HTS Rectifier Intern

Open Star Technologies Limited; Wellington; On-site; NZD 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Open Star Technologies Limited invites applications for an early-career role within the HTS Rectifiers team. You will model, optimise, and test HTS switches and rectifier components that drive transformer rectifiers, working on real hardware from electromagnet design to thermal and electrical modelling and experimental validation.

The role emphasises hands-on development with magnetostatic FEA tools, 3D CAD, and Simulink, requiring a multidisciplinary engineering mindset and strong collaboration

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree (or higher) in electrical, mechanical, or a related engineering/physics discipline.
• Interest in superconductivity, electromagnetics, or power electronics.

Responsibilities

• Model HTS switch behaviour against temperature, field, and current.
• Develop thermal/electrical models to capture temperature-dependent switching.
• Support modelling of transformer rectifier topologies.
• Use magnetostatic FEA tools and 3D CAD to optimise switch geometry and wire selection.
• Analyse design trade-offs and provide data-backed recommendations.
• Set up and run experimental verification rigs measuring switch behaviour.
• Build and test hardware prototypes including switch electromagnets and superconducting components.
• Collect and analyse test data against model predictions and iterate designs accordingly.

Skills

Superconductivity

Electromagnetics

Power electronics

Teamwork

Independent work

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree (or higher) in electrical, mechanical or related engineering/physics

Tools

Simulink

FEMM

3D CAD

Job description

Support our Rectifier team to model, optimise, and test the HTS switches and rectifier components that drive our HTS transformer rectifiers.

17th August, 2026

Equal Opportunity Statement: We are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diversity strengthens our team and are dedicated to providing a work environment free from discrimination and harassment.

Who We Are

OpenStarTechnologies is on a mission to repeat the feats of Māui and capture the power of the Sun. By mastering fusion - the process that powers the stars - we can generate safe, clean, carbon-free, base-load electricity in a way that is economically scalable to the challenge of mitigating climate disaster and giving birth to the next industrial revolution. Our team is made up of talented engineers and physicists, based in Wellington, New Zealand.

About the Role

Join the HTS Rectifiers team within OpenStar's Subsystems group to help model, optimise, and test the HTS switches and rectifier components that drive our HTS transformer rectifiers. You'll work on real hardware, from electromagnet and switch design through to thermal/electrical modelling and experimental verification.

Key Responsibilities

• Model HTS switch behaviour against temperature, field, and current (Tc, Bc, Ic), including EJ power-law behaviour near critical current
• Develop and extend thermal/electrical models (e.g. in Simulink) to capture temperature-dependent switching behaviour
• Support modelling of transformer rectifier topologies (e.g. H-bridge configurations)
• Use magnetostatic FEA tools (e.g. FEMM) and 3D CAD to optimise switch electromagnet geometry, coil turns, and wire selection against performance and efficiency targets
• Analyse design trade-offs (losses, time constant, flux density) and produce recommendations backed by your analysis
• Set up and run experimental verification rigs, measuring switch voltage/current behaviour under varying temperature and field
• Build and test hardware prototypes, including switch electromagnets and, where relevant, superconducting components
• Collect and analyse test data against model predictions and iterate on designs accordingly

Electromagnet Design & Optimisation

• Use magnetostatic FEA tools (e.g. FEMM) and 3D CAD to optimise switch electromagnet geometry, coil turns, and wire selection against performance and efficiency targets
• Analyse design trade-offs (losses, time constant, flux density) and produce recommendations backed by your analysis

Experimental Verification

• Set up and run experimental verification rigs, measuring switch voltage/current behaviour under varying temperature and field
• Build and test hardware prototypes, including switch electromagnets and, where relevant, superconducting components
• Collect and analyse test data against model predictions and iterate on designs accordingly

Key Relationships

• HTS Rectifiers
• Power electronics engineers
• Magnet Engineering team

What We're Looking For

• Strong interest in superconductivity, electromagnetics, or power electronics
• Ability to work through and solve highly multidisciplinary engineering problems.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently and as part of a team.
• Great team member with clear communication and collaboration skills.
• Innate desire to learn, innovate, and critique ideas including one's own.
• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's degree (or higher) in electrical, mechanical, or a related engineering/physics discipline

Join Us

This opportunity boils down to the chance to work on something truly meaningful. The scariest thing about the climate crisis today is that, for all of our bluster and protest, there are very few of us who actually have a chance to do meaningful work solving this problem. Carbon-free energy is an absolute necessity if we want to be able to recognise the world that future generations inherit. Please join us in making this a reality.