Cryogenics Engineer (f/m/d)

Softgarden; Darmstadt; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

30 days vacation

Startup growth potential

Job summary

MAGNOTHERM is seeking a hands-on cryogenics engineer to own the thermal design, cryostat specification, and validation for a cryogenics-heavy magnetocaloric cooling system. You will lead from simulation to measured data, integrating cryogenic hardware with suppliers and manufacturers.

Ideal candidates have strong cryostat experience, CAD skills (NX/Fusion 360/Inventor), and fluency in German and English. On-site role in Darmstadt with startup-style flexibility and impact.

Qualifications

• Must-have cryostat operation or design experience.
• Experience with cryogen handling and safe transfer practices.
• Proficient CAD skills for manufacturing drawings and documentation.
• Ability to write specifications and coordinate RFQs with suppliers.
• Autonomous ownership of a full module and clear documentation.

Responsibilities

• Cryogenic thermal design & simulation of cold mass and MLI.
• Design and specify bespoke cryostat and coordinate RFQ with manufacturers.
• Evaluate cryocoolers and related equipment for low temperatures.
• Design and procure current leads for coils and manage heat leaks.
• Build, integrate, and validate cryogenic module and gather data.

Skills

Cryostat experience

Cryogen handling

CAD design

Supplier interface

Autonomous ownership

German C1+ and English C1+

Tools

NX

Fusion 360

Inventor

Python

C++

Job description

Startdate

From 01.10.2026 onwards.

What you will be doing here

MAGNOTHERM builds refrigerant-free magnetocaloric cooling systems.

Our next-generation STELLAR program replaces permanent magnets with high-temperature superconducting (HTS) coils — and those coils need to live at cryogenic temperature, cryogen-free, inside an industrial machine that ships to customers. You own that cold world end to end: the thermal design, the cryostat specification and its manufacturer, the cryocooler selection, the current leads, the build, and the validation campaign that measures the physics the whole program depends on. From simulation to measured data.

What you’ll own

• Cryogenic thermal design & simulation. Build and maintain the thermal‑network model of the cold mass: heat‑load budgets across the cold and shield stages, multi‑layer insulation (MLI) and radiation shielding, conduction through supports and feedthroughs, and AC loss — the heat the cycling magnetic field induces in the superconductor — from the moving magnetocaloric regenerator, and optimization of the hybrid current leads. Your model is the design authority for everything below room temperature.

• Cryostat design & manufacturer interface. Design and specify our bespoke cryostat — vacuum vessel, MLI, thermal shield, cold‑mass supports — with a first‑of‑its‑kind twist: a warm bore with a room‑temperature regenerator moving through it. You write the specification, run the RFQ, coordinate the cryostat manufacturer through build and first‑article acceptance. This is a long‑lead item on the program’s critical chain; you drive it.

• Cold head & compressor. Evaluate, select, and qualify cryocoolers and their helium compressors: manufacturer evaluation, test purchases, commissioning, and duration testing.

• Current leads. Design and procure current leads feeding the coils — the classic heat‑leak‑vs‑ohmic‑loss optimization, yours to solve.

• Build, integration & validation. Assemble and integrate the cryogenic module: vacuum leak‑checking, pump‑down iteration, cooldown, steady‑state heat‑load measurement — and the AC‑loss‑under‑cycling measurement. The data you produce baselines the design of the full‑scale machine.

• Research‑bench cryo operations. Support our high‑field test bench as its cryogenics hand: helium handling, vacuum systems, cryostat operations, and safe cryogenic work practices across the lab.

What you would ideally bring to the table

Must‑have skills & experience

• Hands‑on cryostat experience — the one we won’t compromise on. You have built, modified or operated one: superinsulation, thermal anchoring, cold–warm transitions, feedthroughs, transfer lines, and the reasons a cryostat stops holding its cold.
• Cryogen handling: liquid helium and nitrogen, dewars, safe transfer, oxygen deficiency and pressure hazards.
• Strong CAD and drawing craft (NX, Fusion360, Inventor, or similar): 3D models, manufacturing drawings, and technical documentation that a workshop can build from.
• Supplier and manufacturing interface: writing specifications and RFQs, coordinating contractors, and designing for what a manufacturer can actually make.
• Working style: autonomous ownership of a full module, pragmatic build‑test‑iterate mindset, clear documentation.
• German C1+ and English C1+. Suppliers, administration and safety documents in German; some of our team and established partners in English.

Nice to have

• Cryocooler integration experience — Gifford‑McMahon (GM) or pulse‑tube cold heads, helium compressors, cryogen‑free (dry) systems.
• Exposure to superconducting magnet systems: HTS/REBCO coils, quench considerations, current leads, cold‑mass mechanics.
• Process simulation and liquefaction‑cycle background.
• Scripting for analysis and automation (Python, C++).
• FEM for convection and shield design.
• Pressure‑equipment and relief‑device experience for cryogenic service (safety valves).
• Having worked inside a university or research institute.

What makes this role unusual

• Simulation, specification, procurement, build, and the validation measurement are a single scope — you see your own model confirmed (or corrected) by your own data.
• First‑of‑kind hardware: a warm‑bore cryostat with a moving room‑temperature regenerator inside exists in no catalogue; you design it with the manufacturer.
• Dry by design: the product is cryogen‑free — liquid helium stays in the research lab, so what you build is industrial cooling hardware, not lab apparatus.

What you will get from the job

• Flexible hours and 30 days of vacation.
• Compensation aligned with startup standards, with room to grow as the company scales.
• A team that's sharp, interdisciplinary, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
• The chance to pioneer technology that actually helps the planet.
• Ownership, responsibility, and a culture where learning from mistakes is expected.
• A front‑row seat as a deep‑tech company scales.
• Memes. Good ones. And lots of them.

PS: We are a big fan of cover letters. They don't need to be long, but getting the general idea of who you are and what motivates you helps in the application selection. A portfolio of work you can share externally is also welcome.

About us

We believe in science; we believe in facts. Climate change is speeding up more than ever and we need to do something about it. We are convinced that we need better technologies to overcome this tremendous challenge – or more precisely: this tremendous threat to humanity. We are on a mission to decarbonize the refrigeration industry and reduce its contribution of 7% to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Support us in making our vision a reality – join us!

We are material scientists, chemists, physicists, a lot of engineers as well as product and graphic designers. We are an agile team of bright minds with diverse and international backgrounds. We love hanging out together, we argue about new technologies, politics, the best sport, and food trends. Basically, we are human.

MAGNOTHERMis an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We are open to all groups of people without regard to age, color, national origin, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristics.

Do I need to meet all the requirements to apply?

Studiesby several different sources have shown that, on average, men will apply for a job if they meet 60% of the application requirements. In contrast, women/non-binary people will seek to match a much higher percentage of the requirements before applying.

How can I demonstrate that I have particular needs in the application process?

For people living with disabilities, chronic illnesses, or neurodiversity, adjustments and support can make a decisive difference in the application process. If you need any specific accommodations (tools, time, etc.) and feel comfortable disclosing this, please let us know.