Postdoctoral Fellow - Advanced Drilling & Geothermal

University of Texas; United States; On-site; USD 57,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. This role conducts R&D for UT-RAPID, emphasizing ultra-deep geothermal and high-pressure drilling challenges, with opportunities to publish and present at major venues.

The candidate will contribute to advancing drilling automation, control theory applications, and overall project leadership, including mentoring students and helping secure research

Qualifications

• PhD earned within the last three years focusing on HPHT oil/gas or geothermal wells.
• Strong expertise in computational mechanics and numerical modeling for hydro-mechanical drilling systems.
• Proficiency in hybrid physics-based and data-driven architectures to resolve complex fluid dynamics in ultra-deep wells.

Responsibilities

• Conduct R&D for UT-RAPID IAP in well construction and drilling science, focusing on ultra-deep geothermal challenges.
• Publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences and RAPID sponsor events.
• Supervise graduate and undergraduate students and mentor their day-to-day research tasks.
• Assist in securing funding for the RAPID IAP and propose new research directions.

Skills

Python

C++

FEA

multibody dynamics

drilling automation

control theory

communication skills

publication track record

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

ANSYS

Python

C++

Job description

University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering. This role conducts R&D for UT-RAPID, emphasizing ultra-deep geothermal and high-pressure drilling challenges, with opportunities to publish and present at major venues.

The candidate will contribute to advancing drilling automation, control theory applications, and overall project leadership, including mentoring students and helping secure research