[Remote] Postdoctoral Scholar — AI Researcher for Critical Mineral Discovery

Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. KoBold Metals is collaborating with Stanford Mineral-X on a fully funded 3-year postdoctoral fellowship focused on developing new methods for critical mineral exploration. The role involves applying AI and advanced geophysical techniques to discover and characterize mineral deposits using real exploration data.ResponsibilitiesDevelop stochastic and ensemble inversion frameworks that jointly assimilate muon flux, seismic (active-source, passive, DAS), magnetics, gravity, and EM data into 3D subsurface property models with calibrated uncertaintyForward modeling, sensor placement optimization, and inversion of cosmic-ray muon attenuation data from borehole and surface detectors to constrain ore body density at depthApply deep generative models, geostatistical priors, and physics-informed neural networks to regional-to-deposit-scale targeting and resource estimationBuild pipelines that respect geological process constraints rather than purely data-driven correlationsExtend Mineral-X’s intelligent agent framework to sequential data acquisition decisions (drill hole placement, geophysical survey design) that maximize information value per dollarSkillsPhD (fully completed, and within 4 years of graduation) in physics, applied physics, geophysics, computational earth sciences, machine learning, applied mathematics, or related fieldStrong Python proficiency (NumPy, PyTorch or JAX, scientific stack); experience with HPC, GPU computing, and reproducible research workflowsTrack record of publishing in peer-reviewed venues and willingness to engage directly with industry collaborators and field dataDemonstrated research output in at least two of: geophysical inversion, Bayesian/probabilistic methods, deep learning, particle physics detection, or seismic imagingExperience with muon transport simulation (GEANT4, CORSIKA), distributed acoustic sensing, or full-waveform inversionFamiliarity with mineral systems, ore deposit geology, or exploration workflowsPrior work with diffusion models, normalizing flows, or generative modelsBenefitsMedical, dental, vision, and conference travel supportCompany OverviewKoBold Metals is an AI-powered critical mineral startup that discovers essential materials for electric vehicles and renewable energy. It was founded in 2018, and is headquartered in Berkeley, California, USA, with a workforce of 51-200 employees. Its website is https://www.koboldmetals.com.Company H1B SponsorshipKoBold Metals has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 1 in 2026, 1 in 2023. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.