What Your Job Will Be LikeWe are seeking a systems research analyst (job title: R&D S&E, Systems Research and Analysis) 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.
- Travel periodically.
Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. This position is located in Albuquerque, NM.
Salary Range$102,400 - $199,700
*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.
Qualifications We Require- A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of directly relevant education and engineering or scientific experience that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform independent research and development.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance.
Qualifications We DesireThe ideal R&D S&E, Systems Research and Analysis candidate for Sandia National Laboratories will in addition possess the following:
- Graduate degree in a highly related field where an independent research project was a graduation requirement (e.g., independent project, thesis, or dissertation).
- The ability to understand, synthesize, and draw insights from multiple types of data streams (e.g., technical, economic, policy) through the use of various analytical tools.
- Experience working as part of multi-disciplinary teams examining complex systems.
- Knowledge of the fundamentals of good project management, especially as it pertains to the execution of federally-funded work (e.g., proposal development through annal review, final delivery, and closeout).
- Experience working with federal sponsors in the defense and intelligence sectors, as well as their domestic FFRDC partners, international partnering agencies, and foreign governments.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams delivering critical information to customers in a succinct manner.
Also, for this posting we are seeking individuals with the following experience:
- Master's degree in engineering, physical sciences, mathematics, computer science, or a 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.
- Strong programming and scientific computing skills, preferably in Python.
- 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. We also develop materials, such as thermally stable polymers, electrodes, and electrolytes for advanced batteries and other applications. Our team applies HPC modeling and advanced indoor and outdoor testing capabilities to evaluate and predict system performance, degradation, and failure mechanisms.
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.
