Location: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver campus
Type: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Salary: $60,000 to $70,000 CAD per year plus benefits
Duration: One year with possibility of extension
Start date: May 1, 2026, or on a mutually agreed date thereafter
Application Deadline: First review of applications March 16, 2026 until filled
Call for Applications
We invite applications from highly qualified candidates for a Postdoctoral Fellow position. As part of their fellowship, the individual would contribute to interdisciplinary research at the intersection of electricity, computing, and policy. They will also be instrumental in strengthening partnerships across academia, industry, communities, and policymakers to contribute to a vibrant electrified, digitalized, and decarbonized economy in Canada. We seek applicants with training in a relevant electrical and computer engineering field along with a strong desire to pursue interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
About the Position
The Postdoctoral Fellow position is a part of a new research cluster in Accelerating Research Interdisciplinarity in Sustainable Electricity (ARISE). The cluster’s long-term vision is to pursue collaborative research among engineering, science, and social science that will catalyze student training, industry practice, and public policy aimed at economy-wide decarbonization, proliferation of artificial intelligence, and an equitable energy transition. It is organized across three research themes: i) advancing forecasting, control, and decision-making techniques to enable low-carbon electric grids, ii) pioneering methods to limit electricity consumption by ever-more-pervasive computing systems, and iii) developing policy instruments for incentivizing the energy transition.
Roles and Responsibilities
The Postdoctoral Fellow will focus on the technical dimension of the ARISE cluster (themes i and ii) while working with faculty, graduate students, and team members across all research themes. Specific responsibilities include:
- Developing advanced tools for forecasting, control, and decision-making to enable low-carbon electric grids and/or computing systems
- Integrating into technical solutions considerations related to economic, social, and policy dimensions and collaborate closely with those team members
- Engaging with a variety of stakeholders in academia, industry, government, and local communities to drive impactful research and knowledge mobilization
- Publishing in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, presenting at major conferences, and contributing to open-source knowledge dissemination materials
- Participating in high-value collaborative research grant proposals
- Mentoring graduate and undergraduate students
In addition to contributing to collaborative research and knowledge mobilization, the Postdoctoral Fellow will also be given the opportunity to develop their own independent research agenda.
Essential Qualifications
- A Ph.D. degree, completed within the last five years, in electrical and computer engineering, computer science, operations research, or other energy-related areas
- Specialist knowledge in power/energy system control, operation, and/or planning leveraging advanced techniques from areas such as modelling, simulation, control, optimization, machine learning, etc.
- Commitment to research excellence evidenced by strong publication record with lead-author papers in high-quality venues
- Demonstrated desire and potential to pursue interdisciplinary research aligned with the goals of the ARISE cluster
Additional Preferred Qualifications
- Strong analytical problem-solving skills for complex systems
- Clear communication tailored to various audience groups
- Experience in grant writing and project management
- Involvement in workshop planning or event coordination
Salary, Benefits, and Employment Conditions
The salary range for this position is $60,000 to $70,000 CAD per year plus benefits depending on the qualifications and experience of the chosen candidate. The initial appointment is one year in duration, with possibility for extension contingent on satisfactory performance and availability of funding. The position is full-time (40 hours per week) based on-site at the Vancouver campus of UBC but with flexibility for hybrid work arrangements.
The Postdoctoral Fellow will have significant independence in undertaking priority research, training, and knowledge mobilization activities that directly influence the cluster’s objectives. There will be opportunities to contribute to knowledge mobilization activities that engage directly with academic researchers, industry partners, policy practitioners, different levels of government, and diverse communities across Canada.
There is no citizenship requirement, but appointment of non-Canadian applicants will be subject to approval by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requirements to be eligible for employment in Canada as a postdoctoral fellow.
How to Apply
Interested candidates are welcome to submit an application by e-mail to chen@ece.ubc.ca by 11:59 p.m. on March 15, 2026. Please include “Postdoctoral Fellow Application--Your Name” in the subject line. The application should include a single PDF document titled “Postdoctoral Fellow Application--Your Name” including the following:
- Cover letter addressing
- your suitability for this position
- your disciplinary and subject matter expertise
- your relevant experience and skills that would advance the cluster's goals
- names and contact information for two references (to be contacted for short-listed candidates only)
- a tentative date for when you could begin the fellowship
- Curriculum vitae
- URL links (if available online) or pdfs of two recent publications for which you were a main contributor
Review of applications will commence on March 16, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled.
How to apply?
Please send applications to chen@ece.ubc.ca and refer to reference number PDFO-59041.
Desired start date: 01 May 2026
Duration: Fixed term / Temporary
Contract Type: Full Time
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.