Geological Project Scientist

Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's (LBNL) Energy Geosciences Division has an opening for a Geological Project Scientist to join the team.

In this exciting role, you will contribute to a one-year, term research project on electromagnetic (EM) geophysical applications in geoscience fields related to energy. The position involves developing and applying EM geophysical approaches for hydrological, geological, and energy systems, including but not limited to induced polarization (IP), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), electromagnetic (EM) sensing, and other geophysical techniques. You will contribute to ongoing projects, focusing on fundamental mineral-fluid interfacial processes, subsurface imaging, and energy related process detection.

What You Will Do:

• Investigate fundamental mineral-fluid interaction in geoenergy systems




• Develop and conduct experiments in support of basic research
• Develop and refine algorithms for multi-physics geophysical signal processing and inversion (e.g., IP, ERT, EM).
• Validate and integrate novel inversion methods for across scale applications.




• Multi-Scale Geophysical Data Acquisition and Analysis




• Conduct laboratory-to-field geophysical experiments for subsurface property estimation.
• Apply time-lapse (3D/4D) geophysical imaging techniques to monitor subsurface processes.
• Analyze geophysical data for applications in hydrology, geoenergy waste storage, and mineral exploration.




• Sensor Integration and System Development




• Design and implement fiber-optic and electromagnetic sensing platforms for geosystem monitoring.
• Develop methodologies for integrating airborne, ground-based, and borehole geophysical measurements.
• Collaborate on hardware and software system development for geophysical data acquisition and processing.




• Research and Collaboration




• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams in geophysics, geochemistry, hydrology, and computational sciences.
• Lead and contribute to publications in high-impact geophysical journals.
• Contributing to proposal writing and project development.




• Fieldwork and Technology Deployment




• Participate in field campaigns for geophysical data collection in diverse environmental settings.
• Develop workflows for integrating field data with numerical modeling efforts.

What is Required:

• Ph.D. in Geophysics, Applied Physics, Earth Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of postdoctoral or equivalent experience in geophysical research.
• Expertise in geophysical modeling and inversion, including induced polarization (IP), electromagnetic (EM), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and seismic methods.
• Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals.
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary research teams and contribute to externally funded projects.

Desired Qualifications:

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python, Matlab, C, or Fortran for geophysical data processing and modeling.
• Experience with advanced geophysical software tools (e.g., COMSOL, Res2D/3DInv, ModEM, EMIT Maxwell, ParaView).
• Experience in field data collection, sensor deployment, and integration of geophysical observations.

Notes:

• This is a full time, 1 year, term appointment that may be renewed to a maximum of five years.
• This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
• The full salary range of this position is between $94,500 to $215,500 per year and is expected to pay between a targeted range of $94,500 to $140,900 per year depending upon candidates' full skills, knowledge, and abilities, including education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Salary will be determined based on range by collective bargaining agreement.
• This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work will be primarily performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA.

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, inclusion, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer