Computational Hydrologist

KoBold Metals is a rapidly growing Silicon Valley start-up using AI to enable the transition to electrification and help solve climate change. We are backed by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a16z, Bond Capital, Sam Altman, T Rowe Price, and other premier VCs.

Our team includes the best of the industry in exploration geoscience, data science, software engineering, and business personnel. KoBold’s world-renowned geoscientists have made nearly 20 discoveries. They work on joint teams with outstanding data scientists, who have PhDs in physics, math, materials science, and geophysics. And our technology backbone has been built from scratch by our team of software engineers who are alumni of top Silicon Valley tech companies.

About the position

In this role, you will lead the hydrogeologic work for KoBold’s exploration projects, including pre-feasibility and feasibility engineering studies. You will help to identify, design, and execute all hydrogeologic field programs necessary to maximize the safety, feasibility, and value of our future mines. You will lead the development of state-of-the-science groundwater flow models in support of these goals. Your flow models will be an integrated component of KoBold dynamic mine-planning and operational guiding technology.

You will join an outstanding team of geoscientists, data scientists, and software engineers. You will be a core part of the project teams, advancing the science and practice of exploration. You will help develop novel data collection programs, and work closely with geologists and data scientists to build physics-based and data-driven models of the hydrogeology of our exploration sites. A key challenge will be to quantify uncertainties relevant to mining, and to identify efficient means for reducing these uncertainties as the project advances.

Responsibilities

The Computational Hydrologist will:

• Identify data that should be collected as early as possible in an exploration program
• Design data collection programs appropriate for the given project, including early understanding of the hydrologic systems in an area and ongoing surveillance to reduce uncertainty over time
• Work with field teams to execute these data collection programs
• Work with data scientists to derive new hydrogeologic insights from our data
• Build and run groundwater flow models in support of exploration and mine planning, innovating to develop new approaches as needed to achieve project objectives

Qualifications

A great Computational Hydrologist candidate will have:

• Bachelor's or post-graduate degree in hydrogeology, geology, geological or environmental engineering, or closely related discipline
• 10 years of work experience, including at least 2 years in hydrogeology and data science
• Experience designing and implementing hydrogeologic field studies
• Experience analyzing hydrogeologic data to support the development of conceptual and numerical models of groundwater flow, including familiarity with modeling software such as MODFLOW or FEFLOW
• Deep expertise in computational modeling of porous media flows and coupled groundwater/surface-water systems.
• Enthusiasm for developing novel mathematical models, both physics-based and data-driven
• Drive to self-teach programming fundamentals and learn KoBold’s code repositories

KoBold Metals is an equal opportunity workplace and an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity for people of any race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or veteran status.

This position is full-time, exempt.

Location: Remote from any location in the US or Canada.KoBold Metals has physical offices in Berkeley, CA and Lusaka, Zambia, but all work can be performed remotely.

The US base salary range for this full-time exempt position is $140,000 - $225,000