis, phase balancing, and protection and coordination studies.
Develop digital-twin models of electrical distribution infrastructure, including geospatial layouts, steady-state power flow, real-time phasor data, protection coordination, and load sequencing.
Apply ANSI, IEC, and other applicable electrical standards and regulations to power engineering design and modeling, including earthing schemes, protection, household wiring, and cable sizing.
Perform state estimation using literature-based methods such as graph signal processing.
Select AMI meters, phasor measurement units (PMUs), probes, PTs, CTs, and other assets to improve distribution-system visibility, communication, and integration.
Collect and process data to visualize trends and identify patterns in system behavior and measurements.
Develop and run scripts for state estimation and system modeling.
Develop bills of materials and engage vendors to identify and source suitable components and materials.
Write technical reports, digital-twin documentation, and other materials, communicating technical information to stakeholders including policymakers, legal teams, students, staff, and faculty.
Review equipment vendors and provide review and recommendations for equipment plans before procurement.
Present project findings and updates to internal and external audiences and prepare and deliver presentations on project progress and outcomes.
Potentially assist in developing technical documentation for equipment training and maintenance.
Use Smartsheet and other project-management tools to manage small teams, mentor junior staff, and engage with stakeholders and partners.
Work on defense projects and emerging-market technologies such as micro-PMUs, AMI metering, and distribution infrastructure.
Coordinate with contractors, including professional engineers, electricians, and project managers, to deliver projects.