Job Description:

Position Title: DER Power Converter Researcher

Requisition ID: REQ-3513

Position Type: Full time

About Us:

About Us

Together Shaping the Future of Energy

EPRI provides thought leadership, industry expertise, and collaborative value to help the electricity sector identify issues, technology gaps, and broader needs that can be addressed through effective research and development programs for the benefit of society.

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Job Title:

DER Power Converter Researcher

Location:

Knoxville, TN

Job Summary and Description:

This position will offer technical expertise and leadership in solar photovoltaic (PV), energy storage (ES), and electric vehicle (EV) power converter technologies. It will also involve electromagnetic transient (EMT) modeling and analysis of grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) inverters, as well as testing distributed energy resource (DER) technology in both laboratory and field settings. The position will be responsible for identifying research needs, developing research proposals, and communicating research results to EPRI members and industry.

Key Responsibilities and Requirements:

• Developing grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) inverter EMT models and performing transient analysis to address DER interconnection challenges.

• Performing laboratory and field testing of DER technologies and analyzing test data to validate/improve models.

• Authoring technical reports/papers and presenting findings to internal and external stakeholders.

• Working on multiple research projects in parallel with limited supervision.

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a technical field or equivalent experience required.

• PhD in Electrical Engineering with focus on power electronics for renewable energy grid integration is preferred.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Demonstrated proficiency in power converter EMT model development, controller design, and hardware-in-loop testing.

• Proven ability to perform laboratory testing including writing test plan, developing test setup, executing tests, analyzing data, and producing technical reports.

• Demonstrated experience in PSCAD, Python, MATLAB, and similar tools.

• Grid-forming inverter research experience will be a key requirement.

• Clear understanding of DER technologies, interconnection standards, and challenges of higher penetration.

• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality reports, technical papers, and presentations summarizing research objectives, approach, and findings.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Experience with digital simulators (Typhoon HIL, RTDS and/or OpalRT) will be a plus.

• 3+ years of utility, industry, or research organization experience in the relevant field is preferred. For advanced degree holders, job experience requirement might be relaxed.

The salary range for this position is $86,450 USD to $97,125 USD annually.

This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on various factors, including without limitation applicant's education, experience, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary may also be adjusted based on applicant's geographic location.

This role is eligible to participate in EPRI’s annual incentive program. The amount of incentive varies and is subject to the terms and conditions of the plan.

This role is eligible to participate in EPRI’s standard employee benefit programs, which currently include the following: medical, dental, vision, 401k, STD/LTD and paid family leave, life and accident insurance, paid time off (flexible vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay).

EPRI participates in E-Verify, an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration (SSA). EPRI uses the system to check the work status of new hires by comparing information from the employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases.

EPRI is an equal opportunity employer. EEO/AA/M/F/VETS/Disabled

Together . . . Shaping the Future of Energy.

www.epri.com

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