Researcher III: Modeling and Stability Analysis for Modern Power Systems

NREL • Golden, CO

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

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. Grid Automation and Control (GAC) Group of the Power Systems and Engineering Center (PSEC) at NREL is looking for an exceptional Ph.D. graduate to support research in the modeling and simulation of the modern power grids, while the power grid is transitioning to a grid with increasing growth of load and inverter-based resources(IBRs). The successful candidate will be working on cutting-edge projects in power system modeling, simulation, and stability analysis. The successful candidate is expected to bring in solid large-scale bulk power system modeling and simulation expertise to address the stability, reliability challenges of the future grid. PSEC supports the science and technology goals of the U.S. Department of Energy, NREL, and industry partners toward a sustainable energy future. We work with the electricity industry and broader research community to conduct high-impact research and development that provides practical solutions to grid design and integration challenges that enable sustainable energy systems. PSEC uniquely combines the most advanced research techniques with real-world experience for achieving sustainable electricity grids. The successful candidate will join the GAC group in the Power System Engineering Center (PSEC) at NREL, a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative team of engineers, analysts, and software developers. GAC works to develop and apply state-of-the-art energy system modeling techniques, software, and simulations for breakthrough engineering and techno-economic analysis of the emerging future electric grid and broader interconnected energy system: transportation, buildings, gas, communication/controls, and beyond.

Requirements

• 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 .
• Demonstrates broad understanding and wide application of engineering technical procedures, principles, theories and concepts in the field.
• General knowledge of other related disciplines.
• Demonstrates leadership in one or more areas of team, task or project lead responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience in management of projects.
• Very good writing, interpersonal and communication skills.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• Relevant Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science or related fields.
• Solid background in power systems dynamics and modeling including load flow, short-circuit, and contingency analysis.
• Proficiency with power system simulation tools in Phasor-domain (e.g., PSSE, PSLF, Powerworld, etc, PSCAD or EMTP experience is a plus).
• Strong understanding of inverter-based resource(IBR) integration challenges, and power system stability concepts.
• Ability to perform tasks as assigned, with limited oversight and high degree of independence.

Nice To Haves

• Strong understanding of small-signal, transient, and voltage stability.
• Hands-on experience developing user-defined dynamic models of IBRs in PSS/E or PSLF.
• Familiarity with modeling of energy storage systems, including pumped-storage hydro and batteries.
• Experience in modeling and simulation of inverter-based resources (IBRs) and stability analysis of high-IBR-dominated power systems.
• Experience with data center modeling is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with new IBR models (e.g., WECC REGFMA1, REGFMB1, vendor-provided models) is a plus.
• Experience with software development in Python, C++, or other programming languages.
• Hands-on experience developing automated tools for accelerating contingency analysis is a plus.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to process, interpret, and present technical results clearly.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Conduct transient analysis (small-signal, transient, and voltage stability) for high IBR-dominated systems.
• Support large-scale system studies (e.g., national-scale scenarios) using commercial tools (e.g., PSSE, DIgSILENT PowerFactory, PSCAD) or open-source tools (e.g., ParaEMT, ANDES and others).
• Develop new type of electrical components (such as advanced pumped storage hydro, data center, etc.) for large-scale power grids study.
• Support interconnection studies, grid impact assessments, and compliance studies.
• Prepare the results in form of reports and presentations.
• Write and publish results of analyses in peer-reviewed journals, transactions, conference proceedings, and/or technical reports.
• Contribute to proposal development for new project work.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree