Power Systems Engineer

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California.

📋 Description

• Oversee the power system modeling and simulation activities for the Operational Technologies team.

• Create, manage, and sustain plant models using PSS®E, PSLF, PSCAD, RTDS, RT-LAB, and similar platforms for photovoltaic, battery energy storage systems, wind, and hybrid facilities, including their control systems.

• Design and validate control models for Power Plant Controllers (PPC), Energy Management Systems (EMS), battery energy storage controls, inverter-based resources, and microgrid controllers for both grid-tied and isolated operations.

• Assist in the design and simulation of microgrid control strategies, encompassing dispatch logic, mode transitions, load sharing, spinning reserve management, black start capabilities, and coordination of solar, storage, generator, and utility interconnection assets.

• Conduct dynamic, transient, electromagnetic transient (EMT), and stability analyses for renewable energy plants, storage systems, and microgrids.

• Lead and represent the Operational Technologies division on all aspects concerning power systems, controls, and microgrid performance.

• Aid leadership in responding to Department of Energy (DOE)/Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) and other power systems research initiatives and proposals.

• Support hardware-in-the-loop and controller-in-the-loop testing for protection systems, plant control, EMS, and microgrid control systems.

• Produce technical documentation, testing methodologies, validation techniques, and study reports for both internal and external stakeholders.

• Drive continuous improvement and lessons-learned initiatives related to modeling, controls, and system performance.

• Carry out additional responsibilities as assigned by management.

⛳️ Requirements

• Master’s degree with 3–5 years of pertinent experience, or a PhD in Electrical Engineering. Candidates with significant expertise in power systems modeling, inverter-based resource controls, and microgrid controls are highly preferred.

• Profound understanding of renewable energy generation, energy storage systems, and hybrid/microgrid system designs.

• Experience in modeling, simulating, and testing renewable energy resources and their control systems.

• Familiarity with microgrid controller design, validation, or operation, including islanding, resynchronization, dispatch optimization, and coordinated control of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs).

• Experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing and validation of protection and control systems using real-time digital simulators.

• Conduct interconnection impact studies for renewable power plants and hybrid systems.

• Perform power quality studies for utilities and wind/solar/storage facilities, covering aspects such as voltage/current unbalance, flicker, voltage sag, and harmonics.

• Conduct fault analysis and transient overvoltage studies, including capacitor and reactor switching, fault clearing, line energization, and lightning analysis.

• Execute black start studies, focusing on transformer energization and synchronization.

• Experience with transformer saturation and inrush, load flow and dynamic studies, short-circuit analysis, and subsynchronous control interaction (SSCI).

• Exhibit effective communication skills with team members, clients, research collaborators, and business stakeholders.

• Proven ability to lead technical projects and collaborate across functions in a dynamic environment.

• Must possess authorization to work in the United States.

• Willingness to travel up to 10%.

🏝️ Benefits

• Generous time off and holiday policy

• Remote work flexibility

• Flexible vacation time

• Comprehensive benefits package

• Opportunities for career advancement

• 401k matching

• Stock options

• Home office setup allowance

• And much more!