Postdoctoral Researcher (f_m_x) – Adaptive Digital Twin Prototypes for EGS Systems

Role: Postdoctoral Researcher (f_m_x) – Adaptive Digital Twin Prototypes for EGS Systems
Organisation: GFZ Helmholtz-Zentrum für Geoforschung, Germany

Role Overview:
GFZ is Germany's national centre for solid Earth research, part of the Helmholtz Association. Within the EU-funded project UPLIFT (Unlocking Petrothermal Lithologies through Innovative Fracture Technologies) in section 4.5 "Subsurface Modelling" (department “Geosystems”), the position involves developing high-fidelity, adaptive Digital Twin (DT) prototypes of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). The role supports the planning of field operations and demonstrates near-real-time simulations of stimulation treatments and system responses via an AI-physics-based surrogate DT.

Responsibilities:
- Collect and coordinate with partners available data on local geology, material properties, and boundary conditions of the investigated site.
- Integrate data into a multi-physics reservoir simulator to provide a high-fidelity and physically-realistic digital representation of the reservoir’s thermo-hydro-mechanical response.
- Validate the model against operational data from project partners.
- Construct a representative data set of expected system variability to train and validate a physics-preserving AI-driven surrogate model for real-time use in the field demonstrator.
- Use the surrogate model to identify the most influential parameters and properties to quantify resulting system uncertainties, informing and steering stimulation strategies for the targeted reservoir.
- Ensure seamless integration (input) of acquired field data into the simulation environment to help identify best operation practices.
- Ensure seamless integration (output) of DT results to the operations team and seismic team to assist optimal and flexible control algorithms to steer field experiments.

Requirements and Qualifications:
Essential Qualifications:
- Master's degree and PhD in Earth, Environmental or Physical Sciences, or in a related field.
- Advanced expertise in numerical modelling (specifically relevant for thermal hydraulic and mechanical reservoir analysis) and complex simulation environments (familiarity with HPC concepts is an asset).
- Familiarity with basic coding concepts (e.g., basic control and data structures, object-oriented programming, troubleshooting and debugging) specifically for C++ and Python (Julia) programming languages.
- Demonstrated capacity for international teamwork and excellent communication skills.

Desirable Qualifications:
- Creative and critical thinking, and the ability to publish, demonstrated by a record of original and innovative publications.
- Proficiency in spoken and written English. German language skills are useful but not required.
- Excellent communication skills.

What They Offer:
- Ambitious and varied tasks in a dynamic and international research environment.
- State-of-the-art equipment.
- Public service benefits.
- Extensive training opportunities.
- Professional career advice offered by the in-house Career-Centre.
- Flexible working hours and conditions.
- Support with finding a good work-life balance offered by benefit@work.
- Institute day-care centre on site.
- Working at the Albert Einstein Science Park on the Telegrafenberg in Potsdam.
- Workplace within walking distance of Potsdam main train station, or just a short ride on the shuttle bus.

Contract Details:
- Start date: As soon as possible.
- Duration: Fixed-term, 36 months.
- Salary: Classed as salary group 13 according to “TVöD Bund (Tarifgebiet Ost)”, determined on the basis of the Collective Wage Agreement and respective personal qualifications.
- Working hours: Full-time (currently 39 h/week); generally suitable for part-time work.
- Place of work: Potsdam, Germany.