SRF Cavity Design Lead

Subcritical Systems; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

Subcritical Systems in Austin, TX seeks a senior RF engineer to lead the electromagnetic design of superconducting RF cavities in AI-driven SRF cryomodules. You will set cavity shape, optimize figures of merit, and work with multidisciplinary teams through concept, fabrication, cold tests, and commissioning.

Role involves iterative design with ATLAS, validating models against measurements, and ensuring safe, robust performance while collaborating across engineering disciplines and with a

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or related; PhD preferred.
• 3+ years RF cavity, high Q filter, or accelerator design experience, or 7+ years in RF/electromagnetics.
• Background in 3D electromagnetic design of resonant cavities using CST, HFSS, or equivalent solvers.
• Working knowledge of RF superconductivity and cavity figures of merit.
• Understanding of beam-cavity interactions, including beam loading, coupling, and higher-order modes.
• Ability to work across disciplines and produce clear design reports, specifications, and presentations.

Responsibilities

• Own the electromagnetic design of SSI's SRF cavities, from requirements and frequency choice through fabrication drawings and cryomodule integration.
• Optimize cavity geometry for gradient, intrinsic quality factor, R/Q, geometric factor, and peak surface fields using CST, HFSS, COMSOL, or equivalent solvers.
• Analyze beam-cavity interactions: beam loading, HOM spectra, impedance, and wakefields. Design input and HOM couplers for the required external quality factors and damping.
• Evaluate multipacting, field emission, and RF heat loads, and work with mechanical engineers on coupled RF-structural analysis (Lorentz force detuning, df/dP, tuning sensitivity).
• Set RF acceptance criteria and support frequency and field-flatness tuning, bead-pull, and cold-test measurements, correlating results with simulation.
• Develop scripts and computational tools to automate parametric simulation and optimization, and present results in design reviews.
• Iterate designs with ATLAS and the broader team, review its outputs before they proceed to fabrication or testing, and promote a proactive safety culture.

Skills

RF cavity design

EM simulation

Python scripting

AI-assisted workflows

Education

Master's degree in Physics or Electrical Engineering

PhD preferred

Tools

CST

HFSS

COMSOL

Job description

Subcritical Systems in Austin, TX seeks a senior RF engineer to lead the electromagnetic design of superconducting RF cavities in AI-driven SRF cryomodules. You will set cavity shape, optimize figures of merit, and work with multidisciplinary teams through concept, fabrication, cold tests, and commissioning.

Role involves iterative design with ATLAS, validating models against measurements, and ensuring safe, robust performance while collaborating across engineering disciplines and with a