Postdoctoral Appointee - Power Electronics and Energy Storage, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas.

About the role

We are seeking an independent and highly motivated Postdoctoral Appointee to perform high-impact research on experimental power electronics and energy storage devices within the Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems Department. Our team develops new hardware architectures and intelligent control strategies for high-performance power conversion systems. You will support existing research projects and contribute to the development of new projects and proposals focused on power conversion systems for utility-scale energy storage applications.

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. This position is located in Albuquerque, NM.

Responsibilities

• Integrate experimental power converter hardware and custom battery modules.
• Develop firmware and control code in microcontrollers, digital signal processors, or field programmable gate arrays.
• Assist with hardware testing, troubleshooting, and performance verification.
• Document research findings for external publication.
• Present on research progress at group meetings, peer review events, and technical conferences.
• Develop new solutions for utility-scale storage applications as part of an interdisciplinary team.

Requirements

• PhD in Electrical Engineering or other relevant field.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, as evidenced by publication(s) in peer-reviewed journals and/or presentation(s) at scientific conferences.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance (U.S. citizenship required).

Qualifications

• Proficiency in power converter hardware design, implementation, testing, and analysis.
• Proficiency in PCB design.
• Experience with embedded system programming.
• Experience with battery cycling and battery management system operation.
• Experience with data analysis software such as MATLAB or Python.
• Experience with LabVIEW.

Benefits

• Challenging work with impact contributing to security, peace, and freedom worldwide.
• Extraordinary co-workers and some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities.
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities.
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions, including 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home).
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance, and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance.

*Benefits vary by job classification.

Pay

Annual salary: $98,500.

Schedule

This 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.

About Our Team

The Power Electronics and Energy Conversion Systems Department is focused on the development and integration of power conversion devices and systems into our future electric grid. The department collaborates with the Energy Storage Technology and Systems Department, which focuses on advanced energy storage technologies, safety and reliability of energy storage systems, and the development of methods and tools to evaluate the performance of storage systems.