Postdoctoral Fellow, Geothermal Modeling

~ Welcome to the Desert Research Institute (DRI), the environmental research arm of the Nevada System of Higher Education. ~

DRI conducts cutting-edge applied research in air, land and life, and water quality across Nevada, the United States and on every continent. With more than 500 employees and two main campuses in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, DRI generates $30 million in total annual revenue.

DRI’s faculty members are nontenured, entrepreneurial and responsible for their own salaries from external grants and contracts. This blend of academic rigor and private-sector pragmatism has earned DRI a reputation for delivering rapid, high quality environmental science in a businesslike fashion.

Position Overview

The Desert Research Institute is accepting applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Geothermal Modeling supported by the Nell J. Redfield Foundation. This position is located in DRI’s Northern Nevada Science Center in Reno, NV. The Redfield Foundation Fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis to applicants with outstanding research and leadership potential in a broad range of topical areas related to renewable energy.

This position will focus on the area of geothermal energy including but not limited to:

• Enhanced geothermal systems
• Modeling of fracture propagation and interaction
• Coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical models
• Reservoir characterization and stimulation techniques
• Fracture control on permeability enhancement and reservoir development
• Multi-phase flow and heat transport in fractured rock

Responsibilities

• This position is expected to overlap with DRI’s ongoing work in related areas.
• The successful candidate will be expected to participate in program development within the chosen focal area.
• Given satisfactory performance, and proven ability to generate research funding, it is anticipated that this position will evolve into a regular research faculty position.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in hydrology/hydrogeology, engineering, earth sciences or other related discipline from an accredited institution
• Background in either theoretical or applied rock fracture mechanics, or flow/transport modeling in subsurface media
• Strong programming skills
• Ability to work independently to fulfill project goals and meet project deadlines
• Evidence of the ability to participate in and coordinate collaborative research
• Ability to develop research proposals and participate in grant writing and peer reviewed publications
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Research focus that is complementary with existing DRI programs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Skills in parallel and high performance computing
• Background in stochastic processes, statistical methods, or optimization techniques
• Experience in projects with a fracture network modeling component

Conditions of Employment / Physical Requirements:

• The individual who is offered and accepts this position must provide, within 30 working days of his/her start date, a copy of the transcript(s) of the highest degree he/she has acquired, as awarded by an accredited institute as recognized by the United States Department of Education and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)

Compensation: Salaries are competitive and commensurate with qualifications, with continued appointment (assessed annually for up to a maximum of three years) being dependent upon performance and availability of funding. This position is eligible for DRI’s benefits package and relocation assistance.