Principal Geologist

About Endurance

Endurance is building the world's first modular subsea geothermal power plants, converting vast thermal resources under the ocean into gigawatts of baseload power. Backed by Founders Fund, Felicis, First Round Capital, and Point72 Ventures, our founding team includes veterans from SpaceX, Helion, and Robinhood. We have completed multiple deep-ocean deployments and are launching a long-term demonstration project this fall. By leveraging modular design, manufacturing scale, efficient drilling, and latent cooling on the seafloor, we are pioneering a new category of energy that outperforms traditional sources on both environmental impact and cost.

What you'll be doing

As the Principal Geologist at Endurance, you'll be at the forefront of identifying and characterizing the most promising subsea geothermal sites around the globe. You'll combine cutting-edge marine geology techniques with practical drilling operations experience to unlock the vast energy potential beneath the ocean floor. This role requires deep technical expertise in resource drilling and the scrappy, entrepreneurial mindset essential to pioneering an entirely new industry.

You'll wear multiple hats, working directly with our engineering teams to translate geological insights into actionable deployment strategies while also getting your hands dirty with field operations and data collection. In true startup fashion, you'll move fast, make decisions with incomplete information, and adapt quickly as we learn from each deployment. Your geological expertise will be fundamental to our mission of scaling clean energy infrastructure globally, and you'll have the autonomy to shape how we approach subsea geology as the company grows.

Key Responsibilities

• Take ownership of geological and drilling decision-making with limited oversight and tight timelines

• Lead geological site assessment and characterization for subsea geothermal installations along mid-ocean ridges and hydrothermal systems

• Develop drilling strategies and wellbore designs optimized for subsea geothermal energy extraction

• Analyze seafloor geology, heat flow patterns, and hydrothermal fluid characteristics to identify optimal drilling locations

• Interpret geophysical surveys, bathymetric data, and subsurface imaging to map geological structures and thermal anomalies

• Design and oversee geological sampling programs using ROVs, submersibles, and specialized drilling equipment

• Collaborate with marine operations teams to plan and execute subsea drilling campaigns

• Rapidly assess geological risks including seismic activity, seafloor stability, and thermal system variability

• Create geological models to predict long-term reservoir performance and system sustainability

• Support environmental impact assessments and regulatory permitting processes

• Work across multiple disciplines - from geology to engineering to business development - as needed to move projects forward

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Geology, or Petroleum Engineering or related discipline (MS or PhD preferred).

• Direct experience with drilling operations, including oil and gas, geothermal systems (including EGS), and/or deep water wells (2,000+ ft.). Demonstrated track record managing drilling projects with cumulative budgets in the $10M - $100M+ range.

• Familiarity with drilling techniques, wellbore design, and completion techniques

• 4+ years of experience in the subsurface fluid resource sector (oil and gas, solution mining, or geothermal); experience at an operator strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to manage project budgets and control costs.

• Experience interpreting geophysical data, (seismic, magnetics, etc.), well logs, and other subsurface geological information.

• Background in hydrothermal systems, volcanic geology, or geothermal resource assessment

• Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with minimal structure and maximum autonomy

• Comfortable making critical geological decisions with incomplete data and tight deadlines

• Strong bias toward action and hands-on problem solving

• Excellent adaptability and willingness to tackle challenges outside traditional geological scope

Preferred Skills

• Offshore geoscience operations, including field experience on research vessels or offshore drilling platforms

• Experience with ROV/AUV operations and subsea geological sampling techniques

• Knowledge of reservoir engineering principles and geothermal fluid dynamics

• Understanding of seafloor drilling systems (riserless drilling, seafloor templates, subsea wellheads)

• Experience with geological risk assessment for offshore energy projects

• Background in structural geology, tectonics, or volcanology

Benefits & Perks

• Global Fieldwork: Travel to fascinating deployment sites along oceanic ridges in locations like the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, and the Azores

• Hands-on Experience: Participate in sea trials and deployment operations in partnership with leading oceanographic institutions

• Cutting-edge Development: Work with technology that spans high-power electronics, marine systems, and clean energy

• Impactful Work: Help solve one of the world's most pressing challenges

• Competitive Compensation: Comprehensive salary and equity packages

• Benefits: Vision, Dental, Health insurance coverage

• Dive Certification: Company-sponsored recreational dive certification