Posting Title

Principal Researcher – Low-Inertia and Inverter-Based Systems Control and Optimization

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Regular

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Hours Per Week

40

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Working at NREL

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

From day one at NREL, you’ll connect with coworkers driven by the same mission to save the planet. By joining an organization that values a supportive, inclusive, and flexible work environment, you’ll have the opportunity to engage through our ten employee resource groups, numerous employee-driven clubs, and learning and professional development classes.

NREL supports inclusive, diverse, and unbiased hiring practices that promote creativity and innovation. By collaborating with organizations that focus on diverse talent pools, reaching out to underrepresented demographics, and providing an inclusive application and interview process, our Talent Acquisition team aims to hear all voices equally. We strive to attract a highly diverse workforce and create a culture where every employee feels welcomed and respected and they can be their authentic selves.

Our planet needs us! Learn about NREL’s critical objectives, and see how NREL is focused on saving the planet.

We invite all interested candidates to apply for this opportunity. While we recognize that job seekers may hesitate if they don’t meet every requirement, we encourage dedicated individuals who meet all the basic and additional required qualifications of the role to submit an application. We value the opportunity to consider those who believe they have the necessary skills and ambition to succeed at NREL.

Job Description

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is the nation's primary laboratory for research and development of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. NREL conducts world-class energy research in the public interest. Nestled in the foothills of Golden, Colorado, and convenient to Denver, Boulder, and several suburbs, the NREL campus is a living experiment filled with expert researchers and advanced energy technologies. Further, NREL has specific capabilities (e.g., the Energy Systems Integration Facility [ESIF] and the Advanced Research for Integrated Energy Systems [ARIES]) that provide many opportunities for innovative and impactful electric grid-related research that can be accomplished at no other place in the world.

With the rapid transition of the U.S. electrical grid from largely synchronous machine generation-based to low-inertia system that is ever more dependent of inverter-based resources (IBRs), there is increasing need for expertise in the area of control and optimization IBR-rich systems. The successful candidate will have national and international recognition as an expert in this area of research. The candidate will lead multiple DOE-funded projects, and will have to show proven capability of leading large teams and collaborative efforts.

Further, the successful candidate will have an extensive knowledge of power systems including protection methods, dynamic responses of typical power system components, and system response to abnormal system conditions (faults, weather events). Prior experience in leading the development of successful research proposals is a must for this position.

Organizationally, this position resides in the Energy Systems Control and Optimization (ESCO) group of the Power Systems and Engineering Center (PSEC). ESCO, PSEC, and NREL are committed to fostering a creative, curiosity-driven, inclusive workplace, and to supporting and mentoring research staff as they progress from task execution to principal investigator and beyond.

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Basic Qualifications

Relevant PhD and 9 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Master's Degree and 12 or more years of experience . Or, relevant Bachelor's Degree and 14 or more