"Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow in energy systems modelling"

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow to join a flagship, industry-funded research program advancing carbon-neutral energy systems modelling for Australia's energy transition.

This role focuses on the development and application of advanced forecasting and scenario analysis methods within an in-house grid modelling platform to inform the design of Australia's carbon-neutral energy value chain, including emerging renewable fuels markets. The successful candidate will contribute to precinct-scale and regional modelling that supports infrastructure planning, investment decisions, and policy development for net-zero pathways.

You will work closely with industry and government stakeholders - including project partners, policy agencies, and sector leaders - to co-design modelling assumptions, validate outputs, and ensure the research is grounded in real-world needs and business cases.

You will work closely with Professor Ali Abbas (School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering) and Professor Gregor Verbic (School of Electrical and Computer Engineering), in partnership with industry collaborators.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• develop, implement, and refine a carbon-neutral demand forecasting framework within the grid systems platform
• undertake scenario-based energy systems modelling, including price elasticity, policy sensitivity, and subsidy impact analyses
• conduct in-depth demand analyses for CN energy business cases (with renewable fuels), identifying potential market size, infrastructure needs, and adoption conditions
• collaborate with industry, government, and community stakeholders to co-design modelling assumptions, validate outputs, and communicate findings
• align demand modelling outputs with supply-side energy planning tools (e.g. Plexos) used by project partners
• support the preparation of competitive grant applications to secure additional research funding
• disseminate results through high-quality publications, conference presentations, policy briefings, and project reports.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate/Fellow in energy systems modelling who has:

• a PhD in power and energy systems, process systems engineering, industrial decarbonisation, energy economics, or a related discipline
• demonstrated expertise in energy systems modelling, energy systems optimisation, techno-economic forecasting, or agent-based modelling
• proficiency in scientific programming (preferably Julia, Python, or MATLAB)
• competence in data analysis and probabilistic modelling techniques
• experience with energy modelling tools (knowledge of Plexos is desirable)
• a strong record of independent and collaborative research, evidenced by publications in peer-reviewed journals
• excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage industry and government stakeholders
• experience in applied, interdisciplinary projects related to the energy transition will be highly regarded.

To apply for this position, please address the above criteria in a cover letter and attach it to your application.