Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.
Role highlights
- Shape Australia’s future power systems through cutting‑edge transmission–distribution planning research.
- Work at the forefront of consumer energy resources (CER) integration with strong industry and policy impact.
- Deliver practical research with real‑world industry impact
About CSIRO
As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.
Visit CSIRO.au for more information.
The opportunity
CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral research experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.
As a CERC Postdoctoral Fellow, you will undertake innovative and impactful research addressing critical challenges in modern active distribution networks. Your work will support improved planning and coordination between transmission and distribution systems, with direct relevance to industry and policy outcomes. You will develop and validate an industry‑informed framework for integrated transmission–distribution network planning, with a focus on accurately representing distribution‑level constraints, dynamics, and uncertainty within transmission system models to enable increased integration of consumer energy resources (CERs).
Your high-level duties will include:
- Developing advanced models of active distribution networks incorporating inverter‑based CERs operating under dynamic operating envelopes.
- Representing critical network constraints, including voltage imbalance, thermal limits of lines and transformers, and grounding impedances, within planning and augmentation frameworks.
- Modelling aggregated, time‑varying CER behaviour and operational feasibility to enable reliable propagation of distribution‑level flexibility into transmission system models.
- Contributing to the development of planning methodologies, tools, and open network datasets.
- Publishing high‑quality research outputs and engaging with industry and research stakeholders.
- Working collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and contributing to CSIRO’s mission‑driven research culture.
Role particulars
Location: Newcastle, NSW (Awabakal Country)
Salary: AU$103,390 – AU$113,251 per annum (pro‑rata for part‑time), plus 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified term of 3 years, full‑time
Reference: 102418
As the successful candidate, you will bring:
- A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline such as Electrical Engineering, Power Systems, Energy Systems, or a closely related discipline. Please note: to be eligible for this role you must have no more than three years (full‑time equivalent) of relevant research experience.
- Strong skills in power system modelling, optimisation, and simulation.
- Experience with industry‑standard transmission and/or distribution network tools and relevant programming environments.
- A demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and deliver high‑quality publications.
- Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in collaborative research environments.
CSIRO is an Equal Opportunity employer working hard to recruit world-class talent that represents the diversity across our society. As part of our commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment outcomes, preference will be given to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who meet the role criteria. CSIRO considers conscious inclusion practices intended to constitute a special/equal opportunity/affirmative measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth).
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description.
Setting you up for success
We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact [email protected] and let us know how we can support you.
Eligibility
Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents and Australian Temporary Residents currently residing in Australia who hold, or are able to obtain, a valid working visa for the duration of the specified term (visa sponsorship not required).
Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander candidates being considered for the role under CSIRO’s Conscious Inclusion Practices may be required to provide evidence to confirm that they are an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person.
Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements
We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.
Inclusion and belonging
Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.
CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.
Child safety
CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.
How to apply
Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.
Applications close
29 March 2026, 11pm AEST
