Researcher II/III - Power Systems Market Modeling

National Laboratory of the Rockies•Golden, CO

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Grid Planning and Analysis Center (GPAC) at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) seeks a researcher with deep expertise in power systems modeling, production cost modeling (PCM), electricity market design, and stochastic optimization to join its Grid Operations Planning group. This researcher will develop and apply large-scale optimization models that bridge short-run market operations and long-run grid planning, generating policy-relevant insights on price formation, flexibility valuation, and hybrid resource integration in U.S. wholesale electricity markets. The position is open to appointment at the Researcher II, or Researcher III level depending on qualifications and experience. Researcher II candidates will focus on contributing to established research workflows and developing independent capabilities over time; Researcher III candidates are expected to drive research direction and lead project tasks with greater autonomy. The successful candidate will contribute to NLR’s open-source Sienna modeling ecosystem and collaborate closely with system operators, regulators, and DOE program offices.

Requirements

Relevant Master's Degree or relevant Bachelor's Degree and 2 or more years of experience (for Researcher II).
Relevant PhD or relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience or relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience (for Researcher III).
Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
Relevant degrees in electrical engineering, civil/environmental engineering, operations research, economics, or a closely related field.
Working knowledge of large-scale optimization modeling (LP/MILP) applied to power systems, energy markets, or energy systems planning.
Proficiency in Julia and/or Python, including familiarity with optimization frameworks (e.g., JuMP, Pyomo) and experience handling large energy datasets.
Understanding of U.S. wholesale electricity market structures, price formation mechanisms, and bulk power system operations.
Strong written and oral communication skills; ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team research environment.
Ability to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card.
Favorable background investigation.
Authorization to access NLR by the Department of Energy (DOE).
Pass a pre-employment drug test (including marijuana unless prohibited by state or local law).

Nice To Haves

Experience developing or contributing to NLR’s Sienna modeling ecosystem (e.g., Sienna\Ops, Sienna\Data, or related packages).
Expertise in stochastic optimization, scenario generation, or sequential decision-making frameworks applied to power system operations or market simulation.
Familiarity with hybrid resource modeling (co-located storage + generation) and associated market participation challenges.
Experience interfacing with capacity expansion models (ReEDS, GenX, or equivalent) and translating CEM outputs for use in PCM workflows.
Peer-reviewed publication record and/or oral presentations at major research venues (expected for R3; a plus for R2).

Responsibilities

Develop and apply large-scale LP/MILP production cost models to study short-term market outcomes, price formation, and cost recovery in U.S. wholesale electricity markets.
Extend NLR’s Sienna\Ops platform to represent hybrid resources (storage, renewables, demand response) and enable integrated market participation simulation at scale.
Design and implement stochastic scenario-generation frameworks for load, solar, and wind to support uncertainty quantification in PCM and market studies.
Develop generalized frameworks to link capacity expansion models (CEMs) such as GenX and ReEDS with production cost models, including automated methods to translate data inputs and results between modeling paradigms leveraging the Sienna\Data package.
Contribute to automated workflows that downscale zonal CEM results to nodal PCM representations for reliability, stability, and cost validation analyses.
Conduct research on electricity market design questions including flexibility incentives, uplift and price consistency, hybrid resource market participation rules, and the economic impacts of large-load growth.
Produce peer-reviewed publications and technical reports that translate modeling results into actionable guidance for regulators, system operators, and policymakers.
Contribute to large-scale electric system analysis studies — including resource adequacy assessments, interconnection-wide production cost simulations, and transmission planning analyses — that inform DOE programs, national grid planning initiatives, and public policy.
Synthesize modeling results across PCM, CEM, and market simulation workflows to develop integrated, scenario-based insights on grid reliability, affordability, and decarbonization under a range of technological and policy futures.
Collaborate with external partners including ISOs/RTOs, utilities, and DOE program offices to scope, execute, and communicate findings from applied grid studies to technical and non-technical audiences.
Contribute production-quality Julia (and/or Python) code to the Sienna ecosystem following modern software engineering practices: version control, automated testing, and continuous integration pipelines.
Collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers and engage with external stakeholders including ISOs/RTOs, DOE program offices, and industry partners.