Position: Head of Software

Location: Oslo, Norway

Salary: Up to 1,300,000 Nok

Work type: Hybrid

Company Type: In-house

Industry: Renewable energy - Trading

Language: English fluent

Tools: Python

Job Description Summary:

(Company Name) is the first edge of the grid power trading virtual power plant in Africa. We forge partnerships and invent the technologies required to electrify Africa's future and decarbonize it for a zero-carbon future. As the Head of Software, you will lead the development of our software solutions and technologies required for the operation of our virtual power plant and power trading services. You will engage with and support several (Company Name) business functions, including Business Development, Sales, and Project Management. You will also be encouraged to explore new applications or revolutionary ideas that have not yet found a home in our business.

Roles and Responsibilities:

We intend to build a Software Development team that performs advanced, leading-edge research in a variety of software areas for the development of our virtual power plant and power trading services. We focus on technology that enables more reliable and efficient power generation, transmission & distribution. Opportunities will exist to contribute to software development in a wide range of areas including the integration of renewable energy technologies such as solar, battery storage, distribution automation, power system protection, and microgrids. Collaboration is required within the internal organization by actively working on software-related aspects with the leadership, business, and project teams as the expert in software development, data analytics, and cybersecurity.

As the Head of Software, you will:

• Lead the development of new software technologies and capabilities for (Company Name) power generation, distribution, and end-user product offerings by analyzing system requirements and needs to be translated into existing and new software products.
• Develop software algorithms to aggregate distributed energy resources (DERs) to provide services to the grid in a microgrid or virtual power plant configuration.
• Develop techniques to efficiently assess the impact of DERs on the grid and develop mitigation strategies using software solutions.
• Adapt modern distribution automation and management systems for operation with DERs through software development.
• Develop software requirements into projects related to power electronics, electrical machines, energy storage systems, etc.
• Work with the business & project teams and provide software analysis expertise in areas such as real-time modeling, simulation, network modeling, system analysis, protection, transient stability analysis, grid codes, Smart Grid concepts, economic dispatch, etc.
• Perform analytical work to define, meet, or exceed customer entitlements through software solutions.
• Participate in developing and identifying technology, product, and service opportunities through software development.
• Effectively communicate results by preparing written reports and making presentations describing analyses performed, solutions developed, and value obtained through software solutions.
• Connect the organization to the latest technology developments and trends in software.
• Demonstrate awareness of competing and disruptive software technologies.
• Contribute to proposals for the business development teams as well as to government agencies like the regulator.

Required Qualifications:

• Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field with a minimum of 4 years of experience in software development or related field OR Master's Degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field with a minimum of 2 years of experience in software development or related field.
• Demonstrated software development experience in at least two of the following:
  • Software impact of renewable energy systems
  • Network modeling
  • Data Science
  • Cybersecurity in power systems
  • Transmission or distribution system software development and optimization
  • Control and communication systems
  • Power trading and energy analytics
  • Automated Trading Systems
  • Ad-tech

Desired Characteristics:

• Experience with microgrid control through software solutions
• Experience with power electronics-based distributed generation and energy storage through software solutions.
• Experience with cybersecurity in power and energy application through software solutions
• Project experience and publications as the lead author in virtual power plant software modeling, simulation, optimization, and control
• Experience in power trading and power market analysis through software solutions
• Experience and fluency with the Python programming language.
• Extensive experience with distribution simulation software such as OpenDSS, GridLAB-D or cymdist
• Experience with implementation of control algorithms and analytics in control hardware or energy/distribution management systems in a field or lab hardware in the loop environment through software solutions.
• Experience in control theory with a focus on control algorithms for power or energy systems through software solutions
• Detailed understanding of generator excitation and speed controls through software solutions
• Experience with alternative energy and distributed generation, specifically solar PV and BESS through software solutions
• Experience in writing government proposals for research grants through software solutions
• Familiarity with power systems analytical tools, such as PSCAD, EMTP, PSS/E, PSLF, MAPS, etc.
• Global mindset & customer focus
• Entrepreneurial inclination