Job Posting Title:

Postdoctoral Fellow, Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems

----

Hiring Department:

Hildebrand Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering

----

Position Open To:

All Applicants

----

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

----

FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

----

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

----

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2028

----

Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

----

Job Details:

General Notes

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders. 

Position Purpose

To conduct research and development for the University of Texas Rig Automation and Performance Improvement in Drilling (UT-RAPID) Industry Affiliate Program (IAP) under the supervision of Dr. Eric van Oort.

Responsibilities

• Contribute significantly to the R&D mission of the UT-RAPID IAP by carrying out meaningful research in well construction and drilling science, with a particular focus on the challenges posed in the construction of ultra-deep geothermal wells.
• Publish in high-quality peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and present original work at conferences, workshops as well as at RAPID sponsor events.
• (Co-) supervise graduate and undergraduate students, helping them progress their day-to-day work with state-of-the-art guidance and mentorship.
• Play an integral role in securing future funding for the RAPID IAP and its various activities.
• Propose new areas of inquiry and activity for the UT-RAPID IAP based on the interest and gaps/needs by a variety of sponsors as well as the drilling industry at large.
• Help shape the vision and mission of the UT-RAPID IAP for the foreseeable future, with its continuing traditional activities in the oil & gas and geothermal industry but also forays into new areas, including carbon storage, hydrogen exploration and production, well re-use and re-purposing, etc.

Required Qualifications

• PhD degree received within the last three years with a particular focus on complex hydraulic and gas phase behavior typically found in high pressure high temperature (HPHT) oil & gas and geothermal wells.
• Proven expertise in computational mechanics and numerical modeling methods (e.g., FEA, multi-body dynamics) of hydro-mechanical drilling systems.
• Proficiency in hybrid physics-based and data-driven architectures to resolve complex fluid dynamics and phase behavior in ultra-deep wellbore environments (10 km depth).
• Excellent understanding of drilling automation systems and modern control theories (including multivariable control, learning-based control, nonlinear dynamics and control, convex optimization, and digital control) to support the development and deployment of control systems for autonomous well construction.
• Expert proficiency in programming in Python or C++, and proficiency in using ANSYS. Proven ability and experience in software development.
• Proven background in well engineering, with understanding of drilling data processing, drillstring & BHA dynamics, bit-rock interactions, geomechanics, drilling hydraulics, well control dynamics, and managed pressure drilling, with appreciation for the unique challenges posed by ultra-deep geothermal and HPHT.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Proven publication track record, with a total of at least 10 manuscripts published to date, including in archival peer-reviewed journals and in refereed conference proceedings.
• Proven presentation skills, with R&D work presented at major oil & gas / geothermal conferences / workshops and industry events.
• Proven track record in R&D project management and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students.
• Strong problem-solving skills and proven ability to work in an interdisciplinary team.

Preferred Qualifications

• 4+ years of relevant industry or academic experience in well engineering R&D.
• Experience with artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications in drilling optimization.
• Experience with software development dealing with well design and drilling evaluation/optimization.
• Hands-on experience with experimental drilling research and lab testing.

Salary Range

$63,537 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation
• Repetitive use of standard office equipment

Work Shift

• Standard work schedule is Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. 
• Periodic work outside of normal business hours, to include evenings and weekends, may be required on a periodic basis or for special events. 

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• Letter of interest
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

 

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

 

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find Jobs. Before you apply though, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile. This information will be pulled into your application. The application is one page, and you will need to click the Upload button multiple times in order to attach your Resume, References and any additional Required Materials noted above.

 

----

Employment Eligibility:

Please make sure you meet all the required qualifications and you can perform all of the essential functions with or without a reasonable accommodation.

----

Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

----

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

----

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

----

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

----

Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

----

E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

----

Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.