DER Power Converter Researcher

$97,125 - $97,125/Yr

Epri - Knoxville, TN

Full-time - Mid Level

Knoxville, TN

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The DER Power Converter Researcher will provide technical expertise and leadership in the areas of solar photovoltaic (PV), energy storage (ES), and electric vehicle (EV) power converter technologies. This role involves modeling and analysis of grid-following (GFL) and grid-forming (GFM) inverters, as well as testing distributed energy resource (DER) technology in laboratory and field settings. The researcher will identify research needs, develop proposals, and communicate findings to EPRI members and the industry.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Requirements

• 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.
• Demonstrated proficiency in power converter EMT model development, controller design, and hardware-in-loop testing.
• Proven ability to perform laboratory testing including writing test plans, developing test setups, executing tests, analyzing data, and producing technical reports.
• Demonstrated experience in PSCAD, Python, MATLAB, and similar tools.
• Clear understanding of DER technologies, interconnection standards, and challenges of higher penetration.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• 3+ years of utility, industry, or research organization experience in the relevant field is preferred.

Nice-to-haves

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

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401k
• Short-term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD)
• Paid family leave
• Life and accident insurance
• Paid time off (flexible vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay)