Oak Ridge National Laboratory · 3 hours ago
Grid Sensors R&D Engineer
Tennessee (TN)
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
16+ years expOak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory dedicated to addressing the nation’s most pressing challenges. They are seeking a Senior Grid Sensors R&D Engineer to lead the development and deployment of sensing technologies for smart grids, ensuring grid resilience and asset health monitoring.
Advanced MaterialsClean EnergyEnergyEnergy ManagementManufacturingNuclearRenewable Energy
No H1B
Security Clearance RequiredU.S. Citizen Only
Responsibilities
Direct technicians and field engineers in the build, integration, testing, and commissioning advanced grid sensors and associated instrumentation for medium-voltage and distribution systems, including high-resolution signal conditioning and point-on-wave acquisition
Oversee software engineering efforts to develop tools that record, replay, and analyze waveform data for event detection, classification, and sensor benchmarking
Expand and manage ORNL’s grid sensor testbeds; plan and execute multi-site field pilots; ensure data quality, synchronization, and cyber-secure operation
Set requirements and acceptance criteria; oversee selection, configuration, ruggedization, and lifecycle support of commercial data-acquisition systems for laboratory and field use
Develop technical roadmaps and capture strategies; lead proposal development, cost estimation, work breakdown structures, schedules, risk/mitigation, and deliverable planning
Serve as principal investigator or co-PI on multi-institution projects; manage budgets, milestones, reporting, and sponsor engagement to ensure on-time, on-scope delivery
Identify new funding opportunities and partnerships across DOE, ARPA-E, EPRI, utilities, and industry; cultivate a robust external collaborator ecosystem
Establish and grow strategic relationships with utilities, OEMs, and integrators; coordinate pilots, data-sharing agreements, and technology transfer
Convene and lead utility advisory boards and working sessions to align requirements, validate use cases, and accelerate adoption
Provide training, playbooks, and best practices for operations, protection, and asset management teams
Lead and contribute to relevant IEEE standards and working groups (e.g., IEEE PES committees) focused on distribution sensing, data models, time synchronization, and analytics
Draft and harmonize specifications; drive balloting and consensus-building; represent ORNL in standards bodies and inter-committee collaborations
Translate standards into implementable guidance for sensors, data pipelines, and utility operations
Lead the publication of high-impact journal articles, conference papers, best-practice guides, and technical reports; serve as corresponding author and organizer of special sessions or panels
Deliver invited talks, tutorials, and workshops; establish benchmarks and open datasets where appropriate to advance the state of the art
Contribute to IP generation and technology maturation toward licensing and commercialization
Mentor staff, postdocs, students, and early-career engineers; foster a culture of safety, quality, and inclusion
Coordinate cross-lab efforts with power systems, data science, cybersecurity, and communications teams
Oversee installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of deployed systems at substations and feeders; direct field crews and partners to ensure safe, reliable, and continuous operation
Ensure compliance with safety, cybersecurity, QA/QC, and data governance requirements
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
Qualification
Required
B.S. or M.S. degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related discipline with a minimum of twenty years of experience (B.S.) or sixteen years of experience (M.S.)
Experience in grid sensing, power systems, or instrumentation commensurate with a senior role, including demonstrated leadership of complex R&D projects and field deployments
Preferred
Deep practical experience with data acquisition systems, sensor interfacing, high-bandwidth analog front ends, and time-synchronized measurements
Proficiency with LabVIEW for instrumentation control and data processing; strong skills in Python and C/C++; familiarity with Unix/Linux environments
Experience architecting data pipelines (edge to cloud), data quality assurance, metadata and time synchronization, and secure remote operations
Knowledge of utility operations, protection, relaying, communications, and integration of DERs and EVs into distribution systems
Active participation and leadership in IEEE standards development (e.g., IEEE PES committees); experience drafting, reviewing, or balloting standards
Proven track record of proposal leadership, program capture, budget/schedule management, and delivery of multi-partner projects
Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals and conferences; experience serving as corresponding author and organizing invited sessions
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain utility and industry partnerships, excellent verbal and written communication skills
Experience mentoring and leading multidisciplinary teams; ability to coordinate across hardware/software and operations stakeholders
Benefits
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
Employee Discounts
Company
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Oak Ridge National Laboratory holds a range of R&D assignments, from fundamental nuclear physics to applied R&D on advanced energy systems.
5001-10000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$9.8MKey Investors
US Department of Energy
2023-09-21Grant· $4.8M
2023-07-27Grant
2022-03-14Grant· $5M
Leadership Team
Arjun Shankar
Division Director, National Center for Computational Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Brett Ellis
Division Director - Research Computing Support
Recent News
2026-01-22
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