Hydrogeologist – In-Situ Recovery (m/w/d)

About Hades

Hades is a modern mining company on a mission to transform how the world accesses critical resources and energy. Founded in 2025, we’re developing ultra-deep drilling technologies that push the limits of what’s possible underground. Based in Munich, we’ve raised €20M in pre-seed and seed funding from leading European resilience investors. We’re now building a world-class team to bring this vision to life.

Why Join Hades?

At Hades, you'll be part of a high-growth, high-impact deep-tech startup making a tangible difference. Our mission is critical: to secure sovereignty for Europe through the responsible and efficient extraction of vital materials and energy. We offer:

• Impactful Work: Contribute directly to solving global challenges related to resource scarcity and energy independence.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Work at the forefront of ultra-deep drilling, leveraging advanced engineering and innovative approaches.
• Growth Potential: Join a rapidly expanding company with significant opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Dynamic Environment: Thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and entrepreneurial setting in the heart of Munich.
• Purpose-Driven Mission: Be part of a team dedicated to a sustainable and secure future for Europe.

The Role

You own the hydrogeological understanding behind Hades' In-Situ Recovery (ISR/ISL) business line. ISR only works if fluids go where the model says they go — through the ore, and nowhere else. Your job is to make sure they do.
Working closely with our Senior ISR Engineer, you characterise aquifers and ore-hosting formations, build the groundwater and reactive-transport models that drive wellfield design, and define the monitoring that proves hydraulic control to regulators. Because Hades' drilling technology targets deeper, harder and less permeable host rocks than conventional sandstone-hosted ISR, much of this work goes beyond established playbooks: fractured and low-permeability systems, stimulated permeability, and deep aquifers with little existing data.

Responsibilities 

• Site characterisation: Build conceptual hydrogeological models of target deposits — aquifer geometry, confining units, permeability and porosity distribution, fracture networks, groundwater flow and baseline chemistry.
• Field testing: Plan, supervise and interpret pumping, injection, packer, slug and tracer tests; derive hydraulic parameters and quantify their uncertainty.
• Numerical modelling: Develop and calibrate groundwater flow and transport models (MODFLOW, FEFLOW) and couple them with geochemical and reactive-transport codes (PHREEQC, PHT3D, TOUGHREACT) to predict lixiviant sweep, recovery and excursion risk.
• Wellfield design support: Translate model results into well spacing, patterns, injection/production balances and bleed rates that maintain hydraulic containment.
• Monitoring and hydraulic control: Design monitoring-well networks, excursion detection criteria and data-management workflows; analyse monitoring data during pilot operation.
• Groundwater restoration: Define restoration targets and strategies (groundwater sweep, reverse osmosis, reductant addition) and predict post-closure groundwater quality.
• Permitting: Prepare the hydrogeological basis for permit applications and environmental impact assessments, and represent it in discussions with authorities and water agencies.
• Technology integration: Work with Hades' drilling and engineering teams to specify well completions, borehole requirements and permeability-enhancement concepts for hard-rock ISR.

Qualifications

Essential:

• MSc or PhD in hydrogeology, geosciences, environmental or civil engineering with a hydrogeology focus
• 3+ years of professional hydrogeology experience, ideally in mining, ISR/ISL, geothermal, or deep-aquifer projects
• Hands-on experience designing and interpreting hydraulic tests (pumping, injection, packer, tracer)
• Strong numerical groundwater modelling skills in MODFLOW and/or FEFLOW, including calibration and uncertainty analysis
• Solid understanding of hydrogeochemistry and water–rock interaction
• Familiarity with groundwater protection and permitting frameworks (e.g. EU Water Framework Directive, German water and mining law)
• Fluent English, written and spoken
• Willingness to relocate to the Munich area and to travel to field sites

Preferred:

• Direct ISR/ISL experience (uranium, copper or other commodities), including wellfield monitoring or restoration
• Reactive-transport modelling (PHREEQC, PHT3D, TOUGHREACT, GoldSim)
• Experience with fractured, low-permeability or deep crystalline aquifers
• Scripting for data analysis and model automation (Python, FloPy, PEST)
• German language skills
• Comfort working in an early-stage team where methods are still being defined

Why Hades?

We offer

• An opportunity to make a huge impact on the future of Europe by increasing resilience and providing a path to resource and energy sovereignty
• A human-centered company culture with super nice and supportive colleagues
• A great sense of community through team events and fun in and outside the office
• Highly competitive compensation and benefits package

If you are passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology and contributing to a more sustainable future, we encourage you to apply now.