ENGINITE: Energy Transition through Integration of Distribution Operation and Planning Models
The ENGINITE initiative addresses one of the central challenges of the energy transition: integrating flexibility into the operation and planning of electricity distribution systems. It implements a flexibility market simulation platform that captures the technical, economic, and regulatory interactions among the different layers of the flexibility value chain: from system operators and market platforms to flexibility service providers and end users.
The postdoctoral researcher will play a key role in the development of the ENGINITE simulation platform, an advanced, modular, and interoperable environment designed to model and co-simulate the mechanisms governing flexibility acquisition (e.g. connection agreements, network tariffs, local flexibility markets). The platform will integrate multiple actor models, representing Distribution System Operators (DSOs), Transmission System Operators (TSOs), aggregators, and flexibility providers, within a common framework based on structured Python programming, Modelica/FMI interoperability approaches, and agile software engineering practices.
The position will be central within the research group, requiring close collaboration with other researchers and developers across the REDES area. The successful candidate will work at the intersection of power systems, market design, and computational modelling, ensuring that the platform components developed by different team members are fully harmonised and interoperable.
The ENGINITE platform will serve as a quantitative decision-support tool to assess the technical efficiency and economic performance of flexibility mechanisms and to explore regulatory, market, and investment scenarios. This work will directly contribute to advancing IIT’s capacity to perform integrated techno-economic analyses, enabling more robust and transparent evaluations of flexibility market designs for the evolving European electricity system.
Requirements
- PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields, with a strong record of publications in topics such as electricity system modelling, market modelling, or optimisation.
- Demonstrable advanced programming expertise in Python, including experience in:
o Structured, modular and object-oriented coding practices.
o Agile development approaches, version control (e.g. Git), and collaborative code environments.
o Integration of computational models using frameworks and APIs.
- Demonstrated experience with scientific and optimisation libraries (e.g. NumPy, Pandas, GurobiPy, Pyomo, Pandapower, SciPy).
- Familiarity of model integration approaches, co-simulation and interoperability between heterogeneous simulation environments.
- Knowledge of simulation or co-simulation frameworks (e.g. HELICS, Open Energy Data Initiative, mosaik) and open-source or large-scale modelling environments.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and ability to design robust, reproducible and maintainable software architectures.
- Capacity to work both independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team, coordinating with power-system engineers and energy-market experts.
- Excellent command of English (advanced level); Spanish proficiency is preferred.
- Knowledge of the European electricity market and regulation is an advantage.
What do we offer?
The chance to tackle pressing real-world challenges that utilities, regulators, and citizens are facing to unlock the benefits the energy transition promises for the electricity sector.
The opportunity to conduct top-notch research for a good cause in a multidisciplinary environment.
A chance to work in the dynamic Institute for Research in Technology, located in the heart of Madrid.
-Full-time, two-years contract . Longer-term contract as a researcher is possible based on performance.
-A competitive salary of €37.500.
-At Comillas, we strive to create and maintain an environment that provides space and support equally to everyone. Therefore, if you have a disability certificate of 33% or higher, we encourage you to include it in your application.
Benefits:
-90% of the cost of training activities.
-Flexible Compensation Plan and social benefits.
-Comillas Plus: exclusive Comillas portal with more than 200 commercial discounts.
-Training plan.
-Professional development.
-Access to internal services: discounts and special conditions (gym, bookstore, library, etc.).
Documents
Curriculum Vitae, academic record, cover letter (including links to relevant code repositories), and two recommendation letters.
