Technical Leader I

Job Title: Technical Leader I

Location:

Charlotte, NC, Knoxville, TN

Job Summary and Description:

Job Summary

Conducts research in complex, high-impact technical or scientific fields.

Job Description

Conducts research in complex, high-impact technical or scientific fields.

This position will support the development and application of advanced transmission planning methodologies and long-term system planning frameworks. The position will help design and execute studies that evaluate future grid needs under increasing uncertainty associated with load growth, resource transformation, extreme weather, and evolving regulatory requirements.

The position will also contribute to the development of intelligent planning workflows that integrate analytical tools, automate study processes, improve study reproducibility, and enhance planning decision-making.

Key Responsibilities and Requirements

• Works independently on technical activities without direct supervision.
• Conducts technical searches and analyzes information in support of the project team.
• Demonstrates responsibility for highly specialized technical objectives or problems where relationships between cause and effect are difficult to establish, little or no precedent exists, and creative and imaginative thinking is required.
• Applies technical expertise and maintains knowledge of related disciplines.
• Develops technical solutions to complex problems requiring the regular use of ingenuity and creativity.
• Performs and supports transmission planning, transmission reliability, resilience, and interconnection studies.
• Develops long-term planning scenarios and evaluates future transmission needs across multiple planning horizons.
• Applies power system simulation, optimization, probabilistic assessment, and risk-based planning methods to support transmission investment and planning decisions.
• Designs and implements Python-based automation to improve the efficiency, consistency, and reproducibility of planning studies.
• Contributes to intelligent and automated planning workflows, including the potential application of agentic artificial intelligence.
• Integrates findings across transmission reliability, resource adequacy, production cost, interconnection, and long-term transmission planning processes.
• Develops technical recommendations and planning strategies for utility, ISO/RTO, and other stakeholder clients.
• Communicates technical methods, findings, and recommendations to engineering, management, regulatory, and executive audiences.
• Contributes to proposal development, project execution, research initiatives, technical reports, and industry engagement activities.

Additional Requirements

• Has developed relationships with primary advisors to a research area.
• Provides assistance to EPRI sales staff in Member Services and EPRI International.
• Communicates strategies and results, both written and verbal, to program members, potential members, and external stakeholders through guidelines, reports, meetings, webcasts, workshops, and conferences.
• Communicates work across EPRI programs to ensure parallel and related research is informed.
• May provide oversight of a project team to help ensure technical and financial milestones are met.
• Organizes external and interdepartmental activities to support completion of projects and products on schedule and within budget.
• Supports the planning and execution of complex project work within the technical department to meet member and client objectives.
• Prepares and presents research reports, technical findings, and actionable recommendations.
• Manages small or medium, less-complex projects, including budgets and resources.
• Begins interfacing with national and international technical networks, including manufacturers, consultants, academia, research organizations, utilities, ISO/RTO organizations, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Supports proposal efforts and new promotional work.
• Develops research or service opportunities of value to EPRI members that align with EPRI’s mission and capabilities. This includes solving customer problems, producing insights and information important to members, and delivering information in a manner members and customers can apply.
• Provides guidance and mentorship to junior staff.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field or equivalent experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with transmission planning, transmission reliability, resilience, interconnection, risk-based planning, or integrated system planning.
• Experience using power system simulation, optimization, production cost, resource adequacy, or probabilistic assessment methods.
• Proficiency with Python or similar programming tools used to automate technical studies and analytical workflows.
• Familiarity with utility, ISO/RTO, regulatory, and stakeholder planning processes.
• Familiarity with agentic AI applications and their potential use in power system planning workflows is strongly desired.

The salary range for this position is $0 USD to $0 USD annually.This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on various factors, including without limitation applicant's education, experience, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary may also be adjusted based on applicant's geographic location.This role is eligible to participate in EPRI’s annual incentive program. The amount of incentive varies and is subject to the terms and conditions of the plan.This role is eligible to participate in EPRI’s standard employee benefit programs, which currently include the following: medical, dental, vision, 401k, STD/LTD and paid family leave, life and accident insurance, paid time off (flexible vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay).EPRI participates in E-Verify, an online system operated jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration (SSA). EPRI uses the system to check the work status of new hires by comparing information from the employee's I-9 form against SSA and Department of Homeland Security databases.EPRI is an equal opportunity employer. EEO/AA/M/F/VETS/DisabledTogether . . . Shaping the Future of Energy.