Plasma Physicist

NordSpace Corp.; Canada; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NordSpace is a Canadian startup seeking a senior Plasma Physicist to own the physics of in-space electric propulsion systems, from discharge design to thruster qualification on test stands. You will lead plasma-physics decisions, run diagnostics, and translate results into spacecraft integration guidance.

You will build and apply plasma models, define performance envelopes, and oversee vacuum-chamber test campaigns, with heavy emphasis on model validation, mission-level delta-v budgeting, and

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in plasma physics or related field.
• Hands-on experience with electric propulsion devices, especially Hall thrusters.
• Strong modelling and programming skills in Python and a compiled language such as C++ or Fortran.

Responsibilities

• Own the plasma-physics design of Hall effect thrusters and related electric propulsion concepts.
• Develop and apply plasma models to predict discharge behaviour, ionization, and plume structure.
• Define and defend performance envelopes and link them to physical mechanisms; lead trade studies across thruster classes.

Skills

Electric propulsion experience

Python

C++

Fortran

Plasma modelling

Experimental vacuum work

Education

PhD in Plasma Physics or related field

Masters degree with relevant experience

Tools

FEMM

COMSOL

ANSYS Maxwell

Job description

NordSpace (https://nordspace.com) is a Canadian startup with the mission to advance life on Earth, from space. NordSpace is committed to extremely rapid innovation and development of the most ambitious aerospace projects with the most ambitious team. With divisions spanning everything fromspace robotics to satellites torockets,NordSpace is driven to bring space closer to Earth and inspire generations of space explorers.

About the Role

As a Plasma Physicist on the Electric Propulsion team, you will own the physics of NordSpace’s in-space electric propulsion systems, from discharge design and plasma modelling through to thruster qualification on the test stand. You will lead the plasma-physics case for our Hall effect thruster line, setting magnetic field topology, channel geometry, and cathode and neutralizer design, and grounding those choices in simulation and measurement rather than heritage scaling alone. You will build and run the plasma diagnostics capability that turns vacuum-chamber test campaigns into physical understanding, and translate that understanding into thruster performance, lifetime, and spacecraft-integration guidance. This is a hands-on senior technical role for someone who wants to see their models fly.

Core Responsibilities

• Own the plasma-physics design of Hall effect thrusters and related electric propulsion concepts, including discharge channel geometry, magnetic field topology, anode and propellant injection design, and cathode and neutralizer selection.
• Develop and apply plasma models (fluid, hybrid PIC-DSMC, and fully kinetic PIC as appropriate) to predict discharge behaviour, ionization and acceleration efficiency, plume structure, and erosion-driven lifetime.
• Define and defend the performance envelope of each thruster (thrust, specific impulse, total efficiency, throttling range, throughput) and trace it to physical mechanisms rather than empirical scaling alone.
• Lead trade studies across thruster class and propellant options (xenon, krypton, and alternatives), quantifying the impact on performance, PPU requirements, tankage, and mission-level delta-v budgets.
• Translate plasma-physics findings into requirements and interface specifications for the power processing unit, propellant feed system, thermal design, and spacecraft accommodation.
• Design and lead vacuum-chamber test campaigns, defining test objectives, operating matrices, facility-effect mitigations, and pass/fail criteria for development, qualification, and life testing.
• Specify, build, and operate plasma diagnostics, including Langmuir and emissive probes, Faraday and Wien filter probes, retarding potential analyzers, thrust stands, optical emission spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, and high-speed discharge current measurement.
• Characterize discharge oscillations and instabilities (breathing mode, azimuthal spoke, rotating structures) and their coupling to the PPU, and recommend mitigations at the thruster and controller level.
• Reduce and interpret test data, validate and calibrate models against it, and quantify uncertainty so that model-based predictions can be used with confidence in design decisions.
• Assess and document plume divergence, contamination, sputtering, and EMI/spacecraft-charging effects, and support the resulting spacecraft integration and compatibility analyses.
• This role is based on-site and involves regular work in a high-voltage, high-vacuum laboratory environment, with occasional travel to external test facilities and launch campaigns.

Technical Leadership & Programme Support

• Act as the technical authority on plasma physics for the propulsion group, providing direction and review to junior engineers, technicians, and interns without a formal reporting line.
• Own the physics content of design reviews, verification and validation plans, and qualification test reports, and support anomaly investigations and root-cause analysis with Quality Assurance.
• Maintain configuration control and traceability of models, analysis cases, and test data, and keep requirements and issue records current in tools such as Jira within an Agile/Scrum workflow.
• Track the state of the art in electric propulsion, evaluate external components and facilities, and contribute to publications, patents, and technical proposals where appropriate.

Qualifications

• PhD in Plasma Physics, Applied Physics, Aerospace Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field, with a dissertation or equivalent body of work in low-temperature plasmas, electric propulsion, or plasma diagnostics.Masters degree with relevant experience will also be considered.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with electric propulsion devices — Hall effect thrusters strongly preferred; gridded ion, magnetically shielded, cusped-field, or arcjet/MPD experience also relevant — including operation in a vacuum facility.
• Strong command of plasma modelling methods and the ability to implement or extend simulation codes, with proficiency in Python and at least one compiled language (C++, Fortran, or equivalent); familiarity with PIC, hybrid, or fluid plasma codes and with magnetostatic tools such as FEMM, COMSOL, or ANSYS Maxwell.
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