Postdoctoral Scholar (Multi-Hire) – Designing Clean and Climate Resilient Electricity Grid

Job #JPF03776          ·        CNTR ENERGY RESEARCH / Research / UC San Diego             ·           Full time

Apply now: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03776/apply

View this position online:https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03776

Position Overview

Position title: Postdoctoral Researcher

Salary range: A reasonable salary range estimate for this position is $64,480 – $77,327 based on level experience.

The posted UC academic salary scales (https://www.ucop.edu/academic-personnel-programs/compensation/2022-23-academic-salary-scales.html) set the minimum pay determined by rank and/or step at appointment. See the following table for the salary scale for this position: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/px/docs/px_tentative_agremeents_effective_12-09-2022.pdf

Application Window

Open date: October 3, 2023

Next review date: Wednesday, Oct 18, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date: Sunday, Dec 31, 2023 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position Description

A team of faculty at the University of California, San Diego’s (UCSD’s) Center for Energy Research https://cer.ucsd.edu/, is conducting an open search for Postdoctoral Scholar/s.

UCSD, in collaboration with UC Berkeley, UC Santa Barbara, and several partners including the National Renewable Energy Lab and the Lawrence Berkeley Lab, received a $2M grant through the very competitive UC Office of the President Climate Action Awards “Designing California’s clean and climate resilient electricity grid for vulnerable communities.” This project involves four interconnected thrusts, all informed by an advisory board comprised of members from community-based organizations and electric utilities in California. The postdoctoral scholar is proposed to contribute to the third and fourth thrusts by focusing on ways in which DERs and electrified loads can work together in the face of climate extremes to ensure climate resilience, by quantifying the benefits of demand response, non-wires alternatives, and DERs at different levels of adoption and, lastly by examining how economic incentives can deliver benefits to customers, the transmission network and electric utilities, and enable revenue generation/bill savings from engaging in wholesale market services enabled by FERC 2222. The postdoctoral scholar/s will be supervised by UCSD Professors Patricia Hidalgo-Gonzalez and Jan Kleissl.

Job duties may include but will not be limited to:

• Studying the value of coordinating distributed energy resources (DERs) with the transmission network with a focus on resilience to extreme weather events for a broad set of communities in California (disadvantaged ones being the focus).
• Optimizing the operations for distribution networks under a broad set of scenarios.
• Using supercomputers and optimization expertise to pose and solve large optimal power flow simulations.

A postdoctoral scholar is an individual who has received a doctoral degree (or equivalent) and is engaged in a temporary and defined period of mentored advanced training to enhance the professional skills and research independence needed to pursue his or her chosen career path. Postdoctoral scholars train under the direction and supervision of faculty mentors in preparation for academic or research careers. The University of California employs about 5,963 postdoctoral scholars (approx. 1,200 at UCSD) https://postdoc.ucsd.edu/. The total duration of an individual’s postdoctoral service may not exceed five years, including postdoctoral service at other institutions. Appointments and duration vary depending on the length of the research project and availability of funding.

The UAW is the exclusive representative of the postdoctoral scholars. Current collective bargaining agreement http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/labor/bargaining-units/px/contract.html

Department: https://cer.ucsd.edu/

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

• Ph.D. in engineering or field related to job description.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience in optimization and power systems research.

Application Requirements

Document requirements

• Curriculum Vitae – Your most recently updated C.V. Cover Letter
• Statement of Research
• Statement of Contributions to Diversity – Applicants should summarize their past or potential contributions to diversity. See our Faculty Equity site for more information.
• Misc / Additional (Optional)

Reference requirements

• 3 letters of reference required

Apply link: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/JPF03776

Help contact: oru-academic@ucsd.edu

Campus Information

The University of California, San Diego is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, covered veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California prohibits smoking and tobacco use at all University controlled properties.

The UC San Diego Annual Security & Fire Safety Report is available online at: https://www.police.ucsd.edu/docs/annualclery.pdf. This report provides crime and fire statistics, as well as institutional policy statement & procedures. Contact the UC San Diego Police Department at (858) 534-4361 if you want to obtain paper copies of this report.

Job Location: San Diego, CA