Data Scientist
AE Studio- Full Time
- Junior (1 to 2 years)
This role focuses on developing state-of-the-art instruments for data collection to guide mineral exploration programs. You will be responsible for simulating, characterizing, and calibrating sensor performance, and designing new data acquisition systems. Collaboration with vendors and partners will be key in building hardware and deploying it in the field with operations staff.
You will also build models and apply scientific computing, statistical, and physics-based methods to identify and predict ore-grade mineralization locations using sensor data and other sources at KoBold. This involves contributing to a worldwide dataset for exploration programs, with a strong emphasis on identifying and quantifying uncertainty in data and predictions. The ultimate goal is to accelerate the discovery of critical battery metals by creating models and developing software.
You will join a talented team of data scientists and engineers, working closely with world-renowned geoscientists to integrate their understanding of ore deposit formation processes. This collaboration will involve identifying new opportunities and technologies for geophysical data collection, creating geologic predictions, identifying exploration targets, designing field programs, and using data to refine predictions and guide future fieldwork.
Ultimately, your contribution will be to help KoBold make valuable discoveries by building and deploying next-generation hardware and utilizing data tools to solve scientific challenges. As an early member of the team, you will play a crucial role in building these tools from the ground up.
The mining industry faces significant challenges in discovering new ore deposits, requiring substantially more capital compared to 30 years ago due to the depletion of easily accessible, near-surface deposits. The industry has historically under-invested in new exploration technology, relying on outdated manual techniques despite the escalating demand for copper, lithium, and other metals essential for electric vehicles, renewable energy, and data centers.
KoBold is at the forefront of innovation, building AI models for mineral exploration and deploying these models alongside novel sensors to guide KoBold-owned-and-operated exploration programs. In its six years of operation, KoBold has emerged as the leading independent mineral exploration company and the largest exploration technology developer. Our data scientists and software engineers, drawn from top technology companies, collaborate closely with our esteemed exploration geologists to lead exploration programs.
KoBold has successfully demonstrated its first discovery, achieving this with significantly less capital than the industry average. This discovery includes one of the best copper deposits ever found, characterized by a copper concentration far exceeding the global average for copper mines, with the potential to generate substantial revenue for decades. KoBold manages a portfolio of over 60 additional projects, each holding the potential for high-quality discoveries.
KoBold is a privately held company with a distinguished investor base, including institutional asset managers like T. Rowe Price and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, technology venture capitalists such as Andreessen Horowitz, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, BOND Capital, and Standard Investments, and natural resources companies including Equinor, BHP, and Mitsubishi.
AI-driven mineral exploration for clean energy
KoBold Metals focuses on discovering new deposits of essential minerals like lithium, cobalt, copper, and nickel, which are crucial for clean energy technologies. The company employs artificial intelligence to enhance the mineral exploration process, making it more efficient and predictable. Their proprietary AI tool utilizes a concept known as Efficacy of Information (EOI) to guide data collection during exploration, helping to reduce uncertainty. KoBold invests over $60 million annually in more than 60 projects across three continents, leading extensive research and development efforts in the field. Unlike traditional exploration methods, KoBold aggregates comprehensive data about the Earth's crust's physics and chemistry, allowing for a more scientific approach to mineral discovery. The company's goal is to locate and sell mineral deposits to clean energy companies, providing them with the necessary resources while maintaining a competitive advantage in the market.