Academic

Job Category

Faculty Non Bargaining

Job Title

Postdoctoral Fellow (In-situ Copper Mining)

Department

Research | EERI | Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences | Faculty of Science (Roger Beckie)

Posting End Date

May 25, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

August 31, 2027

 

 

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

Qualification and Experience

• 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.

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

• 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.

This position is based at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC. It is a one-year appointment with the expectation of renewal for a second year, to a maximum term of three years.

The annual salary range for this position is $75,000-$80,000.

Review of applications will begin after April 16 and will continue until the posting closes on May 25.