Research Officer, Energy System Engineer

Priority may be given to the following designated employment equity groups: women, Indigenous Peoples* (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), persons with disabilities and racialized persons*.

* The Employment Equity Act, which is under review, uses the terminology Aboriginal peoples and visible minorities. Candidates are asked to self‑declare when applying to this hiring process.

City:

Vancouver

Organizational Unit:

Clean Energy Innovation

Classification:

RO

Tenure:

Term

Duration:3 years

Language Requirements:

English

Due to the nature of the work and operational requirements, this position may be eligible for a limited hybrid work arrangement (combination of working onsite and telework). At the NRC, we recognize that Indigenous candidates may have important connections to their communities and you may be eligible for an exception to this work arrangement. Alternative work arrangements may also be considered to accommodate candidates as required.

We are looking for a Research Officer (RO) with a background in clean energy systems integration, energy storage, smart grid and microgrids to support developing and deploying resilient, low‑emission, and intelligent clean energy systems for remote and Arctic operations. By advancing applied research and technology development in distributed energy integration, control, and optimization, this position will reinforce NRC’s leadership in supporting Canada’s energy transition and national energy security objectives.

The selected candidate would share our core values of Integrity, Excellence, Respect and Creativity.

• Plan, develop, and execute research, development and demonstration (RDD) projects for NRC’s clients and collaborators.
• Perform administrative and technical responsibilities within NRC’s operational and policy framework (project management, hazard prevention program, Treasury Board directives, etc.) to safely and efficiently deliver client‑driven outputs.
• Specify and integrate various microgrid hardware, software, and complete systems, collect, format, and analyze data, and operate microgrid power systems including generators, battery/inverter systems, supervisory controllers, etc.
• Support the advancement of the microgrid laboratory infrastructure and operating microgrid power systems; write and follow safe operating procedures; evaluate operational performance of electrical and thermal systems and troubleshoot when necessary.
• Develop new research proposals with multi‑stakeholders, manage research projects, maintain research partnerships with external academic, industrial and government collaborators, and supervise students and vendors.
• Provide input into the direction and priorities of R&D activities in a dynamic, evolving and motivating environment.

• Doctoral degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution with a specialization in engineering or a field relevant to the position.
• Or a master’s degree from a recognized post‑secondary institution with a specialization in engineering or a field relevant to the position, coupled with acceptable professional experience in research and/or technology development.

• Experience in one or more aspects of distributed energy resources (DERs) for electrical generation and energy storage, smart grid or microgrid, including engine‑based generators, batteries, electrochemical devices, photovoltaic systems, fuel cells, capacitors, load banks, and grid connections.
• Experience working on clean energy system design, operation and optimization.
• Experience working on distributed energy integration, control and optimization.
• Experience organizing and supervising various trade contractors.
• Experience working on data collection and analysis.
• Experience in modeling and simulation of energy models, energy distribution systems, including electrical and thermal loads.
• Experience initiating and championing new ideas and executing research projects.
• Experience presenting research findings.
• Preparing peer‑reviewed publications and/or client technical reports.

• Experience in developing AI/ML tools or digital twin technology for renewable energy systems or microgrids.
• Direct…