Nuclear Waste Services has a vacancy for a Senior Geologist to join its busy team.
Direct report to the Lead of Site Understanding/Site Descriptive Models. As the programme of work expands and evolves, the role will have direct responsibility for leading a small team of discipline specific geoscientists (eg hydrogeologist, geologist, geotechnical engineers, geological modeller etc).
The role will work in parallel with the Senior Geologist for the East Coast Community Partnerships (Southern North Sea) and will have close liaison and interaction with Geological Investigation Managers, Chief Geologist, Geophysical Experts, Data Management Experts, Post-Closure Safety Specialists and Engineering Managers.
The role will have extensive external liaison with the supply chain, who will be undertaking the majority of the work to deliver the SDM for the Community Partnerships and the component geoscientific studies.
As the Lead Geologist for the West Coast Site Descriptive Models (SDM), this role will provide technical oversight, management, and delivery of the subsurface understanding for the West Coast Search Area. This will include:
- Specifying and delivering tasks/projects to address gaps in geoscientific understanding and to address areas of geological uncertainty. This will include a range of studies from 2D/3D seismic interpretation, basin analysis, well interpretation, structural geology, stratigraphy and core/sample analysis
- Integrating the understanding obtained from these studies to update site specific conceptual understanding and communicate this understanding through the SDM discipline specific reports
- Creating and delivering products that support Engineering design feasibility and Safety Case assessments
Leading a team of different specialists including geologists, geophysicists, petrophysicists, hydrogeologists and geotechnical engineers to deliver specific geological studies to inform geological understanding of the West Coast areas of interest:
- Responsible for preparing the geological aspects of technical specifications suitable for procuring geoscientific studies, needed to meet the site-specific design, safety and environmental assessment information requirements. This is likely to include geological and geophysical studies, including seismic data processing and interpretation, regional geological analysis, wireline log interpretation, core/sample analysis and geological modelling.
- Technically direct and manage the delivery of commissioned studies including responsibility for interaction with the supply chain in their delivery.
Responsible for the delivery of SDMs for the West Coast Community Partnerships, specifically:
- Work closely with the supply chain to deliver the SDM to ensure the sub-surface understanding of the area meets the needs and requirements for engineering and post-closure safety teams to undertake their design and assessment.
- Oversee the integration of the outcomes of commissioned studies into the site understanding
- Work closely with the supply chain in specifying and assuring the discipline specific SDM reports for the West Coast Community Partnership areas (geology, hydrogeology and geotechnical).
- Author the integrated summary SDM report for the West Coast Community Partnership areas
Technical authority on the geology of the West Coast providing input as required to:
- Comparative site assessments undertaken by the Site Evaluation Team
- The development of the Site Characterisation Plans in inform regulatory submissions to drill boreholes
- Community Partnership events
In addition, the post-holder will undertake other activities commensurate with their skills and experience as and when required, such as the coaching and mentoring of geoscientific staff.
- Good first degree in earth science or relevant science
- Chartered membership status (or working towards it) in relevant professional institute.
- Expertise in geological model development and their use in evaluating the subsurface potential for storage, disposal or resource extraction
- Experience of leading geoscience teams and projects.
- Significant experience and knowledge of the range of geological data acquisition, processing, modelling and interpretation techniques available to characterise the geological aspects of sites in both onshore and inshore settings.
- Expertise in the interpretation of onshore and offshore seismic data, including both 2D and 3D data.
- Expertise in the interpretation of well/borehole data, including the evaluation of downhole petrophysical data and physical samples (core/cuttings).
- Expertise in the use and interpretation of GIS systems and data.
- Experience in geoscientific data and model uncertainty quantification and reporting.
- Significant experience in the technical authorship of geological reports.
- Experience in contract management of geological investigation works and studies.
- Candidates should possess a demonstrable passion and enthusiasm for the wide range of approaches and methods to characterise the geology of sites. The candidate should also be able to provide evidence of a commitment to continuing professional development and show a willingness to keep abreast of innovations in geological evaluation techniques and geoscientific studies that may create opportunities for NWS.
- Strong interpersonal skills, willingness to educate and promote the geological aspects of site characterisation among both geoscientists and non-geoscientists across NWS and ability to act as a credible “ambassador” for NWS with external bodies
- On appointment to an RWM, full-time staff are entitled to a generous annual holiday allowance of 38 days’ annual leave. LLWR up to 43 days in addition to a buy/sell scheme
- Rewarding performance (bonus scheme)
- We offer a generous above average pension scheme
- learning and development support
- payment of relevant annual professional subscriptions
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Financial advice assistance
- Flexible working
- Extended family-friendly policies
- Cycle to work scheme
- We welcome flexible and agile working practices
- Flexible working requests can be submitted from day 1 of employment
We value the unique differences that each of our colleagues bring to work every day and are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels respected, included and able to perform at their best. We are committed to creating a workplace that is diverse and inclusive. We value the diversity of our people and actively seek to have a workforce that represents the rich diversity of the communities we support. Currently we are underrepresented in some areas, and would particularly welcome applicants from Women, Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities, LGBTQ+ and candidates who have a disability.
In promoting equal opportunities, we welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We select people according to their abilities and our needs. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet all of the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of disabled candidates who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.