Hydrogeologist

Description

The Hydrogeologist will support Fervo Energy’s geoscience and reservoir development workstream to achieve our geothermal energy development goals. This position will play a key role in characterizing, extracting, and managing valuable makeup water necessary to support engineered geothermal systems.  Responsibilities will include use of regional groundwater data to evaluate the potential for long term extraction of deep aquifers, 3-D numerical groundwater modeling to predict and manage water usage, supporting well planning and drilling campaigns.

Requirements

Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive evaluations of regional groundwater systems, utilizing geospatial datasets, well logs, and drilling records to inform and refine conceptual hydrogeologic models in support of geothermal development and resource management.
• Design, develop, and calibrate advanced 3D numerical groundwater flow models using industry-standard software (e.g., MODFLOW, FEFLOW) to predict aquifer behavior and performance under varying hydraulic and operational conditions.
• Lead aquifer testing and analysis programs, including step-drawdown, constant-rate, and recovery testing, to assess water well productivity, aquifer transmissivity, and drawdown dynamics across multiple extraction scenarios.
• Integrate multidisciplinary field and remote sensing datasets, including lithologic logs, downhole geophysical surveys, pumping test data, water level measurements, and InSAR-derived land subsidence data, to support model validation and refinement.
• Oversee planning and execution of water well drilling campaigns, including site selection, design of drilling and completion programs, real-time monitoring of operations, and post-construction performance assessments.
• Support regulatory strategy and compliance efforts, preparing technical documentation and analyses for groundwater permitting, environmental impact assessments, and ongoing monitoring in accordance with state and federal water/resource protection statutes.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, geoscience, and regulatory teams, providing hydrogeologic insights to inform project planning, risk management, and long-term sustainability strategies.
• Travel to field locations across the western United States to support site assessments, drilling oversight, and data collection activities, with a typical travel cadence aligned to project milestones.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years experience as a hydrogeologist in academia, environmental consulting, or regulatory fields
• Expertise with industry-standard groundwater modeling software (MODFLOW) as well as pre- and post-processing tools 
• Proficiency in data analysis and scripting languages  (Python, MATLAB, R). 
• Proficiency in developing, executing and interpreting advanced groundwater well testing to evaluate key aquifer parameters (transmissivity, conductivity, storativity, yield) (AQTESOLV)
• Experience in water well construction design and drilling parameters
• Experience supporting water well drilling campaigns and well testing programs in the field 
• Bachelor’s degree in Geology, Hydrogeology, Civil Engineering, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters or PhD degree in Hydrogeology, Geology, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, or a related field 
• Expertise in water well design and construction (i.e. ESP strategy and gravel pack vs screen completion) to ensure adequate productivity of the water well
• Proficiency collecting and evaluating remote sensing and subsidence data for aquifer sustainability
• Knowledge of federal and local environmental regulations

Location  

Fervo Energy is headquartered in Houston, TX with growing offices in Oakland, CA, Golden, CO, Reno, NV, and Salt Lake City, UT. This position will be eligible for some hybrid work flexibility, but regular in-office presence at the Golden or Reno offices will be required. Regular travel is required for this position.