Grid Sensors R&D Engineer

Requisition Id 15005

Overview:

As a Grid Sensors R&D Engineer, you will contribute to the development, testing, and deployment of sensing technologies for future smart grids. The increasing penetration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and electric vehicles (EVs) presents new challenges for grid resilience, health monitoring, and fault recovery. Advanced utility and third-party sensor applications-featuring high-resolution, point-on-wave capabilities-are essential for enhancing grid observability, enabling event classification, and supporting advanced control strategies.

This position requires a practical background in power engineering and a strong interest in advancing state-of-the-art medium-voltage and novel sensing solutions. You will collaborate with senior researchers and multidisciplinary teams to enhance a well-established testbed at ORNL and to expand field deployments across substations and distribution systems. Responsibilities will also include collecting, processing, and sharing real-time and event-driven data for system-wide analysis. This role demands both hands-on experimental skills and software/programming proficiency, along with a broad understanding of grid operations.

This position is part of the Sensors and Electronics Group within the Electrification and Energy Infrastructure Division of the Energy Science and Technology Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).

Major Duties/Responsibilities:

• Design, prototype, and characterize grid sensors and associated instrumentation.
• Develop and implement analog sensor interfaces, including wide-bandwidth signal conditioning electronics.
• Select and configure commercial data-acquisition systems for laboratory and field use.
• Develop software to record, replay, and analyze waveform data for sensor and event testing.
• Package and ruggedize data-acquisition systems for field deployment.
• Install, maintain, and troubleshoot deployed systems at substations and distribution feeders.
• Use remote access tools to monitor continuous operation and ensure reliable data collection.
• Collaborate with utility partners to interpret and correlate sensor data across multiple locations.
• Contribute to technical proposals, white papers, and statements of work for new collaborations and funding opportunities.
• Present work to sponsors, technical collaborators, and at professional society conferences.
• Prepare journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports.
• Support and lead R&D teams to successfully deliver on project goals and milestones.
• Deliver ORNL's mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote equal opportunity by fostering a respectful workplace - in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.

Basic Qualifications:

• B.S. or M.S. degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related discipline with a minimum of eight years of experience (B.S.) or seven years of experience (M.S.).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Practical experience with data acquisition systems and sensor interfacing.
• Proficiency in LabVIEW for instrumentation control and data processing.
• Familiarity with Unix/Linux environments, Python, and C programming.
• Demonstrated experience in technical writing and preparing engineering documentation.
• Publication of research results in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.
• Strong collaboration skills and ability to work with hardware/software teams and end users.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Special Requirements:

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a clearance from the Department of Energy. As such, this position is a Workplace Substance Abuse (WSAP) testing designated position. WSAP positions require passing a pre-placement drug test and participation in an ongoing random drug testing program.

Please have two letters of reference sent when applying to this position. The referees should send these directly to with the position title and number referenced in the subject line. Candidate should not submit letters of reference themselves.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

About ORNL

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation's biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL's broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.

ORNL offers competitive pay and benefits programs to attract and retain individuals who demonstrate exceptional work behaviors. The laboratory provides a range of employee benefits, including medical and retirement plans and flexible work hours, to support the well-being of you and your family. Employee amenities such as on-site fitness, banking, and cafeteria facilities are also available for added convenience.

Other benefits include the following: Prescription Drug Plan, Dental Plan, Vision Plan, 401(k) Retirement Plan, Contributory Pension Plan, Life Insurance, Disability Benefits, Generous Vacation and Holidays, Parental Leave, Legal Insurance with Identity Theft Protection, Employee Assistance Plan, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Accounts, Wellness Programs, Educational Assistance, Relocation Assistance, and Employee Discounts.

If you have difficulty using the online application system or need an accommodation to apply due to a disability, please email: or call 1..

This position will remain open for a minimum of 5 days after which it will close when a qualified candidate is identified and/or hired.

We accept Word (.doc, .docx), Adobe (unsecured .pdf), Rich Text Format (.rtf), and HTML (.htm, .html) up to 5MB in size. Resumes from third party vendors will not be accepted; these resumes will be deleted and the candidates submitted will not be considered for employment.

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ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify employer.