Principal Research Scientist – Vehicle-Grid Integration

Overview

At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation’s biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation’s power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system;

and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management.

The Electricity Infrastructure and Buildings Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, is accelerating the transition to an efficient, resilient, and secure energy system through basic and applied research. We leverage a strong technical foundation in power and energy systems and advanced data analytics to drive innovation, transform markets, and shape energy policy.

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is seeking an experienced technical leader to advance research and strategy development at the intersection of transportation electrification and the electric power grid. This leadership role will play a critical part in setting the technical direction for a multi-disciplinary team of researchers focused on understanding and managing how rapidly evolving transportation systems interact with grid infrastructure.

As electrification of the nation’s transportation sector accelerates, important questions must be addressed:
What will be the impact of widespread electric vehicle (EV) adoption on the power grid? How can vehicles provide grid services and flexible load management to support growing electricity demand across the United States?

PNNL researchers are developing advanced planning tools and strategies that enable engineers to determine when and where upgrades to grid and local electrical distribution systems are needed. These capabilities support decision-making for consumers, utilities, aggregators, and local and regional governments as they prepare for anticipated growth in large electricity loads, including data centers, commercial fleets of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, and residential charging demand.

The successful Principal Research Scientist candidate will lead PNNL’s efforts for vehicle-grid integration (VGI) technologies addressing the intersection of transportation electrification, grid modernization, and utility systems.

Further, this position will engage with stakeholders, including the Department of Energy (DOE), other national laboratories, utilities, aggregators, and consortia, to shape innovative solutions to address large-scale loads introduced by electric vehicles (EVs) and vehicle charging infrastructure. They will lead technical research combining a broad systems-level perspective informed by expertise in utility operations, vehicle-grid integration, and program strategy.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage and coordinate a multi-sponsor portfolio of VGI projects
• Engage regularly with DOE program leaders and other stakeholders to align PNNL efforts with national priorities in vehicle electrification and grid integration.
• Guide and advise the research of other principle investigators to increase the scope, impact, and funding of the portfolio
• Lead and participate in large, multi-laboratory research initiatives.
• Represent PNNL in the vehicle-grid integration space, serving as a thought leader among peers within PNNL, other…