Heating Systems Group Lead
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
Summary
Provide technical expertise and managerial leadership for all staff and systems assigned to the Heating Systems Group, including multi-megawatt neutral beam injection systems and radiofrequency (RF) auxiliary heating and pre-ionization systems.
Job description
Heating and Current Drive Engineering (60%)
- Provide technical leadership on operations, maintenance, and configuration management for experimental operations.
- Lead specification of system upgrades, life extension, and modernization, including managing scope, budget, and schedule.
- Provide design support for corrective maintenance of system components, including ion sources, beamlines (dumps, calorimeters, and neutralizers), tetrode and klystron based power supplies, transmission lines, and matching networks.
- Prepare and maintain engineering calculations and systems models to support system control and automation, understand performance limitations, document operational limits, and set alarm thresholds.
- Maintain procedures for operation and maintenance of assigned systems, including maintenance and inspection plans.
- Evaluate data collected during testing, commissioning, and operations to make recommendations for improved design or operational practices.
Group Management and Leadership (20%)
- Lead, manage, and mentor a team of engineers and technical support staff, setting goals and performing performance appraisals.
- Manage budget, resources, and schedules, and apply documentation and procedural standards.
- Plan, organize, and supervise daily work, estimate personnel needs and schedule work to meet complex completion deadlines on assigned projects.
- Foster a culture of responsibility, delegation of tasks, active mentoring, and professional communication.
- Ensure the safety and safety compliance of all assigned staff and maintain constant vigilance for potential safety hazards in restricted and potentially dangerous areas.
- Ensure compliance with environmental, safety, health, and quality program requirements.
Engineering Operations Support (20%)
- Train for operational roles such as NSTX-U Chief Operations Engineer (COE) and Neutral Beam Operations Supervisor.
- Coordinate the startup, routine operation, and shutdown of numerous high power one-of-a-kind pressure, vacuum, and electrical systems.
- Coordinate operation of the NSTX-U device, including initiating each 'pulse'.
- Ensure operations stay within safety basis parameters defined for the facility.
- Respond to fault conditions for NSTX-U operations and safety envelopes.
- Assure proper conduct of operations communications across the operating team.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Nuclear Engineering, Physics, or related field with 12+ years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree with 10+ years of related experience.
- Progressive supervisory, technical, and project management responsibilities, demonstrating the ability to work and make decisions with limited supervision.
- Extensive technical experience with high-power plasma heating technologies: neutralized positive-ion neutral beam injection systems, megawatt-class RF heating (tetrode-based ICRF/HHFW), and/or klystron-based ECH pre-ionization systems.
- Experience with high-voltage pulsed DC power systems (50–120+ kV), high-power modulator/switch systems, and fast equipment protection/arc detection.
- Working knowledge of high-heat-flux component water cooling and high-voltage insulating gas practices.
- Experience developing and executing comprehensive preventative maintenance programs, testing plans, and system operational procedures for complex, high-energy research systems.
- Experience in the preparation of technical documentation such as operational, maintenance, and installation procedures, electrical schematics, and one-line diagrams.
- Knowledge of Lock-Out/Tag-Out (LOTO), confined space entry protocols, and oxygen deficiency hazard controls.
- Strong written and oral communication skills, including proficiency with office suites like MS Office and MS Excel or Google Workspace.
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefit program
- Visa sponsorship available
- Relocation support available
Company overview
Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL) is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory managed by Princeton University, specializing in plasma physics and fusion energy research. Founded in 1951, PPPL has over 70 years of history as a world leader in developing fusion as a sustainable and potentially limitless energy source. The laboratory employs approximately 600-800 scientists, engineers, and operations staff who conduct essential research across a full range of plasma applications. PPPL's primary focus includes advancing spherical tokamak technology through its flagship experiment, the National Spherical Torus Experiment-Upgrade (NSTX-U), which is the largest spherical tokamak in the United States. Beyond fusion energy, the laboratory has diversified its research portfolio to include microelectronics, quantum sensors and devices, and sustainability sciences. PPPL maintains extensive partnerships with academic institutions, industry leaders, and international research organizations, including key involvement in the ITER international fusion experiment in France. With an annual budget of approximately $177 million, the laboratory serves as both a premier research institution and an educational hub, offering the nation's first registered apprenticeship program in fusion energy and engineering.