Postdoctoral Fellow (In-situ Copper Mining)

University of British Columbia • Vancouver, BC

58d

About The Position

We are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to support our research on in‑situ copper mining. The ideal candidate will have the following qualifications:

Requirements

• Has completed their PhD in geological engineering, hydrogeology, geochemistry, chemical engineering, hydrometallurgy, mining engineering or closely related discipline.
• Has a strong record of peer-reviewed publications relevant to computational modeling in hydrogeology, geochemistry, mining or resource extraction.
• Has experience using a modern reactive-transport code such as MIN3P, PFLOTRAN, CrunchFlow, Retraso-CodeBright or similar.
• Can assemble geological, mineralogical and hydrogeological information about copper ore deposits, and create conceptual models of ore-bodies, fluid flow and reactive transport.
• Familiarity with ore-body geology: Porphyry deposits; Sediment-hosted copper deposits; Permeability structures in these deposits; Typical mineral assemblages.
• Familiarity with: Oxidation / reduction processes of minerals related to copper ores. Acid leaching processes. Buffering effects of acid-consuming minerals. Passivation and secondary mineral formation and their effects on permeability.
• Has experience with modern high-performance computing environments such as HPC clusters.
• Is able to work independently and take initiative when opportunities arise while also contributing to project-wide goals.
• Has skills to manage, organize and communicate with a diverse team of geologists, hydrogeologists, geochemists and hydrometallurgists.
• Is able to formulate research problems and pathways to their resolution in collaboration with a diverse group of colleagues from 4 universities on three different continents.
• Is able to begin research by September, 2026.

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with PEST, model calibration and uncertainty analysis is advantageous.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree