Posting Title

Post-Doctoral Researcher – Power Electronics Converter and System Control for Resilient Power Systems

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Location

CO - Golden

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Position Type

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

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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.

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Job Description

As a member of the Integrated Devices and Systems (IDS) group within the Power System Engineering Center (PSEC), the successful candidate will conduct high-quality research and development projects related to the advanced power electronics converter controls and renewable energy system technologies for high inverter-based resources integration in future power systems. At large, this position will tackle two bleeding edge topics. One is converter-level control to ensure effective grid integration of renewables under nonideal conditions with advanced control technologies, such as grid-forming or grid-supportive controls for converter overloading, dc and ac dynamic interactions, current limiting, unbalanced loading, and faults. The other is system-level control to obtain a robust and contingency-resilient IBR system operation, such as decentralized module control for modular cascaded converters or multilevel converters to eliminate the need for dedicated communication. This task may also expand to develop decentralized system control to promote autonomous system operation, such as networked microgrid or bottom-up system restoration. The successful candidate will also support implementing the advanced control technologies in hardware devices for validation at NREL's Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF). The successful post-doc will build expertise in these areas along with NREL staff.

The successful candidate is expected to fully participate in the IDS team and other relevant teams within PSEC and ESIF. Being able to work on multiple projects and interacting with user facility staff (domain experts in testing equipment) is critical for this position. Further, this position requires excellent writing and communication skills to disseminate completed works through publications in high-quality journals and conferences. The successful candidate will also follow all Environment, Safety, and Health policies and procedures to ensure and maintain a safe working environment.

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Basic Qualifications

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Recent Ph.D. graduate in electrical engineering (or similar) within the last 3 years.

• Solid power electronics control background with knowledge in linear system control theory

• Solid knowledge foundation in converter and power system modeling (small signal and large signal modeling, stability analysis, stabilization)

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience in microgrid and/or multiple converter power system with modeling, control, and stability focused

• Experience in decentralized control for converter modules or power systems

• Experience in non-linear control (e.g. virtual oscillator control (VOC))

• Experience in modeling and simulation tools for modeling and analysis of power electronics and power systems, such as MATLAB/Simulink, PLECS, PSCAD, PSS/E, and PSLF.

• Computer programming and software development experience

• Familiarity with digital controls and converter/system modeling in discrete time domain

• Hardware-in-the-Loop experience (e.g., RTDS, OPAL-RT, Typhoon HIL) for validation

• Experience in modular converters, such as cascaded half-bridge or modular multilevel converters

• Existing track record of high-quality publications

• Excellent writing and communications skills

• Ability to present technical results to a wide audience

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Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Postdoctoral Researcher / Annual Salary Range: $73,200 - $120,800

NREL takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short-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; and paid holidays. NREL 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.

* Based on eligibility rules

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Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NREL you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

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The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a leader in the U.S. Department of Energy’s effort to secure an environmentally and economically sustainable energy future. With locations in Golden and Boulder, Colorado, and a satellite office in Washington, D.C., NREL is the primary laboratory for research, development, and deployment of renewable energy technologies in the United States.

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Drug Free Workplace

NREL is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NREL, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

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