Plasma Experiment Ops Lead — High-Voltage & Data Integrity

Zap Energy; Everett (WA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Zap Energy seeks a Plasma Device Operations Engineer to own daily shotgun shot execution on FuZE devices, ensuring machine readiness from configuration to post-shot data review. You will coordinate with diagnostics, controls, and plasma physics teams to maintain data quality and traceability across every run.

You will read and interpret electrical schematics and waveforms, manage interlocks, and document procedures while upholding high-voltage safety.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related field.
• 3+ years of hands-on experience operating experimental physics, pulsed-power, or high-voltage laboratory equipment.
• Demonstrated comfort working around high-voltage (>1 kV) systems with strict safety procedures.
• Experience with data acquisition systems and familiarity with digitizer configuration, triggering, and first-order data review.
• Ability to read and interpret electrical schematics, timing diagrams, and oscilloscope/digitizer waveforms.
• Strong written communication skills for maintaining run logs, procedures, and machine status documentation.
• Highly organized and systematic — capable of managing multiple concurrent maintenance tasks and shot campaign priorities without losing traceability.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate across engineering disciplines to align subsystems before each shot campaign and run day.
• Lead pre-shot coordination on machine configuration, diagnostic readiness, gas and timing parameters.
• Maintain and communicate the master run schedule and resolve blockers with clear ownership.
• Coordinate access during downtime to ensure safe maintenance, installation, and calibration tasks.
• Execute daily experimental shot sequences and monitor machine state during campaigns.
• Maintain shot logs, run plans, and machine configuration records in MDSplus.
• Coordinate with diagnostics to ensure data acquisition systems are armed and capturing clean data.
• Operate PLC-based control system for shot sequencing and interlocks; document fixes and procedures.
• Enforce high-voltage safety procedures and participate in safety reviews.

Skills

High-voltage safety

Schematic interpretation

Data quality & review

Documentation & run logs

Cross-functional coordination

Education

B.S./M.S. in Electrical/Mechanical Engineering or Physics

Tools

MDSplus

Beckhoff TwinCAT 3

Siemens PLCs

D-TACQ digitizers

Oscilloscope & digitizer analysis

Job description

Zap Energy seeks a Plasma Device Operations Engineer to own daily shotgun shot execution on FuZE devices, ensuring machine readiness from configuration to post-shot data review. You will coordinate with diagnostics, controls, and plasma physics teams to maintain data quality and traceability across every run.

You will read and interpret electrical schematics and waveforms, manage interlocks, and document procedures while upholding high-voltage safety.