Recruitment

Are you Interested in working for a world top 100 university and a Russell Group university in the UK? We are seeking to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) in Power Systems Engineering. You will play a key role in developing modelling and simulation techniques for power systems, with key focus on the resilience of power systems in respond to cyber and physical disturbance. You will be a part of team to develop the cyber-physical power system modelling methods and grid simulation tools, with novel applications of cyber-security, machine learning and digital twins to the power and energy systems.

This PDRA post is funded by a recent EPSRC project focusing on the cyber-physical resilience of power systems. This is an exciting research project (with funding period of 2.5 years and potential to extend to 3.5 years) with strong collaboration that brings together the leading partners from academia and industry, including the power system operator, renewable energy operator and EPSRC academic communities.

Applicants should have a PhD (or near completion) in power systems, electrical engineering, cyber-physical systems, energy, information, or related fields. Specifically, this PDRA will develop models and tools for power system analysis, with strong motivation to improve the cyber-physical resilience, security, and economic operation of power systems across electricity transmission, distribution and / or microgrid.

The PDRA post is based in the Sheffield Control and Power System Laboratory (CAPS Lab) (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/acse/department/facilities/control-and-power-systems-lab), led by Prof Xin Zhang as the Chair in Control and Power Systems. The CAPS Lab has a range of state-of-the-art facilities for the real-time simulations of power systems with thousands of electrical nodes, hardware-in-the-loop simulations for the design and testing of power equipment, laboratory testbed for microgrid, and a demonstration platform for power electronics converters. CAPS Lab and members have received strong support from UK Research and Innovation, including a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/W011360/1, £1.5m), and an EPSRC-UKRI Innovation Fellowship (EP/S001107/1, £500k). The CAPS Lab has attracted over £5m+ in funding and whose members have worked with a range of industry partners such as Rolls-Royce, National Instruments, Texas Instruments, Siemens, ALSTOM, Turbo Power Systems, Chroma, Yokagawa, OPAL RT, etc. We are part of the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) within Sheffield Engineering Faculty.

The preferred start date is 1 August 2023. Applicants with later start dates are still encouraged to apply. For informal enquiries about this job and the recruiting department, contact: Prof Xin Zhang on [email protected]

Are you Interested in working for a world top 100 university and a UK Russell Group university? We are seeking to appoint two long-term Postdoctoral Research Associates (PDRAs) in digital power systems. You will play a key role in developing the advanced digital technologies to improve the control, monitoring and operation of future power systems with up to 100% renewable energy. You will be expected to work in the multidisciplinary fields of digitalisation including cyber-physical, power, energy, information and computing. You will be a part of team to develop the cyber-physical power system modelling methods and real-time digital simulation tools, with novel applications of cyber-security, machine learning and digital twins to the power and energy systems.

The two PDRA posts (PDRA1, PDRA2), each for four years, are funded by the prestigious UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Future Leaders Fellowship on ‘Digitalisation of Electrical Power and Energy Systems Operation’. You will be part of seven years’ Fellowship programme to develop as potential future research leaders in the digitalisation of power and energy systems. Due to the nature and importance of this UKRI funded programme, the successful candidates associated with this post may be eligible to apply ‘Global Talent Visa’ in the UK.

Applicants should have a PhD (or near completion) in power systems, power electronics, cyber-physical systems, computer science, information and communications technology or related fields. The programme of work requires a range of skills and knowledge across the boundaries of power system engineering, information technology and computing theory. Specifically:

PDRA1 will work on cyber-physical power system modelling. PDRA1 requires specialist skills in power system modelling and analysis, control and modelling of power electronics, energy system modelling, information and communications technology, with PhD qualifications in Power Systems Engineering, Communication Engineering or a closely related discipline.

PDRA2 will work on digital simulation platforms development in the lab. PDRA2 requires specialist skills in the design and development of experimental high-performance computing and data platforms, real-time digital simulators for power and energy systems, with PhD in Computer Science or Information Systems and significant experience in these areas.

The two PDRA posts are based in the Sheffield Control and Power System Lab (https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/acse/department/facilities/control-and-power-systems-lab), led by Prof Xin Zhang as the Chair in Control and Power Systems. We are part of the Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) within Sheffield Engineering Faculty. Sheffield Engineering Faculty is constantly ranked within Top 5 in UK engineering research, and No.2 for engineering research funding. Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering (ACSE) is the largest Control and Systems Engineering Department in Europe. We deliver world-leading, high-impact research in the control of power systems, energy, transport and aerospace, as well as manufacturing. Strategic partnerships with industry such as Rolls-Royce (University Technology Centre), Siemens, Airbus and the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC).

The preferred start date is May 2023. Applicants with later start dates are still encouraged to apply. For informal enquiries about this job and the recruiting department, contact: Prof Xin Zhang on [email protected]