Research Engineer II - Building Energy Modeling

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory•Portland, OR

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Research Engineer II will work in the Building Simulation and Design Group within PNNL’s Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division. The group conducts modeling and analysis of building energy policies, codes, and standards; develops tools and workflows for building research and decision making; and supports adoption of energy-efficient technologies. The role focuses on technical research evaluating building energy performance, technologies, and efficiency policies, codes, and standards, with particular emphasis on residential buildings. As an individual contributor on project teams, the engineer will develop and improve EnergyPlus models, modeling tools, and simulation workflows; analyze results; and assess research quality. The position also contributes to integrating AI-enabled methods into engineering workflows, emphasizing accuracy, reproducibility, and practical value. The employee works under project and task managers, and is accountable to group and team leadership for performance, professional development, operational discipline, and project execution. The position is based at a PNNL office in Portland, Oregon; Richland, Washington; or Seattle, Washington, with on-site presence expected. Hybrid arrangements may be available under laboratory policy and project and team needs. Remote work may be considered for candidates with strong technical expertise and demonstrated remote-work success.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, architectural engineering, building science, or a related technical field, plus 2 years of relevant programming and data analysis experience; alternatively, a master’s or doctoral degree in one of these fields or a related technical field.
Proficiency developing building energy models using EnergyPlus or OpenStudio.
Demonstrated experience in programming and data analysis.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in mechanical engineering, architectural engineering, building science, or a closely related field, with at least two years of relevant experience and evidence of growing independence in technical work and project contributions.
Advanced hands-on EnergyPlus proficiency, including model development and modification, representation of building envelopes and HVAC systems, control systems, simulation-error diagnosis, and interpretation of results using building science and engineering principles.
Programming and data analysis skills for automating model preparation, simulation runs, and results processing.
Experience modeling single-family or multifamily residential buildings, including envelope performance, air infiltration, duct systems, HVAC and water heating systems, and occupancy and operating schedules.
Experience applying residential prototype models to energy code or technology evaluations.
Experience with large-scale building energy simulation infrastructure, including automated model generation, batch or parallel execution, data management, and quality assurance across building types, climate zones, or code scenarios.
Exposure to high-performance or cloud computing.
Experience applying building energy codes and standards in building design or compliance evaluations, or analyzing their energy and cost impacts.
Experience applying AI-enabled tools or methods to building energy modeling, data analysis, or engineering workflow automation; ability to evaluate outputs for accuracy, physical consistency, and reproducibility using engineering principles, reference data, or trusted simulation results.
Experience with collaborative software development, including version control, testing, and documentation for research tools and simulation workflows.
Strong written and verbal communication skills demonstrated through technical writing, publications or presentations, and effective cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a full academic or research CV.

Responsibilities

Perform assigned project roles under Project and/or Task Managers, follow applicable procedures, and complete tasks on time and within budget.
Apply engineering principles and contribute to modeling and analytical approaches for building performance challenges, including methods, assumptions, evaluation metrics, and study boundaries.
Develop, modify, and troubleshoot EnergyPlus models representing building envelopes, HVAC, water heating, lighting, plug loads, controls, and operating schedules.
Design and conduct simulation studies evaluating building technologies, control strategies, codes, and standards, including parametric, sensitivity, and uncertainty analyses as appropriate.
Develop tools and improve reproducible workflows for large-scale building simulation, including automated model generation, batch or parallel execution, model and data management, quality checks, and results analysis.
Apply model verification and results-review procedures, investigate simulation errors and unexpected behavior, and assess physical consistency using engineering principles, reference cases, and measured data where available.
Collaborate with specialists to integrate and evaluate AI-enabled tools and methods for building modeling, data analysis, and workflow automation, documenting accuracy, limitations, and reproducibility.
Complete recurring assignments independently and define and lead small tasks or projects, coordinating contributors and delivering technically sound results within scope, schedule, and budget.
Work with project teams and collaborators to understand research needs, contribute to technical approaches, and communicate progress, findings, and limitations.
Contribute to technical reports, journal articles, and conference presentations; lead elements or sections of technical products; and present findings in project meetings and technical forums.
Contribute research ideas and technical content to proposals for research and capability development.
Collaborate across the group and division to share methods, strengthen research capabilities, and identify related research opportunities.
Maintain accountability for assigned responsibilities, project execution, professional development, and operational discipline, including compliance with procedures, training, and quality, safety, and security expectations.