Senior Geothermal Reservoir Engineer

Role Overview 

Title: Senior Geothermal Reservoir Engineer

Hours: Full-Time, Salaried

Location: Salt Lake City, UT, Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days can be remote)

Benefits Eligible: Yes

Manager: Head of Exploration or Head of Reservoir R&D (depending on applicant’s skillset)

Why we exist

Geothermal energy is the most abundant renewable energy source in the world. There is 2,300 times more energy in geothermal heat in the ground than in oil, gas, coal, and methane combined. However, historically it’s been hard to find and expensive to develop. At Zanskar, we’re building technology to find and develop new geothermal resources in order to make geothermal a cheap and vital contributor to a carbon-free electrical grid.

At Zanskar, we combine deep subsurface expertise with modern data and modeling to improve geothermal discovery and development outcomes. We conduct well tests and build reservoir models to make better calls on well targeting, and field optimization strategy.

Who you are

The Senior Geothermal Reservoir Engineer will play a critical role in understanding and forecasting geothermal reservoir performance and translating that understanding into field development decisions. A successful candidate will:

- Lead - own reservoir engineering workstreams end-to-end: test planning, execution support, interpretation, model updates, and recommendations.

- Model - move fluently between well test interpretation and numerical simulation, and reconcile mismatches between model predictions and field behavior.

- Collaborate - partner closely with geoscience, drilling, facilities, and operations teams to drive alignment and decision quality.

- Teach - raise the technical bar through strong documentation, clear communication, and mentorship across disciplines.

What you’ll do

Well test design, execution support, and interpretation

- Plan and oversee well tests and surveillance programs (production tests, injection tests, pressure transient tests, interference tests, falloff/step-rate tests, spinner/PTS campaigns, and tracer tests as appropriate).

- Provide real-time support during tests and interpret results post-test (e.g., permeability-thickness, skin, boundaries, connectivity, injectivity/productivity, and reservoir pressure trends).

- Build repeatable analysis workflows, templates, and QC checks so results are trustworthy and comparable across wells and campaigns.

History matching and integrated reservoir/wellbore modeling

- Build, calibrate, and maintain reservoir models that match observed field history (rates, pressures, temperatures/enthalpy, injectivity/productivity, and tracer/connectivity signals).

- Perform sensitivity and uncertainty analysis; communicate what is known vs. uncertain and what data would most reduce uncertainty.

Forecasting, development planning, and optimization

- Generate production and injectivity forecasts under multiple operational and development scenarios (including uncertainty ranges).

- Evaluate reservoir management strategies (injection allocation, make-up well timing, pump strategies, and remediation options as relevant).

- Translate model outputs into decision-ready recommendations (generation impacts, operational tradeoffs, and key risks).

Data, tooling, and cross-functional communication

- Maintain high-quality operating datasets and ensure completeness and provenance across test data, production/injection data, and well logs.

- Build lightweight analytics (Python/SQL) to automate recurring analyses and monitoring dashboards.

- Present findings via concise memos and reviews; be the owner of the reservoir narrative that leaders and operators can rely on.

What we’re looking for

- B.S. (or higher) in Reservoir Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geoscience, or a related field.

- 4+ years of reservoir engineering experience in geothermal and/or analogous subsurface industries (oil & gas, hydrogeology, CCS), with demonstrated ownership of well tests and reservoir modeling work.

Proven excellence in several of the following technical skills:

- Well testing and surveillance: design and interpretation of PTA (build-up, falloff/step-rate), interference/connectivity tests, injectivity/productivity, and tracer-based diagnostics; strong data QC.

- Numerical simulation: develop and update geothermal reservoir models with wellbore models; calibrate against field data and integrate geologic constraints into conceptual and numerical models.

- History matching: ability to adjust parameters systematically, understand non-uniqueness, and communicate uncertainty and model limitations.

- Forecasting: scenario-based production and injectivity forecasts tied to operational constraints; translate results into actionable field recommendations.

- Cross-functional communication: write clear technical memos, present tradeoffs, and collaborate effectively with operations, drilling, and facilities teams.

- Nice-to-haves: reservoir-surface network integration; probabilistic history matching/optimization workflows; fluency in Python and SQL.

Location and Benefits

- The position is based out of our headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a hybrid position with periodic travel (~15-30%) to operating geothermal assets.

Benefits include:

- Paid holidays

- 18 days PTO + PTO accrual increase based on tenure

- Medical, dental and vision coverage

- 401k Stock options

- Paid Parental Leave

- Growth opportunities at a company with a direct impact in displacing carbon emissions

Equal Opportunity Employer

Zanskar is an equal-opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practice laws.