Postdoctoral Researcher – Passive Seismic Imaging
Location: Salt Lake City, UT (hybrid)
Benefits Eligible: yes
Salary: $85k - $95k
Manager: Seismic Team Lead
Why we exist and why we need you
Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world. However, historically it’s been hard to find and expensive to develop. At Zanskar, we’re using advanced technology to find and develop new geothermal resources that make baseload geothermal a cost-effective and vital contributor to a carbon-free energy future. We are revolutionizing the exploration process, setting new industry standards for discovery rates by finding new prospects at an unprecedented scale and working to develop faster and cheaper with scale and reduced risk drilling.
We're seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in Passive Seismic Imaging to help advance how we image the subsurface using earthquakes and ambient noise. Working alongside our exploration and R&D teams, you'll help convert passive seismic signals into actionable items: images of basement depth, and fault geometry, that improve how we characterize prospects.
Outcomes – Problems you’ll solve
Build velocity models and image basement depth, layering, and fault structure from passive arrays
Locate and analyze microseismicity to map active faults, stress regimes, and structural controls
Develop, benchmark, and refine passive seismic imaging methods
Construct reproducible, well-documented processing pipelines (Python/ObsPy or equivalent) that scale to large datasets
Work with the exploration and R&D teams to integrate passive imaging into prospect evaluation
What we’re looking for
Required
Ph.D. (completed or near completion) in geophysics, seismology, or a closely related field
Demonstrated research expertise in passive seismic methods such as ambient noise tomography or microseismic analysis, evidenced by peer-reviewed publications
Strong foundation in seismic signal processing and inversion
Proficiency in scientific computing and reproducible workflows (e.g., Python, HPC), with version control (e.g., Git/GitHub) a plus
Ability to translate research-stage methods into practical, decision-grade tools under real-world data and time constraints
Strong cross-disciplinary collaboration skills, able to communicate and integrate effectively with geologists, geophysicists, engineers, and data scientists
Location and Benefits
The position is based out of our headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a hybrid position
Benefits include:
Paid holidays
18 days PTO + PTO accrual increase based on tenure
Medical, dental and vision coverage
401k
Life insurance + Short term & Long term disability
Growth opportunities at a company with a direct impact in displacing carbon emissions