Energy Systems Modeller (PyPSA)

About the job

Location London (Hybrid minimum working 2 days per week in office)

Contract Type Permanent employee, full-time

Salary Grade £51,393 - £68,995 per year

About us

We are a climate analytics not-for-profit established in 2021. We provide energy system modelling software and analysis to support efficient and effective energy transition planning. We are entirely grant-funded by the Quadrature Climate Foundation, Google.org, Sequoia Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, among others. Our data and software is used by developers, financiers, planners and think tanks internationally.

We are looking for an experienced Energy Systems Modeller to develop, maintain, and extend energy system modelling workflows to empower our users to develop decarbonisation pathways to support energy system planning.

This role will be part of a multidisciplinary squad where system modelling and optimisation is the focus. We are seeking a modeller who will apply their PyPSA and system modelling knowledge and skillset to productionise robust, high calibre models by utilising and improving the existing codebase.

At TransitionZero, we understand that diversity is an essential component of a successful team, whether that be diverse ways of thinking, personal, or professional backgrounds and skills. We aim to be the most talented not-for-profit in our vertical, spearheading innovative data solutions through our culture of inclusivity and adaptability.

Our people are our greatest asset, and the diverse skills and perspectives individuals bring to our organisation are the driving force of our success. As an equal opportunity employer, we do not discriminate based on any protected attribute. Our commitment is to provide equal opportunities, an inclusive work environment, and fairness to everyone. We will therefore consider all qualified applicants in the recruitment process as we welcome all the unique qualities and experiences that make you, you.

About the role

We are building an open-source data and modelling platform that aims to make energy systems analysis auditable, accessible, and reproducible. Our platform is the entry point to all of our data and analysis, including our satellite-derived greenhouse gas emissions intelligence for the electricity and heavy industry sectors, our ingested forecast and weather data, and our energy systems modelling capability. Users are able to self-serve data and develop actionable insights. Our platform has a browser-based user interface which is supported by an API and Python client library. Our users are energy-system investment decision makers; ranging from government officials in the Global South, Global North energy investors, and energy procurement teams at large multinational corporates. We are seeking an Energy Systems modeller who is experienced and skilled using the PyPSA toolbox to join our multidisciplinary team to build programmatic, robust and scalable models working closely with and in line with agile software engineering methods and principles.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and develop PyPSA modelling workflows
• Design and implement new features into the system models
• Propose areas for improvement and directions for further development
• Liaise with colleagues, including analysts to ensure that the models reflect actual system operation and market dynamics
• Collaborate with the wider ‘Tech’ team on data ingestion, running models on cloud instances, and delivering results to the front-end
• Present modelling methodologies and results externally to partners and other stakeholders
• Lead on aspects of model validation and calibration

About you

You should be deeply curious about energy and efficient and effective energy transition planning. All of us at TransitionZero are passionate about the transition to an emissions-free world economy, and are looking for like-minded colleagues. In addition to seeking out people with a proactive, problem-solving attitude and an eye for detail, as a growing organisation, we greatly value collegiality and empathy for our coworkers.

While we are a rapidly growing tech startup, we are also a non-profit, so a high level of adaptability and willingness to approach challenges with creativity and curiosity is essential.

While we are a rapidly growing tech startup, we are also a non-profit, so a high level of adaptability and willingness to approach challenges with creativity and curiosity is essential.

Skills and Experience

Essential

• MSc in STEM field, with preference given to degrees in energy systems and related fields
• 3+ years’ experience in energy systems modelling on both capacity expansion and dispatch
• Knowledge of key energy economic concepts
• Programming in languages including Python, R, or Julia
• Energy systems modelling using PyPSA and other relevant tools such as OSeMOSYS, TIMES/MARKAL, or MESSAGE
• Workflow management (Dagster, Snakemake, AirFlow, SpineOpt etc.)

Beneficial

• PhD in a STEM field, with preference given to degrees in energy systems and related fields
• Familiarity with Python-based pipeline orchestration, either local (Snakemake, Kedro) or container-based (AirFlow, Prefect, Dagster – preferred)
• Experience running 24/7 carbon free electricity procurement.
• Detailed knowledge of energy storage technologies.

Salary and benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Enhanced competitive pension scheme
• Discretionary annual bonus
• 25 days annual leave (excluding UK public holidays) and an additional day off on your birthday
• 3 additional days off for Christmas or other religious or cultural celebrations
• 20 days annual allowance to work from anywhere in the world
• Hybrid working and core working hours model
• Allowance to set up your home office
• Annual budget and dedicated leave time for relevant training courses
• Enhanced gender-neutral parental leave (4 months full paid)
• Private healthcare following successful completion of the probation period
• Yearly offsite

Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

"Studies have shown that some people from marginalised or underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a role unless they meet all of the hiring guidelines or qualifications. Whoever you are, even if you don't meet all of the criteria, if you can demonstrate a variety of skills and experience relevant to this role, we encourage you to apply as you might just be the candidate we hire! At TransitionZero, we're looking for people who are genuinely passionate about what they do, and we welcome all people, regardless of their background.

If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments to the application or hiring process that may better facilitate your participation, please contact Stephanie Ajimokun (stephanie.a@transitionzero.org) for an informal chat. We will make every effort to respond to your request for assistance as soon as possible.

Application process

Pre-screening with a member of the People & Operations team

Stage 1: Intro call with the hiring manager

Stage 2: Technical interview

Stage 3: Final interview with Matt Gray (CEO) and another senior leader