Computational Hydrogeologist

The mining industry has steadily become worse at finding new ore deposits, requiring >10X more capital to make discoveries compared to 30 years ago. The easy‑to‑find, near‑surface deposits have largely been found, and the industry has chronically under‑invested in new exploration technology, relying on the manual techniques of yesteryear – even as demand accelerates for copper, lithium, and other metals to build electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers. KoBold builds AI models for mineral exploration and deploys those models—alongside our novel sensors—to guide decisions on KoBold‑owned-and‑operated exploration programs. In the six years since founding, KoBold has become by far both the largest independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, who come from leading technology companies, jointly lead exploration programs with our renowned exploration geologists. KoBold’s computational hydrogeology program helps ensure safe and value‑creating mines. This full‑time exempt role, located remotely, owns the computation hydrogeology program for KoBold’s exploration projects, including pre‑feasibility and feasibility engineering studies. You will help create water‑management strategies that maximize the safety, feasibility, and value of future mines, and work closely with field hydrogeologists, mining engineers, and computational scientists to develop and execute numerical simulations necessary for quantitative evaluation of the strategies you develop. Responsibilities Develop multiple alternative groundwater management strategies and quality metrics. Identify data and information needed to evaluate the efficacy of a proposed strategy, differentiate the system response from other possible strategies, and compare the strengths and weaknesses of various water‑management actions. Design data‑collection programs required to inform evaluation analyses and work with field teams to develop execution methodologies. Build and run computational analyses, including numerical simulations of groundwater flow, post‑processing algorithms for hydrogeologic insights, and uncertainty quantification. Collaborate with data scientists to develop novel approaches and tools to extract value from results. Qualifications Bachelor’s or post‑graduate degree in hydrogeology, geology, computational geoscience, geological or environmental engineering, or closely related discipline. 6‑10 years of work experience, including at least 2 years in mining hydrogeology. Experience with the design and implementation of water‑management strategies for mining applications. Experience designing and implementing hydrogeologic field studies. Deep expertise in computational modeling of porous‑media flows and coupled groundwater/surface‑water systems. 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. Enthusiasm for developing novel mathematical models, both physics‑based and data‑driven. Intellectual curiosity and eagerness to learn about all aspects of mineral exploration, especially in the geology domain. Strong communication skills and the ability to explain technical problems to non‑technical domain experts. Excitement about working in a fast‑growing early‑stage company, comfort with a dynamic work environment, and willingness to take on evolving responsibilities. Motivation to shape the technical product that best achieves the company’s business objectives. This position is full‑time and exempt. The US base salary range for this full‑time exempt position is $150,000 - $200,000. Location: Remote. Preference will be given to candidates legally authorized to work in the United States, Canada, South Africa, United Kingdom, or Zambia. 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, disability, or veteran status. #J-18808-Ljbffr KoBold Metals