Full job description
The successful candidate for this position may be eligible for a starting salary up to (Step D value) depending on qualifications and current State of Alaska employment status.
What You Will Be Doing
The Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys is seeking an advanced geologist with expertise in hyperspectral geoscience and technology to lead a new hyperspectral scanning program at the Division's Geologic Materials Center (GMC). The program manager will conduct original scientific research, provide hands-on oversight of technological operations, lead data analysis, processing, and interpretation, publish spectral data and results, generate internal and external funding, develop collaborative projects and partnerships, and support the State of Alaska goals to enhance understanding of geology and resource systems. This challenging but exciting position involves leading a high-level research program using the extensive GMC sample inventory and scanning technology to create detailed digital representations of drill cores.
Mission and Culture
The Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys is working to determine the potential of Alaskan land for the production of minerals, fuels, and geothermal resources, the locations and supplies of groundwater and construction material, and the potential geologic hazards to buildings, roads, bridges, and other installations (AS 41.08.020). The goal is to increase understanding of Alaska's geologic history, stimulate public interest, and connect the state's largest geologic collections to research, industry, and education communities. The program manager will contribute to a portfolio of Alaska geologic information, highlighting resource development opportunities and helping grow Alaska's economy.
Benefits of Joining Our Team
The Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys provides great on-the-job training, flexible work hours, and collaboration with passionate colleagues. Staff are encouraged to learn and grow through work experiences, knowledge-sharing, and structured training sessions. The hyperspectral program lead is part of a dedicated team supporting the local and global resource industry, government researchers, and academia in studying Alaska's geology. Internal work involves collaboration with scanning and core library teams, mineral and energy experts, and guidance from the State Geologist. External relationships include partnerships with mining and energy professionals, federal and state agencies, universities, and companies offering hyperspectral services. The program manager plays a vital role in studying Alaska's geological history, both locally and globally.
The Working Environment You Can Expect
Located at the Geologic Materials Center in Anchorage, Alaska, this full-time permanent position offers a balanced workday, including program management, core scanning, data analysis, staff training, hardware support, and skills development. The facility in northeast Anchorage provides ample parking, outdoor space for walking, bike trails, and proximity to food vendors. The 100,000 square-foot center holds 6 million pounds of rock samples for geologic research and education. Employees enjoy a standard 37.5-hour workweek, vacation time, health care benefits, and retirement savings options.
Who We Are Looking For
The chosen candidate will lead a new scientific program overseeing all operational, budgetary, and developmental aspects. Responsibilities include staff training, protocol and documentation development, data management, hardware maintenance and troubleshooting, addressing software needs, facilitating publication, and directing geoscience research focusing on Alaska's geological systems. They will utilize hyperspectral and digitally captured data to enhance understanding of Alaskan geological systems while fostering collaborations and securing new funding sources. This role will benefit from previous experience with hyperspectral scanner hardware, Alaska geology knowledge, and hyperspectral data applications. The GMC system will combine HySpex VNIR-1800 and SWIR-640 cameras with HyperCam Mini MWIR and LWIR cameras from Telops, covering a wide spectral range of 400-12,500nm.
Minimum Qualifications
A master's degree from an accredited college in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geologic engineering, engineering geology, or any of their subdivisions/sub-disciplines, including mining engineering.
AND
Five years of advanced professional experience in a geology subdivision/sub-discipline of a geoscience discipline as stated above. This experience is met by service as a Geologist 3 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer.
OR
Three years of multiple major project manager and senior geology research experience, coordinating technical team work in geological disciplines and sub-disciplines. This experience is met by service as a Geologist 4 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer.
OR
A doctorate degree from an accredited college in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, geologic engineering, engineering geology, or any of their subdivisions/sub-disciplines, including mining engineering.
AND
Three years of advanced professional experience in a geology subdivision/sub-discipline of a geoscience discipline as stated above. This experience is met by service as a Geologist 3 with the State of Alaska or the equivalent with another employer.
Contact Information
Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance
Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. For specific information about this position, please get in touch with the hiring manager at the following:
Kurt Johnson
Curator
Phone: 907.754.3597
Email: