UBC

Postdoctoral Fellow (In-situ Copper Mining)

UBC Vancouver Campus - Vancouver, BC, Canada Full time
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

April 16, 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.

The position is for a minimum of one year with the expectation of renewal for a second year and a maximum term of three years. The position will be hosted at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC.