Water Resources Hydrogeologist

Must take a personal and active approach to health, safety, and environment and understand and follow all state, federal, and company health, safety, and environmental requirements applicable to the work area and tasks assigned.

The role of the Water Resources Hydrogeologist is to provide technical water resources and hydrogeologic expertise and supervision in support of all new development project activities. A key responsibility is to identify, evaluate, and secure sustainable surface-water and/or groundwater supplies for new energy development projects—including natural gas generation, clean coal technology with carbon capture (CCUS), and solar—supporting site selection, permitting, and construction.

The role will also perform project planning, scheduling, and budgeting. The position will either lead or be a member of project teams accomplishing the work, from design and permitting through construction completion and into ongoing operations. The role has no direct reports at hire; the incumbent will direct outside hydrogeologic and engineering consultants and coordinate closely with in-house and outside water rights counsel.

• Plan, organize, and manage drilling programs to collect hydrogeologic and geologic data, including monitoring, test, and production wells.
• Supervise drilling, aquifer testing, and geophysical logging activities.
• Prepare hydrogeologic conceptual site models to support water supply planning and well field design.
• Perform hydrologic modeling and support the design of wastewater process channels, culverts, ponds, other hydraulic structures, erosion protection, and sediment control.
• Take the lead to identify, evaluate, and secure sustainable surface-water and groundwater supplies and associated water rights for new energy development projects, including natural gas generation, clean coal technology with carbon capture (CCUS), and solar, working with outside hydrogeologic consultants and water rights counsel as needed.
• Assess water availability and supply risk for proposed power generation sites, including cooling, process, and steam-cycle water needs, as well as the additional makeup and cooling water required for carbon capture (CCUS) systems.
• Identify and evaluate water sources across multiple ownership and jurisdictional categories, including Navajo Nation, state, federal, and third-party (private) water rights.
• Navigate and manage the water permitting process for Navajo Nation, state, federal, and private water rights.
• Support Legal in obtaining water agreements with all applicable governmental and third-party entities.
• Build groundwater and hydrologic models to forecast long‑term water yield and reliability under drought and competing‑use scenarios.
• Compile and analyze hydrogeologic and geologic data.
• Prepare maps, cross sections, and written reports as required.
• Provide technical assessments on various hydrologic and geologic issues.
• Prepare, obtain, and manage NPDES/discharge permits and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans (SWPPPs) across the full project lifecycle, from construction through ongoing facility operations, including outfall monitoring, sampling, inspections, reporting, and corrective actions to maintain compliance.
• Travel to development and project sites, as required.

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology, Hydrogeology, Earth Sciences, Water Resources, or Civil or Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline.
• Minimum of five years’ relevant experience in water resources, energy, or mining development, or an equivalent combination of education and experience (a Master’s degree in hydrogeology, water resources, or a related field may substitute for up to two years).
• Experience in groundwater and surface‑water modeling, including competence with groundwater modeling software such as MODFLOW and surface‑water modeling software such as HEC‑HMS.
• Proficient in GIS software (ArcGIS or QGIS) for mapping water sources, well and monitoring locations, and land and water rights ownership boundaries.
• Experience evaluating and securing water supplies and water rights for power generation, industrial, mining, or municipal projects,…