Director of RF Heating

Do Epic Science

TAE is the world’s first private fusion energy company, founded in 1998 to commercialize the cleanest, safest, most affordable, and sustainable form of carbon-free power. We are applying science and engineering to design transformational technologies. Whether it's harnessing fusion through the science of stars, making exponential leaps in power efficiency, or innovating medical care with a novel cancer treatment: We're turning the promise of science into reality.

We’re looking for candidates who are passionate about realizing our mission: A future where all people have affordable access to reliable, abundant, and environmentally friendly fusion-generated electricity.

About the Job

TAE Technologies is seeking a Director of RF Heating to lead the research and development program in radiofrequency plasma heating, a key component of the larger program to develop commercial fusion energy.  The successful candidate will be responsible for the strategic direction and day-to-day leadership of the RF heating projects, spanning present-day operational systems to next-generation, megawatt-class upgrades in both the ion and electron cyclotron frequency ranges (10 MHz and 100 GHz, respectively).  

The RF team is responsible for the R&D, conceptual design work, and physics requirement specifications necessary to develop next-generation high power RF systems for TAE’s demonstration fusion experiment by leveraging low power experiments with present-day systems on the C-2W device and dedicated ancillary test stands.

The Director of RF Heating will work closely with experimental physics, engineering, and computational modeling to ensure RF systems meet performance, reliability, and integration requirements.

About You

• Define and execute the RF heating R&D roadmap, leveraging near-term experimental work to drive long-term system evolution


• Direct experimental work on both RF heating systems to improve heating efficiency and inform future design


• Set technical priorities, milestones, and success metrics for RF heating development programs


• Work closely with theory/computation group to assist with analytical calculations and/or simulations to determine compatibility of RF scheme with plasma parameters


• Develop requirements for RF systems based on sound physics analysis


• Work closely with RF engineers to ensure compatibility of hardware solutions with physics requirements


• Conduct initial tests and prototyping on test bench, as required


• Assist in deployment and commissioning of RF systems


• Fully characterize system performance with experimental diagnosis


• Operate and maintain RF systems; train additional users

Required:

Education:  Ph.D. in Physics or related field

• Experience with RF systems at the MW level


• Experience working on a high temperature fusion experiment and/or with high temperature plasma diagnostic


• General plasma physics laboratory experience, including electronics, high vacuum hygiene, power electronics


• Experience with one or more scientific programming languages (e.g., Python, Matlab, IDL)


• Database interfacing (e.g, MDSplus, MySQL)


• Experience with CAD software (e.g., SolidWorks) and/or COMSOL a plus


• Ability to work independently as well as a member of the RF Team


• Ability to coordinate work across groups, especially physics, engineering, engineering analysis and simulation


• Ability to identify and correct shortcomings in proposals and designs


• Stay abreast of technological developments in the field of RF heating of plasmas and apply those developments to TAE systems

At TAE Technologies, we consider a wide range of factors when making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and job-related knowledge, training; licenses and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements depending on the position offered (non-Sr., Sr., Lead or Manager).

Imagination, skill, and will

We are a diverse team of over 500 engineers, scientists, professionals, Maxwell Prize winners, and big thinkers from more than 40 countries with a track record of delivering on the innovative ways science can lead humanity into a brighter era. We are not afraid to envision a future where fusion and science can transform our world.

What you’ll get with us

• Generous benefits such as Medical, Dental, Vision, 401 (K) with company match, paid vacation + sick time, companywide December holiday, wellness program, parental leave


• Payment rewards: For referring talent, novel research, and patents


• A collaborative environment: An organization where talents and interests can plug in to different groups throughout the organization


• Potential for equity participation


• HQ in Southern California


• Employee events on and off-site


• A commitment to upholding and growing an inclusive organization

Learn more
tae.com
Our podcast Good Clean Energy 
Instagram
LinkedIn

TAE Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.

We ensure all individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us [email protected] to request accommodations or request more information.

Note to Agencies: TAE prefers to hire directly and maintains an existing preferred supplier list. We do not accept speculative CVs or referrals from agencies. If speculative CVs are sent, no fee will be applicable.