Research Associate / Senior Research Associate in PV Systems

This Job is based in Australia

The Opportunity

The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE) has an opportunity for a Research Associate / Senior Research Associate. This is a highly collaborative role where you work with other researchers, industry partners, and students across different faculties in UNSW.

Skills

In this role you will contribute to one or more projects, depending on candidate interests and skills, using energy systems data analysis and modelling and the development of open-source tools e.g. in Python, R, Matlab or Excel to contribute to the energy transition, including:

• Development of algorithms to identify underperformance in PV systems.
• Detect recurring patterns of underperformance in solar generation and differentiate between shading, equipment faults, grid-side issues and environmental factors.
• Establish criteria to confirm persistent underperformance, avoiding misclassification due to weather variability.
• Quantify performance degradation by comparing measured generation against expected output.
• Identify and mitigate sources of diagnostic errors, such as incorrect tilt, orientation, or system loss assumptions.
• Define algorithm limitations and refine detection thresholds based on real-world system performance data.
• Integrate the diagnostic algorithm into production for automated fault detection and analysis.
  
  
  

This position will provide you with the opportunity to develop your scholarly research and professional activities both nationally and internationally. You will contribute to writing scientific papers and reports for international journals, participate in conferences and workshops, and actively engage with industry partners. Additionally, you may have the chance to assist in supervising research students and casual research assistants.

This role reports to Dr Fiacre Rougieux and has no direct reports.

• Salary:
• Research Associate (Level A) - $110,059 to $117,718 per annum 17% superannuation
• Senior Research Associate (Level B) - $123,620 to $145,730 per annum 17% superannuation
• Part time – 0.5 FTE with ASAP start
• Fixed-term contract –15 months
• Location: Kensington – Sydney, Australia
  
  

About UNSW

UNSW isn’t like other places you’ve worked. Yes, we’re a large organisation with a diverse and talented community; a community doing extraordinary things. But what makes us different isn’t only what we do, it’s how we do it. Together, we are driven to be thoughtful, practical, and purposeful in all we do. If you want a career where you can thrive, be challenged and do meaningful work, you’re in the right place.

The School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering is internationally recognised for its record-breaking research in solar power (photovoltaics) and renewable energy. The PERC solar cell was first invented at UNSW in our labs in 1983 and today powers more than 85% of all new solar panel modules all over the world. SPREE’s work and people have changed the face of sustainable energy on the global stage, and we continue to be at the forefront of leading-edge research and development in the field of renewable technology as our economies transition away from fossil fuels. For more information, please see the following link: https://www.unsw.edu.au/engineering/our-schools/photovoltaic-and-renewable-energy-engineering

Skills & Experience

Level A

• A PhD in renewable energy engineering, electrical engineering or related area, involving modelling the performance of PV systems and data analysis.
• Demonstrated experience with the development and management of large energy data sets
• Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to communicate and effectively interact with a range of diverse stakeholders, including students and industry professionals.
• Demonstrated experience using Python for data science and full stack development
• Demonstrated Experience in data science includes:
• Data processing and cleaning
• Data visualisation and statistical analyses
• Demonstrated experience delivering innovative/actionable outputs using data science techniques
• Working with cloud platforms and using cloud services
• Understanding/Querying APIs
• Version control and collaborative development
• Strong track record of publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
• Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.
• Experience with the following is highly desirable:
• Severless clouds using AWS Lambda
• AWS Services (eg; DynamoDB, S3, Amazon Timestream, Cognito, AppSync)
• Modern Javascript frameworks using React
• Coding in Typescript and using GraphQL queries
• Sunspec registers
• Modbus TCP/UDP
• Insolation data, PV/battery inverter data and energy meter data
  

Level B (in addition to the above)

• Demonstrated ability to supervise honours and postgraduate research students.
• Demonstrated Experience in data science includes:
• Creating and training models for ML (eg: Scikit-learn)
• Demonstrated experience delivering innovative/actionable outputs using data science techniques
• Experience in full stack development including:
• Working with databases (CRUD)
• Performing scheduled operations
• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research with limited supervision
  
  

Additional details about the specific responsibilities for this position can be found in the position description.

To Apply: Please click the apply now button and submit your CV, Cover Letter and Responses to the Skills and Experience. You should systematically address the Skills and Experience listed within the position description in your application.

Applicants must have working rights in Australia and be able to be on site in Kensington regularly.

Please note applications will not be accepted if sent to the contact listed below.

Contact:

Eugene Aves – Talent Acquisition Consultant

E: eugene.aves@unsw.edu.au

Applications close: 11:55 pm (Sydney time) on Wednesday 2nd April 2025

UNSW is committed to evolving a culture that embraces equity and supports a diverse and inclusive community where everyone can participate fairly, in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff. The University reserves the right not to proceed with any appointment.