Postdoctoral Researcher: Modeling, Simulation and Analysis of -Scale Power Systems

Postdoctoral Researcher:
Modeling, Simulation and Analysis of Large-Scale Power Systems

Location:

CO - Golden

Position Type:
Postdoc (Fixed Term)

Hours Per Week: 40

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado and is the nation’s primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies, where world‑class scientists, engineers and experts accelerate 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.

The Grid Automation and Control (GAC) Group of the Power Systems and Engineering Center (PSEC) at NLR is looking for an exceptional Ph.D. graduate to support research in the modeling and simulation of modern power grids as the system transitions to a grid with increasing growth of load and inverter‑based resources (IBRs). The successful candidate will work on cutting‑edge projects in power system modeling, simulation and stability analysis and is expected to bring solid large‑scale bulk power system modeling and simulation expertise to address the stability and reliability challenges of the future grid.

This will be a hybrid position (mix of in‑person work at South Table Mountain Campus in Golden, CO and work‑from‑home days, in any given work week), unless otherwise agreed upon by the Hiring Manager.

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

• Must be a recent Ph.D. graduate within the last three years.
• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

• Relevant Ph.D. or Ph.D. candidate in Electrical Engineering, 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.).
• Strong understanding of inverter‑based resource (I ) integration challenges and power system stability concepts.

• 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‑I ‑dominated power systems.
• Experience with data center modeling is a plus.
• Hands‑on experience with new I  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…