What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal Groundwater Modeler / Hydrogeologist position at Spencer Ogden?
We are seeking an experienced Senior Groundwater Modeler / Hydrogeologist to join a highly specialized team supporting major mining projects across the United States and internationally. This is an exciting opportunity to work on complex projects involving mine pit dewatering, underground mine dewatering, water supply development, and mine water management.
Our multidisciplinary team collaborates closely with geotechnical and civil engineering professionals on projects ranging from site development and embankment design to tailings and water management infrastructure. We offer a collaborative, employee-focused environment that emphasizes technical excellence, professional growth, and leadership development.
Position Overview
The Senior Groundwater Modeler/Hydrogeologist will lead technical project execution and project management activities, including field investigations, conceptual model development, numerical groundwater modeling, groundwater resource evaluations, and dewatering system design for mining operations.
This role offers a clear path toward technical and operational leadership, including the potential to progress into a Hydrogeology Team Lead position.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage multidisciplinary groundwater and mine water projects from proposal through execution
- Develop and manage technical scopes of work and field investigations
- Oversee activities including:
- Drilling supervision
- Well construction
- Aquifer testing
- Packer testing
- Vibrating wire piezometer installation
- Surface and downhole geophysics
- Groundwater and surface water sampling and monitoring
- Develop conceptual hydrogeologic site models
- Build and calibrate numerical groundwater, unsaturated flow, and water balance models
- Perform predictive modeling to support mining operations and water management planning
- Prepare technical proposals, reports, and client presentations
- Mentor and develop junior technical staff
- Collaborate with clients, regulators, contractors, and internal engineering teams
- Support projects through domestic and international travel as required
Education
- Master's degree in Hydrogeology or a related discipline, including:
- Geology
- Hydrology
- Hydrochemistry
- Civil Engineering
- Geotechnical Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Resources Engineering
Experience
- 15 years of experience in mining hydrogeology and mine water management
Technical Skills
Required experience with:
- MODFLOW / GW Vistas
- AQTESOLV
- GIS software
- Microsoft Access
Preferred experience with:
- FEFLOW
- GoldSim
- Leapfrog
- VBA, Python, or other scripting languages
Professional Credentials
- Professional Geologist (PG) or Professional Engineer (PE) registration preferred
Additional Qualifications
- Spanish language proficiency is a plus
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (approximately 5–15%)
If you're an experienced hydrogeologist looking to work on technically challenging mining projects while advancing into leadership, we'd love to hear from you.
Salary : $180,000 - $220,000