Geomechanics & Geothermal Postdoc: Experiments & Modeling

Los Alamos National Laboratory; Los Alamos (NM); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k) with matching

Tuition assistance

Wellness programs

Relocation packages

Job summary

Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking one or two Postdoctoral Research Associates to study geomechanics, subsurface fluid flow, and well integrity for next-generation geothermal systems.

The role combines high-temperature experiments (up to 500 °C, 140 MPa) with Abaqus-based multiphysics modeling, data analysis, and AI/ML-enabled workflows. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in geoscience, geophysics, materials science, applied physics, computational mechanics or related field.
• Experience with experimental geomechanics or subsurface fluids and finite-element/computational mechanics.
• Strong data analysis and scientific programming skills; publication record preferred.

Responsibilities

• Conduct integrated experimental and computational research in geomechanics and subsurface flow.
• Develop high-temperature/high-pressure experiments and analyze resulting data.
• Develop and validate Abaqus models, scripts, and simulations to study well-integrity systems.

Skills

Geomechanics

Computational mechanics

Python scripting

Abaqus

Data analysis

Scientific programming

Education

Ph.D. in geoscience / geophysics / materials science / applied physics / computational mechanics

Tools

Abaqus

Python

MATLAB

Fortran

Job description

Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking one or two Postdoctoral Research Associates to study geomechanics, subsurface fluid flow, and well integrity for next-generation geothermal systems.

The role combines high-temperature experiments (up to 500 °C, 140 MPa) with Abaqus-based multiphysics modeling, data analysis, and AI/ML-enabled workflows. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in a relevant field and strong communication skills.