Burning Plasma Scientist

Number of employees

84

Kearny, NJ, USA

Posted on: 2026-03-01

Category: energy

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Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Thea Energy is building an economical and scalable fusion energy system utilizing arrays of mass manufacturable magnets and dynamic software controls. Commercial fusion energy can uniquely provide a abundant source of zero-emission power for a sustainable future. Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in computation and controls to reinvent the stellarator, a scientifically mature form of magnetic fusion technology. Thea Energy was founded in 2022 as a spin-out of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Princeton University, where the stellarator was originally invented. Thea Energy is currently designing its first integrated fusion system, Eos, based on its planar coil stellarator architecture which will produce fusion neutrons at scale and in steady-state.

About Thea Energy:  
Thea Energy is leveraging recent breakthroughs in stellarator physics and engineering to create a faster and simpler approach to commercializing fusion energy. The company is reinventing the stellarator using computer-controlled arrays of planar coils thereby replacing the intricate, complex modular magnets required in all other stellarator architectures. Thea Energy is on a mission to create a limitless source of zero emission energy for a sustainable future.  

Position Overview:
Thea Energy is looking for a highly motivated Burning Plasma Scientist to join our Physics team, focusing on modeling energetic particle confinement and transport. In this role, you will run high-fidelity simulations and pioneer the use of Machine Learning surrogates to accelerate our design cycles. You will work directly with our optimization team to ensure our magnetic topologies manage fast-ion loss and heat loads effectively.

It’s not necessary to meet all of the skillsets outlined above. Please feel free to send us a note and tell us why you would still be a great fit for this role or Thea Energy.  
  
Diversity and Inclusion:  
Thea Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a company of diverse backgrounds. By creating a diverse environment, we will bring new ideas and approaches to solving some of the world’s hardest (and most important) problems. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, family or marital status, age, disability, veteran’s status, or other characteristic protected by applicable laws and regulations.

Key Responsibility Areas:

  • Execute and analyze high-fidelity simulations using particle-following codes to assess alpha particle and neutral beam ion confinement in 3D magnetic geometries
  • Investigate Alfvén Eigenmode (AE) stability using kinetic-MHD hybrid codes and assess their impact on energetic particle transport
  • Develop reduced-order models and ML surrogates trained on simulation databases to enable real-time prediction of pressure profiles
  • Collaborate with the engineering team to iterate on coil designs and divertor configurations to minimize fast-ion losses
  • Develop synthetic diagnostics (e.g. Fast-Ion Loss Detectors, Neutron Cameras) to bridge the gap between our models and future experimental campaigns
  • Ideal Experience & Skillsets:

  • PhD in Plasma Physics, Computational Physics, or related field (or Master’s / Bachelor’s with equivalent research experience)
  • Proficiency in programming languages commonly used in scientific computing (e.g. Python, Fortran, C++, or MATLAB)
  • Creative problem solving and proven ability to thrive in collaborative environments such as startups or research groups
  • Willingness to collaborate with a diverse team of scientists and engineers within the company and externally
  • Passion for advancing the field of fusion energy research

  • Familiarity with kinetic, MHD or particle-following codes
  • Experience developing Machine Learning surrogates for physical systems
  • Familiarity with energetic particle diagnostics
  • Company Benefits:

  • Salary range $135,000-$210,000
  • Comprehensive health benefits (e.g. medical/dental/vision)
  • Employee equity stock options
  • 20 days PTO
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    Thea Energy logo
    USA
    Thea Energy logo
    USA
    Thea Energy logo
    USA
    Number of employees

    84

    Full time
    Energy
    Thea Energy logo
    USA
    Number of employees

    84

    Full time
    Energy