Vacant job

Project Description

Doctoral Subject: Electrical Engineering

This project aims to strengthen the participation of battery energy storage systems in the Nordic electricity market to support a sustainable and low-carbon energy future. As the share of renewable electricity production increases, battery storage plays a central role in providing flexibility, ensuring system security, and improving market efficiency.

The project focuses on three main challenges: (i) designing market-compatible bidding structures for battery storage that reflect operational constraints, (ii) developing tailored financial contracts to manage revenue risks in markets with low price volatility, and (iii) enabling joint optimization of energy and reserve services using advanced optimization models and AI-based methods.

The research combines mathematical modeling, electricity market design, and computational methods. The doctoral candidate will work closely with leading industry partners, including Nord Pool and Fortum, contributing to both theoretical advancements and practical applications.

Supervision: Prof. Mohammad Reza Hesamzadeh and Prof. György Dán (KTH), Prof. Derek Bunn (London Business School), and Prof. Darryl Biggar (Monash University) are proposed to supervise the doctoral candidate. Decisions are made at the time of admission.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to doctoral studies (Chapter 7, Section 39 of the Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility:

• completed a degree at an advanced level, or
• fulfilled course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, including at least 60 higher education credits at an advanced level, or
• acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way, within or outside the country.

Special Eligibility:

We are looking for candidates with:

• A Master's degree or equivalent in electrical engineering, energy systems, technical physics, applied mathematics, operations research, or a related field.
• Good knowledge of mathematical optimization, such as linear, integer, or non-convex optimization.
• Basic understanding of energy systems and electricity markets.
• Programming skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.

Applicants with a background in mathematics, physics, or computer science and a strong interest in energy systems are also welcome to apply.

In addition to the above, there is a mandatory requirement for English proficiency equivalent to English B/6.

Selection

To succeed in your doctoral studies at KTH, you need to be goal-oriented and persistent in your work. In the selection process, the ability to:

• independently drive your work forward,
• collaborate with others,
• maintain a professional attitude, and
• analyze and work with complex issues.

The following qualifications are meritorious:

• Experience with stochastic optimization, decomposition methods, or large-scale optimization problems.
• Knowledge of electricity market design, ancillary services, or flexibility markets.

After meeting the eligibility requirements, great weight will be placed on personal qualities.

Degree: Doctorate

Information on Admission and Employment

Only those admitted to doctoral studies may be employed as doctoral candidates. The total employment period may not exceed what corresponds to full-time doctoral education over four years. An employed doctoral candidate may, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within, for example, education and administration. A new employment as a doctoral candidate is valid for a maximum of one year; thereafter, the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

As a doctoral candidate, you are entitled to KTH's employment benefits and receive a monthly salary according to KTH's agreement for doctoral salaries. Read more about Doctoral Studies at KTH.

Union Representatives

Contact details for union representatives.

Doctoral Student Section (Student Union of the Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact details for the doctoral student section.

Application

You apply via KTH's recruitment system. As an applicant, you are primarily responsible for ensuring your application is complete when submitted.

The application must include the following:

• Copies of degree certificates and transcripts from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages. Copies of originals must be certified.
• CV with relevant professional experience and skills.
• Cover letter with a brief account of why you wish to pursue doctoral studies, your academic interests, and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Max 2 pages)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please include an abstract and a web link to the full text.

The application must be received by KTH no later than midnight CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time) on the last day of application.

Other Information

For information on the processing of personal data in connection with recruitment, see KTH's privacy policy.

It may occur that an employment at KTH is classified for security purposes. If this applies to this specific position, a security clearance check will be conducted on the applicant in accordance with the Security Protection Act (2018:585) with consent. In such cases, approval after security clearance is a prerequisite for employment.

We decline direct contact with staffing and recruitment agencies as well as sellers of job advertisements.

Join KTH

KTH shapes the future through education, research, and innovation. As a leading international technical university, we play an active role in driving and contributing to the transition to a sustainable society. Here, you are offered the opportunity to grow and develop in a creative and dynamic workplace with good working conditions and benefits. Gender equality, diversity, and equal opportunities are quality issues and a clear part of KTH's values as a university and public authority.

Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work and develop at KTH.