Research Associate in Fractured Rock Hydrology

Research Associate in Fractured Rock Hydrology
Imperial College London
Department of Earth Science and Engineering

A fixed term post for up to 36 months
Salary: £32,750 per annum

The Department of Earth Science and Engineering at Imperial College has an opening for a
Research Associate to work on Work Package 1 of the “HydroFrame” radioactive waste
disposal project. This project, a collaboration between Imperial College, the University of
Leeds, and the University of Birmingham, is funded by the UK Natural Environment
Research Council (NERC), the UK Environment Agency (EA), and the UK Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority (NDA), as part of the RATE Programme (Radioactivity and the
Environment).

The main aim of Work Package 1 is to develop analytical methodologies for quantitatively
estimating the macroscopic-scale hydraulic transmissivity of three-dimensional fracture
networks. The emphasis will be on geologically realistic fracture networks such as are
observed in outcrops, or which are generated by geomechanically rigorous finiteelement/
discrete-element codes. The successful candidate will collaborate closely with a
multidisciplinary team, and will be expected to regularly publish papers in international
refereed journals, and to give presentations at relevant international conferences.
Applicants should hold a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant area of Earth Science, Petroleum
Engineering, or Civil Engineering. They should have a strong basic knowledge of rock
mechanics and hydrology, and experience in using hydrological and hydro-geomechanical
codes. Experience in programming in an object-oriented language is also advantageous.
Applicants must have excellent communication skills, be able to organise their own work with
minimal supervision, and to prioritise their work to meet deadlines. Preference will be given
to applicants with a proven research record and publications in relevant areas. All applicants
must be fluent in spoken and written English.

The successful candidate will be part of the Petroleum Engineering and Rock Mechanics
Group in the Department of Earth Science and Engineering, and will work under the
supervision of Professor Robert Zimmerman, and in collaboration with Dr Adriana Paluszny
and Professor John Cosgrove.

Applications can be submitted online via our website at the following link:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/employment (please select “Job Search” and enter the job
reference EN20140067FH). Please complete and upload an application form as directed,
and submit any other relevant supporting documents, such as your full CV.
If you have any queries please contact Mrs Darakshan Khan (d.khan@imperial.ac.uk)
Closing date: 6 April 2014

Committed to equality and valuing diversity. Imperial is also an Athena Silver SWAN Award
winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and a Two Ticks Employer.