Exploration Geologist
Salt Lake City, Utah
Exploration /
Full Time /
Hybrid
Role Overview
Title: Exploration Geologist
Hours: Full Time; Salaried
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (hybrid)
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Manager: Head of Exploration
Mission - Why we need you
Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world. There is 2,300 times more energy in geothermal heat in the ground than in oil, gas, coal, and methane combined. However, historically it’s been hard to find and expensive to develop. At Zanskar, we’re using better technology to find and develop new geothermal resources in order to make geothermal a cheap and vital contributor to a carbon-free electrical grid.
We need an Exploration Geologist to help our Exploration team guide development decisions in Zanskar’s greenfield portfolio. We have a large portfolio of early projects across multiple western US states that need to be explored and developed in the next several years to add 100s, if not 1000s of MWs of clean power to the grid. The Exploration Geologist will enable these geothermal prospects and projects by building conceptual models based on principles of geoscience, aided by the adoption of our in-house R&D tools that improve our understanding of the subsurface and lower development risks.
Outcomes - Problems you’ll solve
In the first six months, the Exploration Geologist will be successful if they can guide decisions that advance multiple projects in states such as Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and more. Responsibilities include integrating geological, geochemical, and geophysical data to develop conceptual models of geothermal systems at various stages. Periodic travel for field work and wellsite operations is required. The Exploration Geologist will assist in prioritizing and operationalizing these decisions by coordinating exploration logistics and insights with Field Operations, Land acquisition, and Permitting teams.
In addition, the Exploration Geologist will support the improvement of additional Machine Learning and R&D tools that supercharge our ability to model the subsurface, predict drilling outcomes, and reduce the uncertainty associated with the subsurface. We want to dramatically improve how we quantify and lower risk in TG and slimwell drilling in the next 12 months.
Competencies – What we’re looking for
- Strong geological exploration foundation:
- M.S. or Ph.D. in geology, geophysics, or related scientific field
- 5+ years of experience in the geothermal, mining, and/or oil & gas industries
- Proficiency in 3D modeling software (Petrel, Move, Leapfrog, or similar) and GIS
- Strong background in the principles of geology and ability to integrate multiple data types to inform exploration business decisions
- Preferred experience in one or more of the following: geologic resource assessment, field mapping, structural geology, drilling/wellsite geology, petrophysical log interpretation, groundwater geochemistry, potential fields geophysics, geostatistics, data analytics
- Good, mission-motivated team member:
- Highly driven and motivated self-starter, capable of working independently while also excelling as a collaborative team member
- Communicates for understanding by translating geological or technical insights into other disciplines’ language to interact with other teams such as R&D or land.
- Flexible and quick learner to deal with changes that come with startup life
- Hungry to “blaze a trail and leave a legacy” by improving exploration best practices and making breakthroughs in our portfolio development
Benefits
- Paid holidays
- 15 days PTO + PTO accrual increase based on tenure
- Medical and dental coverage
- 401k + Match
- Stock options
- Growth opportunities at a company with a direct impact in displacing carbon emissions
Equal Opportunity Employer
Zanskar is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local employment practice laws.
Please reach out to careers@zanskar.us with any questions.
