Postdoctoral Position – Modelling of Power Markets in Zürich

100%, Zurich, fixed-term

The Laboratory for Energy Conversion at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering is offering a position as a postdoctoral assistant in the field of modelling electricity markets.

As the electricity industry undergoes restructuring, including for example the vertical disintegration of generation, transmission, distribution, and retail businesses, the introduction of spot market for generation, etc. manufacturers of equipment, system operators, regulators, government agencies and investors are interested in identifying new opportunities and quantifying the associated risks. Over several years, we have developed EnerPol, our AI agent-based simulator which integrates bottom-up models of energy, mobility, demographic and urban infrastructure with detailed databases. The utility of the simulator has been demonstrated in more than 70 use cases at continental, national, regional and city scales and for time horizons ranging from seconds to decades.

The postdoc will work from the perspectives of engineering, economics and finance. In addition to using models and data in the existing EnerPol framework, the postdoc shall also be responsible for extending and/or adding models, for example stochastic models for strategic bidding, congestion cost data, etc. While leading research and applications that are focused on power markets, the postdoc will also interact with team members who are working in other related sectors. Furthermore, the postdoc will also be involved in engagements with partners. It is anticipated that publications in academic journals will be an outcome from this project.

We are looking for candidates with a PhD in a field such as engineering (electrical, mechanical, or a related research field), finance, or economics. Candidates with interdisciplinary backgrounds from relevant educational fields are welcome. Good programming experience is required. The candidate should be highly motivated, like to work in a team environment, and should have strong communication skills. The candidate must be highly proficient in English; further language skills are an asset, but not required.

We offer an interesting position at the interface of engineering, finance, and economics. The candidate will have the opportunity of working in an international and interdisciplinary research environment co-supervised by Prof. Dr. Reza Abhari and Dr. Ndaona Chokani.

The salary follows the . The successful candidate will have a working contract at ETH Zurich. He/she will work in Switzerland.

ETH Zurich is one of the world’s leading universities specialising in science and technology. We are renowned for our excellent education, cutting-edge fundamental research and direct transfer of new knowledge into society. Over 30,000 people from more than 120 countries find our university to be a place that promotes independent thinking and an environment that inspires excellence. Located in the heart of Europe, yet forging connections all over the world, we work together to develop solutions for the global challenges of today and tomorrow.