Research Engineer II – Bulk Power System Modeling

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system; and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management.

The Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division , part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, is accelerating the transition to a n efficient, resilient, and secure energy system through basic and applied research. We leverage a strong technical foundation in power and energy systems and advanced data analytics to drive innovation, transform markets, and shape energy policy.

Within this division, the Power System Modeling Group (PSMG) develops advanced simulation, analysis, and optimization tools to understand and enhance grid performance across all levels, from the bulk energy system to the distribution grid.

Responsibilities

PNNL seeks a creative and interdisciplinary Power Systems Research Engineer to conduct applied research in bulk electric system modeling, transmission planning, and grid analytics. The successful candidate will develop and apply power-flow, contingency-analysis, transfer-analysis, and optimization methods to evaluate current and future transmission system performance under changing generation, load, and infrastructure conditions.

This role will contribute to nationally significant studies that support grid reliability, resilience, and energy transition objectives. Work will include building and using research-grade software workflows; automating commercial and open-source power-system simulation environments; analyzing large-scale transmission planning cases; and translating technical findings into actionable insights for DOE, utilities, system operators, and other stakeholders.

The staff member will work in interdisciplinary teams spanning power systems, software engineering, data science, and applied mathematics. The position is intended for a Level 2 researcher who can independently execute well-defined technical tasks, contribute to study design, document methods and results, and grow into leadership of large tasks, projects or focused research components.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, run, and interpret bulk power system studies, including steady-state power flow, N-1 and selected higher-order contingency analysis, transfer capability analysis, congestion and overload assessment, and mitigation strategy evaluation.
• Design, implement, and maintain Python-based workflows that automate power-system simulation tools such as PowerWorld, PSS/E, PSLF, or comparable platforms for large-scale planning and operations studies.
• Contribute to transmission planning studies involving renewable and offshore wind integration, interregional transfer capability, resource deliverability, transmission element upgrades, and grid resilience.
• Apply optimization, data-driven modeling, and machine learning techniques to power-system planning problems such as economic redispatch, optimal power flow, upgrade screening, dynamic model parameterization, and uncertainty analysis.
• Develop and validate reusable software tools, scripts, models, and visualization products that improve study reproducibility, scalability, and stakeholder understanding.
• Analyze large and complex power-system datasets, including planning cases, contingency results, outage scenarios, time-series measurements, and simulation outputs.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and external partners, including national laboratories, DOE sponsors, utilities, independent system operators, universities, and industry stakeholders.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and sponsor-facing briefings that clearly communicate methods, assumptions, findings, and limitations.
• Contribute to proposal development, scoping of new research directions, and the maturation of analytical capabilities aligned with DOE and PNNL mission areas.
• Work effectively in a team environment while independently managing assigned tasks, meeting project milestones, and following PNNL operational, safety, cybersecurity, and project management requirements.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• BS/BA and 2 years of relevant experience -OR-
• MS/MA -OR-
• PhD

Preferred Qualifications

• Foundational knowledge of electric power systems, including transmission planning, power-flow analysis, contingency analysis, renewable integration, or related grid operations concepts.
• Demonstrated programming experience in Python, MATLAB, Julia, C++, C#, or comparable languages for engineering analysis, automation, modeling, or data processing.
• Ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary research teams and communicate technical results through written reports, presentations, or publications.
• Graduate-level training or research experience in electrical engineering with emphasis in power systems, transmission planning, renewable energy integration, machine learning, optimization, or related areas.
• Experience using or automating transmission analysis tools such as PowerWorld, PSS/E, PSLF, OPAL-RT/RT-LAB, MATLAB/Simulink, AVEVA PI, or comparable modeling and simulation platforms.
• Hands-on experience conducting steady-state contingency analysis, outage studies, transfer analysis, transient stability studies, or power-flow studies on bulk electric system models.
• Experience developing software tools that automate power-system simulations, manage large study runs, process simulation outputs, or create reproducible analysis pipelines.
• Knowledge of optimization methods relevant to power systems, including economic redispatch, optimal power flow, transmission upgrade screening, or related planning applications.
• Familiarity with inverter-based resources, renewable integration, energy storage, microgrids, grid-forming and grid-following controls, or dynamic load modeling.
• Experience applying machine learning or deep learning methods to power-system problems, such as dynamic model parameterization, forecasting, screening, or surrogate modeling.
• Experience with large-scale regional or interregional transmission studies, offshore wind transmission studies, reliability or resilience analyses, or national-scale grid modeling efforts.
• Ability to develop clear technical visualizations, one-line diagrams, dashboards, or other communication products that support engineering decision-making.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including experience preparing research presentations, sponsor deliverables, conference papers, theses, or peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Ability to thrive in an applied research environment with evolving study assumptions, multiple simultaneous projects, and collaboration across organizations.

Additional Information

Not Applicable.

Testing Designated Position

This is not a Testing Designated Position (TDP).

About PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is a world-class research institution powered by a highly educated, diverse workforce committed to the values of Integrity, Creativity, Collaboration, Impact, and Courage. Every year, scores of dynamic, driven people come to PNNL to work with renowned researchers on meaningful science, innovations and outcomes for the U.S. Department of Energy and other sponsors; here is your chance to be one of them!

At PNNL, you will find an exciting research environment and excellent benefits including health insurance, and flexible work schedules. PNNL is located in eastern Washington State—the dry side of Washington known for its stellar outdoor recreation and affordable cost of living. The Lab’s campus is only a 45-minute flight (or ~3 hour drive) from Seattle or Portland, and is serviced by the convenient PSC airport, connected to 8 major hubs.

Commitment to Excellence and Equal Employment Opportunity

Our laboratory is committed to fostering a work environment where all individuals are treated with fairness and respect while solving critical challenges in fundamental sciences, national security, and energy resiliency. We are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. PNNL considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), protected veteran status, and any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local laws.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures and in employment. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, contact us at careers@pnnl.gov .

Drug Free Workplace

PNNL is committed to a drug-free workplace supported by Workplace Substance Abuse Program (WSAP) and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs.

If you are offered employment at PNNL, you must pass a drug test prior to commencing employment. PNNL complies with federal law regarding illegal drug use. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug. If you test positive for any illegal controlled substance, including marijuana, your offer of employment will be withdrawn.

Security, Credentialing, and Eligibility Requirements

As a national laboratory, PNNL is responsible for adhering to the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) and Department of Energy (DOE) Order 473.1A, which require new employees to obtain and maintain a HSPD-12 Personal Identify Verification (PIV) Credential. To obtain this credential, new employees must successfully complete the applicable tier of federal background investigation post hire and receive a favorable federal adjudication. The tier of federal background investigation will be determined by job duties and national security or public trust responsibilities associated with the job. All tiers of investigation include a declaration of illegal drug activities, including use, supply, possession, or manufacture within the last 1 to 7 years (depending on the applicable tier of investigation). Illegal drug activities include marijuana and cannabis derivatives, which are still considered illegal under federal law, regardless of state laws.

For foreign national candidates

If you have not resided in the U.S. for three consecutive years, you are not eligible for the PIV credential and instead will need to obtain a favorable Local Site Specific Only (LSSO) Federal risk determination to maintain employment. Once you meet the three-year residency requirement thereafter, you will be required to obtain a PIV credential to maintain employment. The tier of federal background investigation required to obtain the PIV credential will be determined by job duties at the time you become eligible for the PIV credential.

Mandatory Requirements

Please be aware that the Department of Energy (DOE) prohibits DOE employees and contractors from having any affiliation with the foreign government of a country DOE has identified as a “country of risk” without explicit approval by DOE and Battelle. If you are offered a position at PNNL and currently have any affiliation with the government of one of these countries, you will be required to disclose this information and recuse yourself of that affiliation or receive approval from DOE and Battelle prior to your first day of employment.

Rockstar Rewards

Employees and their families are offered medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, robust telehealth care options, several mental health benefits, free wellness coaching, health savings account, flexible spending accounts, basic life insurance, disability insurance*, employee assistance program, business travel insurance, tuition assistance, relocation, backup childcare, legal benefits, supplemental parental bonding leave, surrogacy and adoption assistance, and fertility support. Employees are automatically enrolled in our company-funded pension plan* and may enroll in our 401 (k) savings plan with company match*. Employees may accrue up to 120 vacation hours per year and may receive ten paid holidays per year.

• Research Associates excluded.

**All benefits are dependent upon eligibility.

Click Here For Rockstar Rewards

Notice to Applicants

PNNL lists the full pay range for the position in the job posting. Starting pay is calculated from the minimum of the pay range and actual placement in the range is determined based on an individual’s relevant job-related skills, qualifications, and experience. This approach is applicable to all positions, with the exception of positions governed by collective bargaining agreements and certain limited-term positions which have specific pay rules.

As part of our commitment to fair compensation practices, we do not ask for or consider current or past salaries in making compensation offers at hire. Instead, our compensation offers are determined by the specific requirements of the position, prevailing market trends, applicable collective bargaining agreements, pay equity for the position type, and individual qualifications and skills relevant to the performance of the position.

Minimum Salary

USD $100,100.00/Yr. Maximum Salary

USD $150,200.00/Yr.

PNNL seeks a creative and interdisciplinary Power Systems Research Engineer to conduct applied research in bulk electric system modeling, transmission planning, and grid analytics. The successful candidate will develop and apply power-flow, contingency-analysis, transfer-analysis, and optimization methods to evaluate current and future transmission system performance under changing generation, load, and infrastructure conditions.

This role will contribute to nationally significant studies that support grid reliability, resilience, and energy transition objectives. Work will include building and using research-grade software workflows; automating commercial and open-source power-system simulation environments; analyzing large-scale transmission planning cases; and translating technical findings into actionable insights for DOE, utilities, system operators, and other stakeholders.

The staff member will work in interdisciplinary teams spanning power systems, software engineering, data science, and applied mathematics. The position is intended for a Level 2 researcher who can independently execute well-defined technical tasks, contribute to study design, document methods and results, and grow into leadership of large tasks, projects or focused research components.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, run, and interpret bulk power system studies, including steady-state power flow, N-1 and selected higher-order contingency analysis, transfer capability analysis, congestion and overload assessment, and mitigation strategy evaluation.
• Design, implement, and maintain Python-based workflows that automate power-system simulation tools such as PowerWorld, PSS/E, PSLF, or comparable platforms for large-scale planning and operations studies.
• Contribute to transmission planning studies involving renewable and offshore wind integration, interregional transfer capability, resource deliverability, transmission element upgrades, and grid resilience.
• Apply optimization, data-driven modeling, and machine learning techniques to power-system planning problems such as economic redispatch, optimal power flow, upgrade screening, dynamic model parameterization, and uncertainty analysis.
• Develop and validate reusable software tools, scripts, models, and visualization products that improve study reproducibility, scalability, and stakeholder understanding.
• Analyze large and complex power-system datasets, including planning cases, contingency results, outage scenarios, time-series measurements, and simulation outputs.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams and external partners, including national laboratories, DOE sponsors, utilities, independent system operators, universities, and industry stakeholders.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and sponsor-facing briefings that clearly communicate methods, assumptions, findings, and limitations.
• Contribute to proposal development, scoping of new research directions, and the maturation of analytical capabilities aligned with DOE and PNNL mission areas.
• Work effectively in a team environment while independently managing assigned tasks, meeting project milestones, and following PNNL operational, safety, cybersecurity, and project management requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS/BA and 2 years of relevant experience -OR-
• MS/MA -OR-
• PhD

Preferred Qualifications

• Foundational knowledge of electric power systems, including transmission planning, power-flow analysis, contingency analysis, renewable integration, or related grid operations concepts.
• Demonstrated programming experience in Python, MATLAB, Julia, C++, C#, or comparable languages for engineering analysis, automation, modeling, or data processing.
• Ability to work collaboratively in multidisciplinary research teams and communicate technical results through written reports, presentations, or publications.
• Graduate-level training or research experience in electrical engineering with emphasis in power systems, transmission planning, renewable energy integration, machine learning, optimization, or related areas.
• Experience using or automating transmission analysis tools such as PowerWorld, PSS/E, PSLF, OPAL-RT/RT-LAB, MATLAB/Simulink, AVEVA PI, or comparable modeling and simulation platforms.
• Hands-on experience conducting steady-state contingency analysis, outage studies, transfer analysis, transient stability studies, or power-flow studies on bulk electric system models.
• Experience developing software tools that automate power-system simulations, manage large study runs, process simulation outputs, or create reproducible analysis pipelines.
• Knowledge of optimization methods relevant to power systems, including economic redispatch, optimal power flow, transmission upgrade screening, or related planning applications.
• Familiarity with inverter-based resources, renewable integration, energy storage, microgrids, grid-forming and grid-following controls, or dynamic load modeling.
• Experience applying machine learning or deep learning methods to power-system problems, such as dynamic model parameterization, forecasting, screening, or surrogate modeling.
• Experience with large-scale regional or interregional transmission studies, offshore wind transmission studies, reliability or resilience analyses, or national-scale grid modeling efforts.
• Ability to develop clear technical visualizations, one-line diagrams, dashboards, or other communication products that support engineering decision-making.
• Strong technical writing and communication skills, including experience preparing research presentations, sponsor deliverables, conference papers, theses, or peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Ability to thrive in an applied research environment with evolving study assumptions, multiple simultaneous projects, and collaboration across organizations.