What Your Job Will Be LikeWe are seeking a motivated Postdoctoral Appointee to conduct research related to PV performance modeling, data analysis, and analytics. The successful candidate will develop and evaluate models and analytical methods for understanding and improving PV system performance. Research may include terrestrial and space PV applications, performance modeling, analysis of measured PV and environmental data, model validation and benchmarking, uncertainty analysis, performance metrics, and operational analytics. If you are a self-motivated and dedicated problem solver, this position may be a great fit.
The successful candidate will be integrated into an existing team of researchers both within and external to Sandia to help forward the science of PV performance modeling and analytics.
On any given day, you may be called on to:
- Further develop existing performance models to include additional physics and/or address new environments.
- Develop, test, and verify new analytical methods for assessing PV performance.
- Perform model calibration and verification.
- Contribute to open-source tools.
- Process and analyze field and experimental PV performance and meteorological data.
- Participate in department and project meetings.
- Attend and present at PV related conferences and workshops.
- Publish research findings in scientific journals and government and/or industry reports.
This position is located in Albuquerque, NM, and the annual salary for this position is $100,500. Due to the nature of the work, there is a preference for the selected applicant to be able to work onsite. The selected applicant can be a remote worker located in any U.S. State or District of Columbia. Regular or periodic travel to your assigned work location may be required.
Qualifications We Require- PhD in engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, or other relevant, related technical field.
- Demonstrated research experience in one or more relevant areas, such as PV, energy systems, computational modeling, data science, artificial intelligence, time-series analysis, or O&M analytics.
- Demonstrated programming and scientific computing skills (e.g., experience with Python)
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, as evidenced by publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals and/or presentation(s) at scientific conferences.
Qualifications We Desire- Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research, critically evaluate scientific literature, and develop rigorous analytical approaches.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate research through publications, presentations, or other technical outputs.
- Demonstrated ability and motivation to learn new technical areas and work effectively in collaborative research environments.
- Experience with PV performance modeling, including terrestrial or space PV applications, or analysis of PV systems.
- Experience with PV operational data, monitoring, or O&M (operations and maintenance) analytics.
- Experience with model validation, uncertainty analysis, and/or benchmarking.
- Experience analyzing large datasets and developing scientific software, especially in an open-source environment.
- Experience with pvlib-python and other relevant scientific software.
About Our TeamThe Photovoltaics and Materials Technology (PMT) department develops and validates materials and technologies that improve the performance, reliability, and safety of photovoltaic systems for energy and national security applications. Sandia focuses on emerging PV technologies and collaborates with dozens of companies and universities to develop and test new module architectures, tracking systems, integrated power electronics, encapsulants, and specialized coatings. This position will support our PV Performance Modeling Collaborative (PVPMC) and PV O&M Analytics Collaborative (PVMAC) projects that works with researchers and industry stakeholders to advance methods, tools, and best practices for evaluating and operating PV systems.
Posting DurationThis posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.
Security ClearanceThis position does not currently require a Department of Energy (DOE) security clearance.
Position InformationThis postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia's discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.
Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.
