Local recruitment: Senior Groundwater Modeller

Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)

Edmonton, AB, Canada 🇨🇦

Calgary, AB, Canada 🇨🇦

Location: Edmonton Regional or Calgary Head Office

Employment Type:  Full Time – Permanent

Senior Groundwater Modeller

The Opportunity

The Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) ensures that groundwater resources are identified, characterized, and quantified throughout the Alberta Basin. The Senior Groundwater Modeller develops conceptual and quantitative models of non-saline and saline groundwater resources to understand and predict the interaction of groundwater with petroleum systems, heat flow, carbon dioxide, and waste disposal fluids. They apply advanced scientific knowledge and the principles of hydrogeology to develop multi-phase flow and transport models that support a range of energy geoscience projects, resource appraisals, groundwater contamination, energy transition initiatives, and decision making by the Alberta Energy Regulator and Government of Alberta. Numerical simulation projects will include single-phase groundwater modelling, high-resolution multi-phase modelling of heterogeneous aquifer systems at local- to regional-scales, and heat flow modelling.

The Senior Groundwater Modeller is a significant contributor to large projects with technical collaborators, internal and external stakeholders and will also provide support to AGS Management in growing our partnerships. This role is also expected to provide technical mentorship to staff within AGS and AER to aid in the delivery of initiatives focused on protecting Alberta’s groundwater resources and evaluation of emerging resources (e.g. carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), geothermal, brine-hosted minerals/elements) contained within equivalent subsurface geological formations. This role works independently under limited supervision of results and solves complex problems by drawing from prior experience, collaborations with others, research, and analysis of issues that often require in-depth scientific understanding.

Your Key Responsibilities:

  • Provide a lead technical role within AGS developing and interpreting numerical groundwater flow models including calibration/optimization techniques, advanced uncertainty quantification, analyzing water budgets, setting up predictive simulations to interpret:
    • Changes in water levels or discharge to surface water and extracting data for estimates of groundwater volumes;
    • Subsurface energy applications and interactions with deep groundwater systems; and
    • Long-term fluid migration, leakage risks, and environmental impact assessment.
  • Develop, use, or manipulates programs/scripts for model data extraction, data quality analysis and to process and manipulate ASCII data files for scientific applications.
  • Implement geostatistical and data science methods to clean raw data, perform geospatial data analysis, data conversion, data management, and automated map and table reports.
  • Contribute to planning, implementation, review, and delivery of AGS hydrogeology projects and deliverables such as reports, maps, models, and scientific journal publications.
  • Provide technical leadership and support on large multi-disciplinary projects (internal and external) and initiatives that have impact across teams, Branches and Divisions within the AER and AGS. May engage as a project leader or subject matter expert with stakeholders at a high-level of engagement and impact.
  • Develop and maintain external partnerships to advance AGS’ research capacity in groundwater modelling science for application to Alberta-based energy and water challenges. Accountable for delivering the research results on key projects including the production, delivery and dissemination of independent datasets, maps, reports and/or other advanced hydrogeology knowledge products.

Qualifications:

  • M.Sc. or Ph.D. in hydrogeology or closely related discipline (e.g., water resources engineering, geological/civil engineering, hydrology) is preferred.
  • Minimum 7 years industry, academia or government geoscience experience.
  • Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) eligibility is preferred.
  • Extensive experience in working with geologists, geological modellers, and hydrogeologists developing complex conceptual models in siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary systems.
  • Experience characterizing fluid flow in fractured aquifers/reservoirs considered an asset.
  • Experience in developing multi-phase flow and transport models for applications related to energy and water.
  • Experience user of ArcGIS and groundwater modelling software such as MODFLOW, FEFLOW, TOUGH, STOMP and/or MIKE SHE.
  • Project experience conducting geothermal resource appraisals and/or heat flow modelling is preferred.
  • Possess a strong working knowledge of the geology, hydrogeology, and fluid and heat flow of the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.
  • Working knowledge of scripting including C, Fortran, PERL, Python, R, VB or SQL.
  • Knowledge of the physics related to modelling the migration and fate of CO2 in saline aquifers and oil/gas reservoirs.
  • Strong written and oral communication skills to translate complex geoscience concepts, workflows, or approaches to stakeholders.

Additional Requirements and Information:

  • All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada at the time of application.

AER Hybrid Work Program

To honour our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, enhance employee attraction and retention and increase environmental sustainability, the AER offers a flexible work framework that provides for hybrid work and flexible hours. 

What does our hybrid work look like?  

  • Combination of in-office and remote work based on your preference and business needs! 
  • Flexible work hours, while committing to being available during our core hours of 9:00am – 3:00pm

If you choose to participate in the hybrid program, you will:

  • Be provided with an AER computer or laptop when working in the office.
  • Need to have access to a personal computer when working from home (unless assigned an AER laptop – dependant on business need). 
  • Have a high-speed internet connection with a minimum of 50 Mbps for downloads and 30 Mbps for uploads when working remotely.

Benefits at the AER

  • Defined benefit pension plans
  • Personal spending account
  • Flexible benefits program
  • Work/Life Balance time off programs
  • Healthcare spending account
  • Voluntary Group Savings Programs
  • Employee & Family Assistance Program
  • Visit our careers page for more details on all the AER has to offer!

For Internal Applicants Only

  • Under the AER’s Classification Framework this position is a SP4, Level 6.
  • In the event a current AER employee would like to apply for an internal posting, the employee will inform their leader prior to submitting their application.
  • Please note: Should an individual with the required qualifications not be available, applicants with closely related qualifications may be considered. As a result, the position may be redesigned and/or reclassified.

Please note, this job advertisement will close on February 24, 2023 at midnight.


POSITION TYPE

EXPERIENCE-LEVEL

DEGREE REQUIRED

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