Principal Geologist (Geothermal)

Location: Seattle, WA; on-site

Salary: $160K–$200K per year, plus equity

Company

hirify.global is a pre-revenue startup developing modular subsea geothermal power plants that convert deep-ocean thermal resources into baseload power.

What you will do

• Lead geological site assessment and characterization for subsea geothermal installations along mid-ocean ridges and hydrothermal systems.
• Develop drilling strategies and wellbore designs for subsea geothermal energy extraction.
• Interpret seafloor geology, heat flow, hydrothermal fluids, geophysical surveys, bathymetric data, well logs, and subsurface imaging.
• Design and oversee geological sampling programs using ROVs, submersibles, and specialized drilling equipment.
• Collaborate with marine operations teams on subsea drilling campaigns, field operations, and data collection.
• Assess seismic, seafloor stability, thermal, environmental, and regulatory risks while modeling long-term reservoir performance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Geology, Petroleum Engineering, or a related discipline; an MS or PhD is preferred.
• 4+ years of experience in the subsurface fluid resource sector, including oil and gas, solution mining, or geothermal; operator experience is preferred.
• Direct drilling operations experience, including oil and gas, geothermal systems, or deep-water wells over 2,000 feet.
• Experience managing drilling projects with cumulative budgets of $10M–$100M+ and controlling project costs.
• Familiarity with drilling, wellbore design, completion techniques, geophysical interpretation, hydrothermal systems, volcanic geology, or geothermal resource assessment.
• Ability to make critical geological decisions with incomplete data, tight deadlines, limited oversight, and a high level of autonomy.

Nice to have

• Offshore geoscience experience on research vessels or drilling platforms.
• ROV/AUV operations and subsea geological sampling experience.
• Knowledge of reservoir engineering, geothermal fluid dynamics, seafloor drilling systems, subsea wellheads, structural geology, tectonics, or volcanology.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time employees receive competitive base salary, meaningful equity, and health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Flexible PTO and 12 paid company holidays.
• Global fieldwork and deployment opportunities in locations including the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and the Azores.
• Participation in sea trials and deployment operations with oceanographic institutions.
• Company-sponsored recreational dive certification, access to a company boat, free meals, and snacks.

Hiring process

• Selected candidates will discuss the role and compensation details with a recruiter.