Plasma–Materials Interaction Lead

Thea Energy Inc.; Kearny, Northern (NJ, KY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary range $130,000-$165,000

Comprehensive health benefits

Employee equity stock options

20 days PTO

Job summary

Thea Energy Inc. is seeking an experienced Plasma-Material Interaction (PMI) Manager to lead development of high-performance plasma-facing materials for the Eos and Helios stellarators.

You will bridge plasma physics, materials engineering, and component integration to address heat-flux, erosion, and isotope retention while guiding PMI experiments and external collaborations. You will direct in-house campaigns, manage test facilities, and coordinate with vendors and labs to de-risk wall

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Materials Science, Plasma Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or closely related field.
• 8+ years on plasma-surface interactions, high-temperature materials, or magnetic confinement fusion engineering, with 3+ years leading projects or teams.
• Edge plasma dynamics, sputtering, redeposition, isotope retention, and high heat flux behavior.
• Experience designing or operating plasma-facing test rigs or boundary diagnostics on stellarators or tokamaks.
• Strong materials testing/characterization and procurement workflow knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Direct research, design, and qualification of plasma-facing materials for Eos and Helios.
• Oversee PMI experiments on Eos and in-house test facilities.
• Lead external collaborations with labs, universities, and vendors for material synthesis and testing.
• Lead simulations of erosion and thermal shock in real time.
• Translate PMI data into inputs for plasma transport and engineering designs.

Skills

Edge plasma dynamics

Sputtering/redeposition

High-heat materials

Boundary diagnostics

R&D leadership

External collaborations

Education

Ph.D. in Materials Science

Tools

SOLPS

UEDGE

EMC3-EIRENE

ERO2.0

WallDYN

SDTrimSP

RustBCA

TRIM

ANSYS

COMSOL

Job description

Thea Energy Inc. is seeking an experienced Plasma-Material Interaction (PMI) Manager to lead development of high-performance plasma-facing materials for the Eos and Helios stellarators.

You will bridge plasma physics, materials engineering, and component integration to address heat-flux, erosion, and isotope retention while guiding PMI experiments and external collaborations. You will direct in-house campaigns, manage test facilities, and coordinate with vendors and labs to de-risk wall