Member of Technical Staff, Computational Plasma Physics

Zenithon; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Relocation assistance

On-site team in London or SF

Job summary

Zenithon, a frontier lab in London and San Francisco, seeks a computational plasma physicist to own how etch reactor models are set up and advanced. You will decide which physics matters, guide simulations, and work with ML researchers to ensure models reflect reality.

You will drive campaigns across geometry, chemistry and operating conditions, verify outputs against measurements, and communicate clearly with engineers. This role suits someone early in their career or a few years past their PhD.

Qualifications

• PhD in plasma physics, applied physics, or engineering or related field.
• Hands-on experience with HPEM, VizGlow, COMSOL or similar reactor-scale plasma code.
• Strong grounding in low-temperature plasma physics: sheaths, electron energy distributions, ion energy/angle distributions, and plasma chemistry.
• Proficient in Python and scientific computing.
• Clear communication with engineers who don't model.

Responsibilities

• Own how we set up reactor-scale etch simulations: geometries, chemistry, boundary conditions and operating ranges.
• Set the direction of our simulation work: where fidelity matters, from sheaths to surface chemistry.
• Run simulation campaigns across wide ranges of reactor geometry, chemistry and operating conditions.
• Check model outputs against physics and measurements, and show clearly where the errors sit.
• Work with ML researchers on model inputs, outputs and tests.
• Talk with engineers at partner companies about their reactors and translate needs into what we build next.

Skills

Python

Scientific computing

Communication

Education

PhD in plasma physics or related field

Tools

HPEM

VizGlow

COMSOL

Job description

Zenithon is an applied frontier lab for extreme physics. We build foundation models that simulate plasmas, so engineers can explore far more of the design space before they build anything.

THE ROLE

Semiconductor plasma etch is a core part of Zenithon's business, and this role helps shape it. We're hiring a computational plasma physicist to own the physics behind our etch reactor models. You'll decide how our simulations are set up, which physics matters and where, and where the work goes next. You'll work with our ML researchers to make sure the models get it right. When engineers at the companies we work with ask whether to trust a result, you'll be the person who can answer.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own how we set up reactor-scale etch simulations: geometries, chemistry, boundary conditions and the operating ranges that matter.
• Set the direction of our simulation work: where fidelity matters, from sheaths to surface chemistry, and which campaigns we run next.
• Run simulation campaigns across wide ranges of reactor geometry, chemistry and operating conditions.
• Check model outputs against physics and measurements, and show clearly where the errors sit.
• Work with ML researchers on model inputs, outputs and tests.
• Talk with engineers at partner companies about their reactors, and turn what they need into what we build next.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• A PhD in plasma physics, applied physics, or electrical, chemical or mechanical engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with HPEM, VizGlow, COMSOL or a similar reactor-scale plasma code. You've built geometries, set up chemistry and boundary conditions, and fixed runs that wouldn't converge.
• Strong grounding in low-temperature plasma physics: sheaths, electron energy distributions, ion energy and angle distributions, and plasma chemistry.
• Python and scientific computing.
• Clear communication with engineers who don't model.

This role suits someone early in their career or a few years past their PhD.

BONUS POINTS

• Experience at a semiconductor equipment maker or a fab.
• Etch chemistries, surface reactions or feature-scale profile models.
• PIC/MCC codes, or HPC and GPU experience.
• Comparing simulations with experiments.
• You've written or extended a solver, shipped open-source code, or worked at a startup.

HOW WE WORK

We're a small, in-person team in London and San Francisco that works hard, moves fast and holds a high bar. Two principles guide everything we do: intellectual ambition in what we attempt, and empirical precision in how we measure it. You'll own real problems from your first week, and your work will shape what the company becomes.

WHAT WE OFFER

Competitive salary and meaningful equity, set by location, plus relocation support. You can be based in San Francisco or London, on site with the team. You must be authorized to work in the US or the UK, depending on where you're based.

Zenithon is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background